';
CLOSE
Policy Areas

0 1748

The RCPA 2023 Annual Conference A Decade of Unity is scheduled for October 10 – 13, 2023, at the Hershey Lodge. The sessions listed below are a sample of the sessions planned, and these include the opportunities to interact with DHS, OLTL, and Aging Department leaders. This will be further enhanced by the participation of current and prospective CHC-MCOs. Of course, a number of networking events with your peers, technology innovators, and vendors to improve your operations make these days a must-have for your agency! View the list below of planned sessions for your PD&A teams:

  1. State of the State: DHS Secretary Arkoosh
  2. Become a Destination Employer
  3. Moral Injury: Reframing and Repair
  4. Restrictive Practices Across the States: Strategies to Advocate for Change
  5. The Happy Valley FitLink Approach to Inclusive Wellness
  6. OLTL Updates and Quality Initiatives
  7. Driving Pennsylvania’s Health Care Transformation: Integrating Perspectives for Advanced Patient-Centered Care
  8. Value-Based Purchasing: A Survival Guide
  9. Beyond Accessibility: Diversity and Inclusion in the Disability Community
  10. Addressing the Workforce Crisis: Strategy and Policy Learnings From Four Organizations
  11. Enabling Technology: The Why, What, and How Needed to Make it Happen
  12. Leadership and Navigating Change (1 and 2)
  13. Getting Past the First Meeting to the Contract Negotiation
  14. Revealing the Potential of Smart Home Technologies for People With Disabilities Through Research and Resources
  15. Findings on Stakeholder Engagement for the PA Master Plan for Older Adults
  16. Reducing Health Disparities Through a Collaborative Approach to Value-Based Contracting
  17. Attracting and Retaining the Best Talent: Mitigating Bias in Hiring, From Sourcing Through Onboarding
  18. Independence and Wellness Through Employment

Use this link for quick, convenient online registration for the 2023 Annual Conference! You can view the brochure for the full schedule as well as the RCPA Conference website for further details. We look forward to seeing you in Hershey this October!

0 1535

The University of Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania-based partners are supporting the efforts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, led by the Pennsylvania Department on Aging, to develop a Master Plan for Older Adults. Please circulate this survey on PA Aging and Disability Needs to your consumers and encourage them to complete it ASAP.

This project is being led by Dr. Howard B. Degenholtz and Dr. Steven Albert from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Please use this link to share any questions or concerns you have about the process.

If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar.

0 1661

September continues PA Family Network’s series on Participant Directed Services. Join the team of Family Advisors to get your questions answered about Participant Directed Services and how you can choose to direct your own services under the Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) Waivers. These workshops are created by family members and self-advocates FOR family members and self-advocates.

Register for upcoming events online.

Community Engagement Workshops:
These will only be offered at these dates and times!

LifeCourse Workshops  

Waiver Workshops

Support Groups

0 8057

Last week, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) issued the following message to clarify criminal history background checks and child abuse history requirements:

In accordance with 55 Pa. Code § 52.19(d), hiring policies shall be in accordance with the PA Department of Aging’s (PDA) Older Adults Protective Services Act policy as posted on the PDA website. The Criminal History Background Checks page of the PDA website contains an OAPSA and Act 28 Summary, which summarizes criminal history background checks. The process is as follows:

All applicants must submit to a PA State Police (PSP) criminal history background check. Applicants can use the online process at Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) or mail the request with a money order or cashier’s check made payable to “Commonwealth of PA” to the State Police for processing. If there is no criminal record, the PSP will forward a letter stating the same. If there is a criminal record, the PSP will forward a copy of the rap sheet to the requester.

If the applicant has not been a PA resident for the two consecutive years before application, they will need to have a PSP criminal history background check completed and an FBI Background Check. All requests for FBI background checks must be made directly through 3MCogent Systems, a 3rd party electronic background check processor contracted by the Department of Aging. The fingerprinting registration process is conducted through Cogent online. The fee for the FBI background check is $23.00. The fingerprints will be forwarded to the FBI for processing by PDA. When the application has been processed by the FBI, the results will be returned to PDA. PDA will send letters to both the facility & applicant. The applicant will receive a copy of the FBI criminal history record information if applicable.
Note: It’s possible that the fee for FBI background checks cited above could change over time.

In addition, agency employees who will be providing services in a home where children reside must also obtain a Child Abuse History Certification from the PA Department of Human Services (DHS). Child Abuse History Certifications are obtained online at the Child Welfare Portal, or through the PA DHS ChildLine and Abuse Registry, P.O. Box 8170, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105-8170, (717) 783-6211 or toll free at (877) 371-5422. More information is available at the PA DHS Child Abuse History Certification website. Prior to provisionally hiring a person for employment as described in 55 Pa. Code Ch. 52.20, the clearances required prior to providing services in homes where children reside must be completed.

Any questions about the information in this listserv message should be sent electronically. You can also contact Fady Sahhar, Director of PD&A Division.

0 1482

The Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC) met on August 15, 2023. ODP staff shared several updates, including Deputy Secretary Ahrens. The public comment period regarding the Selective Contracting Concept Paper ended July 10, 2023. The Residential Strategic Thinking Group (RSTG) meetings are scheduled through September, and ODP intends to issue a survey to assist in developing performance measures and baselines. ODP will publish the 1915(b)(4) application and any accompanying 1915(c) amendments for public comment prior to submitting to CMS. The PowerPoint presentation reviewed at the meeting can be found here.

Self Advocates United as 1 (SAU1) presented a tribute to Carolyn Morgan, who was an inspiring self-advocate who encouraged many others to speak for themselves. SAU1 has developed a Fellowship program in memory of Carolyn, and is seeking support for this program, including financial. For additional information on this fellowship, please reach out directly to SAU1.

ISAC/ODP strategies to address the following areas were reviewed during the meeting:

#1:   Assure Effective Communication;
#2:   Promote Self-Direction, Choice and Control;
#5:   Promote Health, Wellness and Safety;
#7:   Develop and Support Qualified Staff;
#8:   Simplify the System;
#9:   Improve Quality; and
#10: Expand Options for Community Living.

View the 2022 ISAC Annual Report.

0 1803

Don’t miss your chance to catch the early bird registration rate for the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity! Early bird rates end Friday, September 8, 2023. View our registration brochure to see our full schedule, including networking and Connections Hall events, as well as information on booking your hotel room. Complete the brochure and reserve your seat at the early bird discount rate today!

We also wish to extend our thanks to those organizations that have already contributed and shown their support! Sponsor and exhibitor spots are filling up quickly, so complete the sponsor/exhibitor brochure today! As a reminder, sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. In order to be considered for booth self-selection, a completed contract with payment must be submitted, and no reservation is considered complete without payment. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

0 1372
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

RCPA has launched the first of what we hope will be many blogs. Our intention is to write commentary about the most important issues facing substance use disorder and mental health treatment providers in Pennsylvania, providing not only the facts of the situation, but our views and opinions on them. Our work with and on behalf of our members as well as our personal experiences will largely drive this blog. We know what is important to you. After all, you set our agenda. But if you have an idea about what we should be covering or an opinion or comment about what we’ve written, we want to know. We look forward to your thoughts as our new effort to provide thought leadership and foster dialog on the day’s most important behavioral health issues unfolds [visit main blog page].

Prev1...276277278...496Next Page 277 of 496
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association