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Policy Areas

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The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Task Force Annual Meeting will be held on Monday, September 17, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm at the Child Welfare Resource Center in Mechanicsburg. Anyone (member or non-member) is welcome to come and hear about the work of the task force over the past year and to learn about some very exciting work that is on the horizon.

The 2019 goal is to have children and adults who are diagnosed be provided with appropriate FASD interventions. This is an achievable goal and one that the task force has been longing for and working on for over 10 years. It is within our reach.

If you have any questions, please contact Lyn Becker.

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Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has issued an announcement regarding an Addendum to Informational Packet 031-15 Updated Attachment #4. In October 2010, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania enacted the Adult Protective Services (APS) Act which provides for the protection of abused, neglected, exploited, or abandoned adults. The APS Act protects residents of the Commonwealth between 18 and 59 years of age who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Employees and administrators of facilities (including an organization or group of people that uses public funds and is paid, in part, to provide care and support to adults in a licensed or unlicensed setting) are mandated reporters under this act. An administrator or employee of a facility who observes suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment, or has reasonable cause to suspect that abuse or neglect has occurred, must immediately assure the recipient’s health and safety. After assisting the recipient, an employee or administrator must follow the reporting requirements set forth in the APS Act. An oral report must be made to the statewide Protective Services Hotline by calling 800-490-8505. Once the report is made, it will be referred to the APS agency (Liberty Healthcare).

The original Informational Packet regarding this Statement of ODP policy was issued in 2015 and was revised on April 30, 2015. An addendum was then issued on June 9, 2017. The document now being released (dated September 2018) replaces the original attachment as well as the Addendum issued in April of 2017.

The substantial changes in the newly updated document are related to the definition of sexual abuse. The new attachment now includes detailed definitions of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, incest, and sexual harassment.

To view the packet issued 4/30/15 that this addendum is related to, follow this link. Contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.

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The week of September 9–15 is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week, with Monday, September 10 marking World Suicide Prevention Day. According to a recent CDC report (2018), suicide rates have increased across all age groups over the past two decades in almost every state, including Pennsylvania. As such, we need to work together to recognize the role each of us play in suicide prevention. It is our collective responsibility to address the stigma about suicide and help-seeking. We must educate about the warning signs and how to offer support to those that may be struggling. For our youth in particular, we must recognize that as caring adults, we can be one of the most significant protective factors. Yet, we must also model self-care and healthy coping during stressful times.

In Pennsylvania, we want to do our part to help schools and communities recognize the simple steps that can be taken to contribute to these efforts. Activities and events serve as a way to educate and connect individuals, including those who have been affected by suicide. A range of suicide prevention and awareness activities are scheduled throughout Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world during the month of September. A resource document is attached, which includes examples of activities that you can promote or implement in your school and/or community. A copy of this letter, which may be modified and disseminated within your own school and/or community, is also available here.

Media plays an important role in communicating messages of hope and in sharing resources for prevention. Social media campaigns such as Take 5 to Save Lives are a great way to share information within schools and communities, including information about warning signs, reaching out, and self-care. The #BeThe1To campaign, led by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, encourages 5 action steps for communicating with someone who may be suicidal: ask, keep them safe, be there, help them connect, and follow-up. Consider promoting one of these campaigns or starting your own. Additional ideas, along with sample social media posts, are included in this resource document.

Thank you for the efforts you are putting forth to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental wellness in your school and/or community, not only during the month of September, but every day #AAS365 #stopsuicide.

Contact Robena Spangler, RCPA Children’s Division Director, with questions.

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To:  Service Coordinators (SC) who serve participants in the Southeast Region
Subject:  SC Training Materials:  Community HealthChoices (CHC) Implementation for Participant-Directed Services

Below are materials from the August 21, 2018 SC training, CHC Implementation and Participant-Directed Services. The purpose of this presentation was to provide information and process updates to SCs on the implementation of CHC for participants who utilize participant-directed services in the Southeast Region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) will also complete the following items to assist SCs:

  • Update the PPL Service Coordination Entity (SCE) Training Manual, post it to the PPL website and send it out via the PPL Enrollment Managers.
  • Re-record the training (to eliminate the end-of-presentation Q&A issues) and post it to the PPL website. PPL will notify SCEs that the training is posted to the website when PPL sends out the SCE Training Manual.
  • If PPL receives input from SCEs via the Enrollment Managers, PPL will review comments with the Office of Long-Term Living and CHC Managed Care Organizations to determine a follow-up format for an FAQ document, as applicable. If PPL does create an FAQ, PPL will similarly distribute through the Enrollment Managers and post to the PPL website.

If you have any questions, please contact your PPL Regional Enrollment Manager.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) guideline. This guideline is based on the most comprehensive review of the science on pediatric mTBI (most commonly referred to as concussion)  diagnosis and management to date.

This guideline was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics and includes 19 sets of clinical recommendations that are applicable to health care providers who care for patients with concussions in all settings.

The guideline provides the following key practice-changing recommendations:

  1. Do not routinely image pediatric patients to diagnose.
  2. Use validated, age-appropriate symptom scales to diagnose mTBI.
  3. Assess for risk factors for prolonged recovery, including: a history of mTBI or other brain injury, severe symptom presentation immediately after the injury, and personal characteristics and family history (such as learning difficulties and family and social stressors).
  4. Provide patients with instructions on returning to activity customized to their symptoms.
  5. Counsel patients to return gradually to non-sports activities after no more than 2–3 days of rest.

Free tools were also developed by the CDC to assist health care providers use this guideline in their practice and include:

  • A checklist for health care providers on diagnosis and management;
  • Quick guides to key recommendations;
  • Patient discharge instructions;
  • Recovery tips for parents; and
  • A letter to schools to be filled in by health care providers.

These tools and additional information are available online. Contact Melissa Dehoff, RCPA Rehabilitation Services Division Director, with questions.

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In 2017, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) redesigned the process for assessing administrative entities, supports coordination organizations, and providers. The redesigned Quality Assessment and Improvement (QA&I) process is intended to better capture the individual’s experience of the system and develop a culture of partnership of continuous quality improvement instead of a singular focus on compliance. The QA&I Annual Statewide Report provides a summary and evaluation of the results of the first set of QA&I reviews of AEs, SCOs, and providers – Cycle 1, Year 1 (C1Y1) sorted by geographic region.

Three focus areas are highlighted by ODP in this report: Assure Effective Communication, Increase Employment, and Improve Quality. The report highlights successes and also opportunities for systemic quality improvement discovered during QA&I reviews in the areas of Person-Centered Planning and Service Delivery; Promoting Self-direction, Choice and Control; Increasing Community Participation; Promoting Health, Wellness and Safety; Supporting People with Complex Needs; Developing and Supporting Qualified Staff; and Ensuring Financial Accountability.

As mentioned in the ODP Announcement #080-18, the QA&I Annual Statewide Report is located online at MyODP.org — QA&I Reports.

Also, a webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 2018, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: How is the System Working for People We Support? Results from ODP’s Quality Assessment and Improvement (QA&I) FY 2017-18 Process. ODP staff will provide a high-level overview of the performance data including focus areas like employment, communication, and quality management.

Register online for the How is the System Working for People We Support webinar. Contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director, with questions.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) recently organized a small work group to develop a “simplified rate structure” for the Community Participation Service. Kristin Ahrens and Rick Smith from ODP met with the representative providers who were invited to participate on this work group earlier this week. The first item of business was to review the Proposed Rate Structure Chart that was originally developed by RCPA’s work group, which met in April and May of this year with the intention to make solid recommendations for improvement in the implementation of this service. The stakeholders that participated in the work group all agreed that this proposed structure would be a great improvement in the method utilized to properly bill for services, and to calculate community percentages. A few representatives of RCPA’s committee presented our proposal to ODP staff in June. We are very pleased that our recommendations have been considered for implementation.

The ODP work group is also reviewing the budget assumptions that were utilized to build the rates for FY 18/19. There are concerns that the assumptions utilized do not accurately represent actual costs realized by providers. It is likely that ODP will be requesting updated information from providers in the near future via a survey, in order to obtain more accurate information, particularly regarding staff salary and benefit expenses.

As ODP works on restructuring the rates, the end result will be expected to be budget neutral. The hope is to have the new plan implemented in July 2019 for fiscal year 19/20. As we learn more about the progress of the work group, we will keep members up to date.

Thank you to all who participated in the RCPA Community Participation Work Group meetings; it is rewarding to see that our efforts have made a positive impact in our system. For more information contact Carol Ferenz, RCPA IDD Division Director.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) are holding the quarterly Statewide Positive Approaches & Practices Meeting on Thursday, September 27, 2018, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The meeting will be held at Selinsgrove Center, 1000 Route 522, Selinsgrove, PA 17870.

Pre-registration is not required. Registration is from 9:00 am to 10:00 am the day of the meeting. The topic for this meeting is Managed Care. For more information, contact Marlinda Smith at 814-932-2233 or Heidi Champa.

Also scheduled is Pennsylvania’s Dual Diagnosis Conference, focused on building capacity to better support individuals with complex needs in the community. The theme is Broadening Understanding, Strengthening Support. The conference will be held Tuesday, November 13 – Thursday, November 15, 2018 at Blair County Convention Center in Altoona.

Keynote and Featured Speakers:

  • Brenda Finucane, MS – Geisinger Health Systems, Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute
  • Dan Dubovsky, MSW – Independent Contractor
  • Beth Barol, PhD – Widener University, School of Social Work
  • Matthew Wintersteen, PhD – Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
  • Jim Donovan, MEd – St. Francis University

Session Topics Include:

  • Genetic Testing, Diagnosis, and Next Generation Treatment Approaches;
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders;
  • Supporting the Supporters;
  • Suicide Prevention, Assessment, and Brief Intervention ;
  • Finding Solutions Together: Practical Assistive Technology and Tools; and
  • Behavioral Approaches: Functional Assessment and Intervention Planning.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) released the Service Coordinator (SC) training materials from the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Implementation for Participant-Directed Services training that was held on August 21, 2018. The presentation and training was to provide information and process updates to SCs on the implementation of CHC for participants who utilize participant-directed services in the Southeast Region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Contact Melissa Dehoff, RCPA Director of Rehabilitation Services, with any questions.

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(From OLTL)

TO: Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy Providers
RE: Procedure Code for Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy Services – Processing Issue

This notice is to advise Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy Providers that after removing service procedure 97532 SE and replacing it with the new procedure code 97127 for Cognitive Rehabilitation, a processing issue occurred causing many claims to deny.

OLTL is aware of this issue and is working on a system fix.  OLTL will send a follow up communication in the very near future advising providers of the fix and when it is appropriate to rebill.  In the meantime, OLTL asks that providers refrain from billing for Cognitive Rehabilitation in the Independence and OBRA waivers.

If you have any questions regarding the procedure code change, please contact the OLTL Provider Inquiry Unit at [email protected] or 1-800-932-0939.

A listserv has been established for ongoing updates on the CHC program. It is titled OLTL-COMMUNITY-HEALTHCHOICES, please visit the ListServ Archives page at http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us to update or register your email address.

Please share this email with other members of your organization as appropriate. Also, it is imperative that you notify the Office of Long-Term Living for changes that would affect your provider file, such as addresses and telephone numbers. Mail to/pay to addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers may be updated electronically through ePEAP, which can be accessed through the PROMISe™ provider portal. For any other provider file changes please notify the Bureau of Quality and Provider Management Enrollment and Certification Section at 1-800-932-0939 Option #1.

To ensure you receive email communications distributed from the Office of Long-Term Living, please visit the ListServ Archives page at http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us to update or register your email address.

NOTICE: This confidential message/attachment contains information intended for a specific individual(s) and purpose. Any inappropriate use, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If received in error, notify the sender and immediately delete the message.

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