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Policy Areas

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared communication ODPANN 26-033, to announce that registration for the May – August 2026 CI Initial Certification Course cohorts is now open in MyODP.

To Register for a cohort of the Initial Certification course:

  • Log into your MyODP.org account.
  • Go to the Certified Investigator Initial Certification Course Information page.
  • Read the information on the page to ensure you understand certification eligibility and course completion requirements.
  • Follow the instructions on the “Certified Investigator Initial Certification Course Registration for May – August 2026” section of the page.

Please review the announcement for more details.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, March 17, to discuss the role of medication to treat opioid use disorder. RCPA SUD Treatment Services Policy Director Jason Snyder was one of six to testify at the hearing.

 

RCPA testified that although its SUD treatment provider members advocate for medication and behavioral therapies as the most effective pathway for patients to stop their use of illicit opioids and begin making the many difficult changes necessary to sustain their recovery, any policy that creates barriers to accessing medication puts lives at risk.

 

Video of the hearing is also available online (Jason’s testimony begins at the 24:19 mark).

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The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, is pleased to announce the following training opportunity: From Questions to Confidence: Connecting Students and Families to Benefits Counseling. As students with disabilities plan for life after high school, questions about how employment impacts public benefits can create uncertainty and hesitation for students and their families. Benefits counseling plays a critical role in helping individuals understand how work, earnings, and career advancement interact with benefits such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and related programs, supporting informed decision-making and reducing fear around employment. This session will combine a brief foundational presentation with a panel discussion featuring educators and partners who have implemented strategies to connect students and families to benefits counseling in their schools and communities.

Audience:
Special Educators, Transition Coordinators, School Counselors, School Psychologists, Related Service Providers, Administrators, Rehabilitation counselors or professionals working in vocational rehabilitation/transition

Registration Information:
You may register online at PaTTAN’s website.

For content-related information and questions, please contact Hillary Mangis via email or at 412-826-6878.

For general registration information and questions, please contact Roanne Bush via email or at 412-826-6829.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) waivers are required to be renewed with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) every five years. The Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family-Directed Support (P/FDS) Waivers, collectively known as the ID/A waivers, are scheduled for renewal effective July 1, 2027.

ODP invites you to participate in an upcoming listening session as part of the renewal process. Please join Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens and Director of Policy Julie Mochon for a general overview of the ID/A waivers and the renewal process during one of the two sessions listed below.

Attendees will have the opportunity to share valuable feedback and insights to help strengthen the Waivers and enhance the services provided through them. Stakeholder input gathered during these sessions will play an important role in informing the ID/A waiver renewal process.

Registration is required for each session. Due to limited space, ODP asks that you only register for one session. Register below:

Interested in providing feedback?

When registering for a session, you will be asked if you would like to provide verbal comments. Registrants can participate without providing comments.

If you register to provide comments, on the day of the session a moderator will share additional instructions about using the virtual meeting features.

When your name is called, you will have 3 minutes to provide your input.

Topic — Best Practices in Behavioral Assessment and Treatment
Updates are in Red

Regardless of our role, we should all continuously strive to implement best practices when supporting someone who may have behaviors that are challenging or not yet understood. This training will focus on ways that, within your role, you can ensure that the behavioral support you are providing is sound, appropriate, and implemented with fidelity and integrity. ODP will offer two tracks held across different days and times that focus on the role you play in this process.

Please choose 1 date for the appropriate track that best represents your role. There is no cost to attend the training, but pre-registration is required.

Note: Both tracks will provide best practice information grounded in peer-reviewed and evidence-based research and will not address ODP program-specific service definitions, procedures, or guidelines.

Track 1 is for any Behavioral Specialist (and their supervisors) who completes behavioral assessments, develops behavioral plans, and trains others on the implementation of the plan. This session will discuss best practices to conduct better assessments and develop better behavioral support plans while acknowledging barriers and pitfalls to these processes.

Virtual Session on Microsoft Teams. Please attend only 1 session. All sessions will cover the same material.

  • April 9, 2026, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • April 12, 2026, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • April 16, 2026, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
  • April 20, 2026, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Track 2 is for any professional (and their supervisors), including Supports Coordinators (SC), who implements behavioral plans and who work directly with individuals. This session will present an introduction to the essential components of effective behavioral assessment and treatment with an emphasis on best practices to support the implementation of a Behavioral Support Plan.

Virtual Session on Microsoft Teams. Please attend only 1 session. All sessions will cover the same material.

  • April 10, 2026 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
  • April 15, 2026 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • April 17, 2026 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • April 23, 2026 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Presented By:
The ODP Clinical Team

Register Here
Please be sure to log into your MyODP account. If you do not already have an account, please register for a new account before registering for the ASD seminar.

Continuing Education Units (CEU):
This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance-Based Contracting measures CN-DD/Bx.01.1S and CN-DD/Bx.01.1CE for all Direct Support Professionals (DSP), Frontline Supervisors (FLS), and program managers.

This training also fulfills §6100.143 ongoing training requirements.

Please contact the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) Training Inbox with questions.

Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
WOL855 – Where Did All the Meth Come From? Strategies and Tactics for Managing the Next Drug Epidemic

Training fee: Free to attend, $25 for attendance and CEs/certificate
Instructor: Mark G. Fuller, MD, FACP, FASAM

Register Here

Along with the alarming number of annual drug overdose deaths, methamphetamine – related ones have increased by 300%. The recent penetration of methamphetamines into all sectors of the population has resulted in an unprecedented number of overdoses and demand for treatment. Methamphetamine is an addictive and potent central nervous system stimulant with powerful effects on the human mind. Unlike opioids and alcohol, methamphetamine use disorder has no FDA approved pharmacologic treatment. And, as individuals suffering from this disorder flood into treatment settings, many clinicians find themselves unprepared to implement effective treatment strategies. This workshop will address the factors behind the current epidemic while identifying the most effective treatment and policy strategies for addressing this crisis.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  •  Define the key contributors to the current wave of methamphetamine use in the U.S.
  • Compare and contrast the various clinical interventions for effectively addressing stimulant use disorder.
  • Assess the effectiveness of current drug policy for this epidemic.

CE Credits:
CPRP-2; LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT-2; NBCC-2; PA Act48-2; IACET-.2