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Policy Areas

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In 2021, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) disseminated The Best Practice Standards for Behavioral Support. They also hosted several Virtual Office Hours (VOHs) for Behavioral Specialists, Administrative Entities (AEs), Supports Coordination Organizations, and Residential Providers. As a follow-up to these efforts, they have created a hub on MyODP that captures all things Behavioral Supports-related to the standards. Check it out and visit often, as ODP intends to update, and they have some additional resources in the works to upload in the future, including FAQs and Sample BSPs.

ODP intends to host additional sessions with providers and AEs to talk about the standards, but in the meantime, they are interested in hearing from those of you who have reviewed the standards or attended a VOH in the past year. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey.

If you have any questions or comments about this communication, feel free to email ODP directly.

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ODP Announcement 22-042 shares the News Alert for providers to assist in managing and developing infection control strategies, including COVID-19. The News Alert from the Infection Prevention Specialist Partnership With Health Care Quality Units has been released with information regarding sites performing COVID testing, up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine booster dose recommendations, and the Powassan Virus (POW).

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has received funding through a Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appropriation under the 2019 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) — Enhanced Detection Expansion (EDE) Grant. This grant funding is being used to build capacity and provide additional support for infection prevention and control through the Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) in partnership with a team of infection prevention specialists from Infectious Disease (ID) Connect. This project will run through June 2023.

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ODP Announcement 22-043 provides information regarding the part of the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) ARPA plan wherein providers can receive a one-time supplemental payment for technology-related activities that strengthen and enhance home and community-based services (HCBS). The following activities would be supported by this initiative:

  • Purchase of assistive and/or remote support technology;
  • Purchase and implementation of new software or technology for electronic health records;
  • Technology associated with improving quality or risk management functions;
  • Technology professional credentialing identified in ODP provider qualifications; and
  • Purchase of consultation services to enhance technological capabilities.

This initiative is designed to enhance HCBS by:

  • Replacing staff functions with the use of technology, allowing staff time to be directed to other care activities;
  • Providing individuals greater independence and choice using technology; and
  • Improving quality of care through implementation of solutions like electronic health records and integrated data solutions.

Supports Coordination Organizations: As part of the ODP ARPA plan, SCOs can receive a one-time supplemental payment for technology-related activities that enhance HCBS by:

  • Improving capacity to conduct remote monitoring of individuals;
  • Improving efficiency of Supports Coordinators, including maximizing time in the field;
  • Obtaining or enhancing secure inter-office communications; and
  • Implementing technology-dependent quality improvement strategies.

This announcement includes the Application for Providers and Application for Supports Coordination Organizations.

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The National Alliance for Direct Support Professional’s Joseph Macbeth, President and Chief Executive Officer, & Dan Hermreck, Director of Certification & Accreditation, will be joining RCPA members to discuss NADSP’s program for advancing the professional role of DSPs while we have the opportunity in Pennsylvania to utilize ARPA funds to assist in this effort.

We are hosting the webinar Friday, April 22, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am to discuss how NADSP can help your organization. You can register for the event here.

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals firmly believes that “quality is defined at the point of interaction,” and therefore the knowledge, skills, and values of direct support professionals are the key to providing quality supports. This webinar will explore NADSP’s credentialing program, known as the E-Badge Academy, through which the organization has attempted to measure these three components of quality and recognize DSPs who provide high quality support. The E-Badge Academy allows DSPs to earn electronic badges by describing how their work is consistent with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Core Competencies and the NADSP Code of Ethics. You will learn how it all works, including best practices, successful implementation, outcome measurement, and return on investment.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Ferenz.

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ODP Announcement 22-041 announced that as of May 1, 2022, a new web-based eLearning version of the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) Advanced Rater Training (ART) will become available. With the release of this eLearning course, the webinar-based version will no longer be offered. Advanced Rater Training is the follow-up course for raters who complete the foundational HRST Online Rater Training and for nurses wishing to become clinical reviewers. Additionally, an Advanced Rater Training FAQ is available.

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Dr. John Petrila, a national expert on mental health law and policy and data sharing, is sharing some of his expansive knowledge on cross-systems data sharing with participants of the PA Stepping Up Technical Assistance Center via webinar on May 24. The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) is pleased to pass along the opportunity to register for the presentation on this relevant and timely subject. The webinar will discuss how counties can work within their federal and state privacy laws to share data across criminal justice and behavioral health systems along the Stepping Up 4 key measures in order to understand the prevalence of mental illness in their jails.

PA TA Center Data Sharing Webinar

  • Date: May 24, 2022
  • Time: 11:00 am–12:00 pm
  • Registration Link
    • There is a text box to provide questions when you register – please type any questions you have on this subject! The presenter has specifically asked for questions so that he can tailor the presentation to be most helpful.

If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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