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Policy Areas

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A Financial Management Services (FMS) stakeholder meeting has been scheduled for May 6, 2022, from 1:00 pm–2:30 pm. The purpose of this public meeting is to discuss upcoming changes for the administration of FMS under the Community HealthChoices (CHC), OBRA Waiver, and Act 150 programs. Representatives from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) and CHC Managed Care Organizations (CHC MCOs) will be in attendance to discuss upcoming changes.

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

Those participating via phone, please use the numbers below:
Dial in: (562) 247-8422
Access Code: 214973439#
Audio PIN: shown after joining the webinar

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) collected public comments on the Agency With Choice (AWC) Request for Information (RFI) from March 11, 2022, through March 25, 2022. After numerous requests from providers and associations (RCPA included), the public comments were posted on the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Long-Term Care providers web page under the heading “Agency With Choice – Public Input.”

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Due to feedback shared with the Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding the importance of providing behavioral health services in nursing facilities and making sure nursing facilities know how to access these services, DHS has developed a webinar entitled “Behavioral Health Services for the Nursing Facility Population.” The webinars, which all contain the same material being presented, is a joint effort with the DHS’ Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL), Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), the Behavioral Health (BH) Managed Care Organizations (MCO), and the Community HealthChoices (CHC) MCOs, and it is being hosted by the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA). Other collaborative partners include the PA Department of Health and LeadingAge PA.

The webinars are as follows:

Tuesday, April 26, 2022
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
1.5 CEUs for SNF
Please register using this registration link.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
1.5 CEUs for SNF
Please register using this registration link.

The first webinar was conducted on April 12, 2022. The webinars will be interactive and are meant for nursing facilities to have the opportunity to ask questions and begin dialogue on how to improve behavioral health services in their facilities. The webinars will also allow the BH-MCOs, the CHC-MCOs, and the nursing facilities to further collaborate on this issue. The webinars will be recorded.

Webinar Presenters:

  • Jamie Buchenauer, Deputy Secretary, OLTL, DHS
  • Kristen Houser, Deputy Secretary, OMHSAS, DHS (April 12 and April 26)
  • Adair, Medical Director/Chief Psychiatric Officer, OMHSAS, DHS (May 3)
  • Kellie Mainzer, Director Western Operations, Bureau of Community and Hospital Operations, OMHSAS, DHS
  • Marjorie Faish, Program Analyst 3, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, OLTL, DHS
  • Duncan Bruce, Director of MCO Integration, Community Care Behavioral Health
  • Rachel Lee-Price, Manager, Behavioral Health Clinical Services, Beacon Health Options of Pennsylvania, Inc.
  • Joe DiMeo, Jr., Behavioral Health Coordinator for Community HealthChoices, Community Behavioral Health
  • Lauren Keane, Magellan Behavioral Health
  • Dan Eisenhauer, Director of Operations, PerformCARE (April 26 and May 3)
  • Brian Gannon, Manager Behavioral Health Programs, PerformCARE (April 12)
  • John McFarland, Director, MCO Integration, Relations & Policy, UPMC CHC
  • Heather Clarke, Director Care Management, Complex Needs and Behavioral Health, PA Health & Wellness (April 12 and May 3)
  • Oliva Martin, Director of LTSS, PA Health & Wellness (April 26)
  • Sara Reitenauer, Manager of LTSS Behavioral Health and Collaborative Services, Community HealthChoices, AmeriHealth Caritas CHC/Keystone First CHC
  • Dyann M. Roth, President and CEO, Inglis
  • Tara Winter, Nursing Home Administrator, Former Senior Center Executive Director, Chapel Manor Genesis HealthCare®
  • Jessica Peacock, Director of Recovery and Community Outreach, Peerstar, LLC
  • Stacy Williams, Social Service Supervisor, Kane Regional-Scott

Questions should be directed to Marjorie Faish, OLTL.

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A new ODEP project examines promising strategies for improving employment outcomes of young adults on the autism spectrum. The Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor has partnered with Mathematica to lead a project to examine barriers to, catalysts for, and promising strategies for improving employment outcomes.

The project, Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS), kicked off in fall of 2021. A recent fact sheet explains the project’s goals and provides an overview of its timeline and planned activities, and a pair of literature reviews summarizes promising programs and strategies as well as evidence on their effectiveness.

Currently, Mathematica is planning a series of public listening sessions to incorporate perspectives from youth on the autism spectrum and the broader community on this topic. If you would like to participate in a listening session, please send an email to sign up for the REYAAS mailing list.

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Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Beyond the Comfort Zone: Understanding and Eradicating Injustice, Racism, and Inequality in the Field of Developmental Disabilities
May 18, 2022

HRC Nassau, in conjunction with The Arc of the United States, is proud to present a conference focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) community.

The DEI Virtual Conference, “Beyond the Comfort Zone: Understanding and Eradicating Injustice, Racism, and Inequality in the Field of Developmental Disabilities,” will be held May 18, 2022. The DEI Virtual Conference seeks to increase fluency and understanding of the history, challenges, and opportunities impacting people with I/DD and the staff who work with them.

FREE NASW Continuing Education Credits Available
NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037), and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).

Visit here for more information.

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Positive Behavioral Supports: Meaningful, Everyday Application

We are always looking for better ways to support someone to achieve the quality of life they desire. This requires a social, behavioral, and biological understanding of that person. Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is an empirically documented, person-centered approach that can be used in day-to-day supports for all people across all systems. For those of you who are not familiar with PBS, we will provide an overview of this framework, sharing examples and ways that this has been implemented. For those of you who have a general understanding of the essential elements of PBS, we will provide you with tools and ways to infuse PBS into your programs and supports to strengthen your focus on supporting a positive quality of life.

Please join us on one of the following dates and times:

  • Tuesday, April 12, 2022, from 2:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Thursday, April 21, 2022, from 9:00 am–1:00 pm
  • Tuesday, April 26, 2022, from 11:00 am–3:00 pm

To register for a session, you must follow these steps:

  1. Visit this link and login to MyODP OR create a new account.
  2. Complete and submit the Spring 2022 ASD Seminar Demographics Form.
  3. Return to the main course page to register directly through Zoom.

Notes:

  • You will receive an email confirmation of your registration directly from ASERT Collaborative when you complete all steps mentioned above.
  • Content is repeated for all five dates, so you only need to register for one session.

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ODP Announcement 22-036 is to share information for residential providers to assist the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) in ensuring effective use of statewide residential resources. For purposes of reporting residential vacancies, a “residential vacancy” is any change in a Licensed 6400 or Licensed 6500 setting that results in the occupancy of the home being less than the setting’s approved program capacity (excluding individuals who are on medical or therapeutic leave). Reporting a residential vacancy helps to ensure:

  • Providers have an opportunity to inform SCOs, Counties, and ODP of vacancies in order to better coordinate referrals;
  • Individuals have an opportunity to reside in their preferred geographic areas, close to friends, family, and the community that they know;
  • Centralized reporting of residential vacancy information is available; and
  • Individuals most in need are considered first for a residential habilitation opportunity.

Once a vacancy is identified, the licensed residential habilitation home or Lifesharing setting can be used for respite services as long as the home remains within the approved program capacity. The approved program capacity for Chapter 6400/6500 residential service locations is set by the PA Department of Human Services (DHS or The Department) in accordance with ODP’s policy on Approved Program Capacity (APC) stated in ODP Announcement 19-138: Approved Program Capacity (APS) and Updated Noncontiguous Clearance Form.

ODP has developed a streamlined process that allows providers to complete an online ODP Residential Vacancy survey to report available residential vacancies within the agency. Use of this tool is encouraged and replaces the previous process of submitting the DP 1024 form.

Reporting a Residential Vacancy:

  1. Before submitting a Residential Vacancy Survey, providers are encouraged to notify their local AE of the vacancy. The AE may have an individual referral that would meet the characteristics of the vacancy.
  2. To start the referral process, a provider can submit the vacancy notification to ODP by accessing the Residential Vacancy Survey.
  3. Submission of the form should be completed within three (3) business day of the creation of the vacancy.
  4. The Residential Vacancy Survey is designed to allow providers to enter up to 10 vacancies in succession. This eliminates the need to repeatedly enter the general information for the provider, such as the Master Provider Index (MPI) number and contact information.
  5. All providers are encouraged to complete the vacancy notification through the Residential Vacancy Survey link. A provider may experience delays in filling vacancies or completing changes to the APC when the Residential Vacancy Survey is not utilized.
  6. In preparation of completing the survey in the most efficient manner, providers should have available the specific information listed in the announcement.

Reporting a Residential Vacancy That is No Longer Available (Filled):

  1. Once the vacancy is filled, the Provider will access the Residential Vacancy Survey in order to remove the vacancy from the statewide report.
  2. The Provider should enter the effective date for when the vacancy was no longer available.

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ODP Announcement 22-035 announces that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is requiring Supports Coordinators (SCs) to conduct an in-person monitoring with individuals that fall into the following priority list on their caseload that they have not seen in-person during this current Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 by the end of the FY, June 30, 2022.

  • Individuals who live alone that have not had an in-person monitoring during this FY;
  • Individuals who did not receive an in-person service from a Provider during this FY;
  • Individuals supported in a licensed residential setting that is currently under licensing sanctions or license revocation; and
  • Newly-enrolled individuals who have never had an in-person monitoring visit with their assigned SC.

An additional in-person monitoring visit is not required for those individuals who have already been seen in-person by the SC during this FY unless there are health and safety concerns.

Also, ODP recognizes that every individual has a different comfort level with in-person visits. Use the guidance and talking points in the Tip Sheet during your conversations with individuals and families to help them feel comfortable with an in-person visit.

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