Bill Would Create Alert When Children With Autism Go Missing in Pennsylvania
Home Policy Areas
New Veteran Protections Divide Legislators
Mental Health Care Workers Face Too Many Needs and Not Enough Money on the Front Line of PA’s Self-Made Crisis, RCPA Member Scranton Counseling Center Featured
RCPA IDD Director Tim Sohosky Discusses “The Long Game Behind Sustainable Services” on IDD Leaders Podcast
The Long Game Behind Sustainable Services w/ RCPA
Ep. 63 • December 15, 2025
In this conversation, host Nate Beers sits down with Tim Sohosky from RCPA to talk about the long game in disability services: how change actually happens, why efficiency alone isn’t enough, and what leaders need to pay attention to now if they want their organizations — and their people — to thrive long-term.
This is Part 2 of their conversation. They explore:
- How advocacy moves from frustration to real system change;
- Why outcomes matter more than ever (and what we’re measuring wrong);
- The hidden strain leaders feel when innovation collides with regulation;
- What sustainable leadership looks like five to ten years out; and
- How building a bench of future leaders protects everything you’re working toward.
This episode isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about perspective, patience, and making decisions today that future leaders — and the people you support — will thank you for.
Watch/listen to the podcast here. Visit the IDD Leaders podcast website for more information on the podcast and organization.
BU Awarded $15M to Lead Effort to Diagnose CTE During Life
January 2026 ODP Training Calendar Now Available
IPRC Webinar: Understanding CARF’s New Standards for DoC
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET; 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT;
11:00 am – 12:00 pm MT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am PT
Register Here
Please join us as the IPRC hosts special guest Terry Carolan from CARF International, who will share the new Disorders of Consciousness Program Standards.
Presenter Bio:
Terrence Carolan
Terrence Carolan, Managing Director of the Medical Rehabilitation and Aging Services accreditation areas at the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), has more than 20 years of experience as a provider, administrator, and educator in the human services field. Terry joined CARF after working in clinical and administrative leadership positions within Select Medical’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Division and the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation since 2001. Terry was a CARF surveyor for 10 years and holds a degree in physical therapy from Simmons College in Boston. He also recently completed his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:
- Describe recent research and guidance on the treatment of individuals with Disorders of Consciousness (DoC);
- Discuss how CARF International has responded to guidance from the field to create Disorders of Consciousness Program Standards; and
- Analyze how new DoC accreditation and recent research will enhance access to rehabilitation for children with DoC in the future.
Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team; attendees do not need to be CARF certified in order to attend.
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are available for this course.
Medication Administration January – March 2026 Training Schedule Announced
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the Medication Administration January – March 2026 Train-the-Trainer Face-to-Face schedule in ODPANN 25-112.
You may register for one of these sessions after completing the course materials in the Train-the-Trainer course on MyODP’s Medication Administration website. Please see the communication for training dates and more information.
ODP Issues Clarification on Qualification Requirements for Providers
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-111. This communication clarifies new qualification requirements for providers of CPS, In-Home and Community Support and/or Companion services in the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waivers that were recently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These requirements do not apply to services rendered by Support Service Professionals through a Participant-Directed Services option.
These amendments include the following provider qualification requirements:
- Providers newly enrolling to render Community Participation Support, In-Home and Community Support, and/or Companion must provide Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) home and community-based services to a minimum of 3 separate and distinct participants in the first fiscal year after enrollment.
- Starting July 1, 2026, currently enrolled providers must render ODP home and community-based services to a minimum of 3 separate and distinct participants each fiscal year. ODP will use the provider’s Master Provider Index number to determine if the provider is rendering any ODP waiver services to a minimum of 3 separate and distinct participants.
- Additionally, the provider must render ODP home and community-based services each quarter.
Please review the announcement for more details.
MedPAC Issues Draft IRF Payment Recommendations
At the December 4, 2025, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) annual session on payment adequacy for Medicare providers, draft fiscal year (FY) 2027 payment recommendations were issued. The recommendations, “Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Services,” were shared. Included in their presentation were their findings on admissions, financial performance by IRF provider type, quality metrics, and other relevant data points. In addition to the payment-focused sessions, the meeting included a general session on post-acute care trends and “key issues,” which compared various patient- and payment-focused data across IRFs, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and home health agencies (HHA).
During the IRF payment session, MedPAC advanced a draft recommendation calling for Congress to reduce the 2026 Medicare base payment rate for IRFs by 7 percent in FY 2027. This draft recommendation is identical to last year’s recommendation and marks an increase over the FY 2025 recommendation (a 5% cut to the Medicare base payment rate) and the FY 2024 finalized recommendation (3% cut).
MedPAC’s recommendations are advisory in nature, and most of MedPAC’s work can only be implemented via Congressional action. RCPA will monitor the status of these recommendations through close collaboration with the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA).
Prev