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Revised October and New November ODP External Training Calendar
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has released an updated calendar of trainings scheduled for October and November 2021, including public comment webinars.
Newly Introduced Legislation Would Force PA-Specific Requirements of ASAM Through Regulatory Review
Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso introduced legislation yesterday that would require the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to promulgate regulations in any of the following instances that affect licensed drug and alcohol treatment providers:
- The implementation of new or additional licensing requirements for drug and alcohol facilities;
- The implementation of new or additional drug and alcohol staff credentialing requirements;
- The implementation of new or additional drug and alcohol counselor staffing ratios; and
- The implementation of new or major programmatic changes and requirements imposed on drug and alcohol facilities, including the requirement of adding programs that significantly increase the cost of delivering care and meeting staffing requirements.
The legislation includes any proposed regulatory requirement not currently in effect or any regulatory requirement that the General Assembly has delayed through legislation, meaning the PA-specific requirements of the ASAM transition could not be implemented until approved through a regulatory review process.
The House Human Services Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday, October 26. Rep. Frank Farry, Chairman of the Committee, is a co-sponsor of the bill.
If the bill becomes law before January 1, it would bring much needed relief to a treatment system already struggling with major workforce issues and chronic underfunding.
Contact Jason Snyder, Director of RCPA’s Drug and Alcohol Division, with any questions.
Pediatricians Say the Mental Health Crisis Among Kids Has Become a National Emergency
CMS Website Posts American Rescue Plan Act State Plans
ANCOR Update on Public Health Emergency Extension and FMAP Increases
Auditor: Iowa’s Privatized Medicaid Illegally Denies Care
RCPA Members Save on National Council Conference
Pennsylvania Senate Moves to Overhaul Probation System
NADSP Takes Part in Nationwide Initiative to Improve Vaccination Rates Among DSPs
The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) has been selected as one of nine national organizations to receive funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through a cooperative agreement with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The comprehensive nationwide campaign will help improve the vaccination rates of the direct support workforce and people with disabilities.
According to a recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration and the NADSP, 26% of DSPs who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain unvaccinated.
As the premiere trusted source of direct support professionals (DSPs), the NADSP will conduct targeted vaccine outreach activities in the disability community to increase vaccination rates among people with disabilities across the lifespan, their family caregivers, and DSPs.
Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign: Partner Organizations
As stated above, the NADSP is among the nine national leaders in the disability and human services field selected to be a part of the coordinated initiative to address vaccine hesitancy. This campaign has been established through a cooperative agreement with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The partner organizations include:
- American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR)
- The Arc
- Autism Society
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
- Family Voices
- National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)
- National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)
- Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)
- Spina Bifida Association
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