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Policy Areas

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

On Monday, August 25, the Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) successfully completed obligations outlined in a Voluntary Resolution Agreement (VRA) with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The VRA began in 2023 after a complaint of discrimination based on disability was filed against one of the county children and youth agencies that OCYF supervises. In confirming that all provisions of the agreement were satisfied, OCR noted:

“… the positive changes that have taken place to better ensure that individuals with disabilities will have meaningful access to DHS’ programs and services in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794, and its implementing regulation, 45 C.F.R. Part 84 (Section 504), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., and its implementing regulation, 28 C.F.R. Part 35 (Title II).”

During the monitoring period, over 31,000 state, county, and private provider child welfare staff received training on civil rights compliance related to the Americans With Disabilities Act. Following July 30, 2025, the training is not required by OCR. However, the training is still available via the PA Child Welfare Resource Center. OCYF encourages agencies to continue offering it to new and seasoned staff.

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

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The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) is hosting a special webinar titled “Honoring the Contributions of Americans With Disabilities to the Workforce and National Progress Through University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs).” This webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

People with disabilities have long played a vital role in strengthening America’s workforce and driving innovation. This webinar will explore their impact through three perspectives – past, present, and future – highlighting the ways in which their contributions continue to shape national progress. The webinar will also showcase how UCEDDs provide essential services that empower individuals with disabilities and serve as catalysts for American innovation and economic growth. To help celebrate the spirit behind this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) theme of “Celebrating Value and Talent,” the webinar will feature a panel of five subject matter experts from across the UCEDD Network and its partners.

Please register for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The webinar will provide live captioning and American Sign Language interpretation. Additional accommodation requests can be submitted via email by October 10, 2025.

For more information, please visit the AUCD website.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is offering a webinar on the PA Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program. A PA ABLE savings account gives individuals with qualifying disabilities (eligible individuals) and their families and friends a tax-free way to save for a wide range of disability-related expenses while maintaining government benefits. The state and federal tax-free investment options are offered to encourage eligible individuals and their families to save private funds to support health, independence, and quality of life.

Some of the topics that will be discussed include: eligibility requirements for opening a PA ABLE account; federal and state tax benefits of PA ABLE; and how a PA ABLE account interacts with current benefits.

Please register for the PA ABLE Savings Program webinar, which will be presented by Diana Fishlock, Outreach Specialist for PA ABLE with the PA Department of Treasury. This webinar is scheduled for October 29, 2025, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you require accommodations to participate in this webinar, please send them electronically.

If you have questions regarding this email, please contact Randy Loss, OLTL.

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Two Virtual Office Hours (VOH) for Trainers, Primary Contacts, and/or Agency Administrators are available on Thursday, October 23, 2025. If interested in joining, please click on the registration link available on your Med Admin Trainer Dashboard.

Registration is only available for Trainers, Primary Contacts, and/or Agency Administrators. Please only register for one session, listed below:

  • October 23, 2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
  • October 23, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the communication, ODPANN 25-092: Medication Administration (MedAdmin) Training Program – Agency/Entity/Role Designation/Verification Form Update and its accompanying attachment.

The purpose of this communication is to announce that an updated Agency/Entity/Role Designation/Verification Form is now available. Please review the announcement for additional information and detail.

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Monday, October 27, 2025, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
At the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) – Central

About This Event

Join the PA APSE Day on Employment at Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) – Central on Monday, October 27, for a day filled with learning and networking opportunities. This event aims to bring together professionals in the field to discuss employment strategies and best practices. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with like-minded individuals and enhance your knowledge in the area of employment. Attendees must register.

Agenda

10:00 am to 11:30 am – Statewide Updates

  • Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR): Ryan Hyde, Executive Director
  • Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL): Randy Loss, Employment Lead
  • Office of Developmental Programs (ODP): Nolan Schaaf, Employment Lead
  • Workforce Development: James Martini, Executive Director
  • PA CareerLink: Crystal Houser, Director

11:30 am to 12:00 pm – Round Table Conversation and resource sharing (please come with resources to share with colleagues if you can)

  • Housing
  • Transportation
  • Benefits Access (i.e., cell phone, food insecurity, etc.)
  • AT/Accommodations, no tech/low tech
  • Youth

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm – Lunch and networking/resources continued. This is included for free to attendees (if, after you register, you cannot make it, please let us know).

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm – Collaboration between Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services (BJJS) and OVR

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Youth Workforce Development Panel

For more information, please contact APSE directly.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared communication ODPANN 25-093: Incident Management (IM) Rebalancing Initiative Phase 1: IM Guidance. The purpose of this announcement is to provide updated guidance related to the ODP IM Rebalancing Initiative.

The guidelines are organized into seven separate topics covering the following:

  • Finalizing Incident Reports;
  • Reducing Duplicative and Multiple Incident Reports;
  • Clarifying the Definition of Serious Injury;
  • Clarifying the Definition for Discovery Date;
  • Managing Events Occurring Prior to Enrollment;
  • Discontinuing the Use of Optionally Reportable Events (OREs); and
  • Discontinuing the Use of Illness/Other and Illness/COVID Incident Categories.

Please direct any questions or feedback to Tim Sohosky, RCPA IDD Division Director.

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