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Physical Disabilities & Aging

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Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

The 2023 RCPA Conference, which will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary as a leader in shaping policy and enhancing lives, will be held October 10 – 13 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. The Conference Committee is seeking workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as telehealth innovations, suicide prevention, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, acquisitions/mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective agencies; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting and to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 13, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion will be made via email by Friday, May 12, 2023. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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The Finance & Reimbursement Committee would like to remind members that recipients of Federal Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments must report on the use of those funds by March 31, 2023.

Per the HRSA website, PRF Phase 4 is under the following timeframes:

  • Payments Received Period: 7/1/2021 – 12/31/2021
  • Period of Availability: 1/1/2020 – 12/31/2022
  • Reporting Time Period: 1/1/2023 – 3/31/2023

For further information, please visit the HRSA website.

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The agenda for the February 1, 2023, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee has been released. The meeting will be held in person at the PA Department of Education Honors Suite, 1st Floor, 333 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17126 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. There is also the option to participate via webcast. The link to register to participate via webcast, as well as the remote streaming link, is available on the agenda.

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Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

The Board of Directors of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the hiring of a new President and Chief Executive Officer, Monique McIntosh. Monique becomes the eighth Goodwill SWPA Chief Executive since its founding in 1919.

Monique joins Goodwill SWPA from her most recent position as the Chief Program Officer of YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, where she has served in various leadership capacities, including Co-Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. She currently manages organization programs and evaluation in her role as Chief Program Officer. Previous to her leadership of the YWCA, she served as Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s Vice President of Programs and Services. In each of these roles, she expanded the reach and effectiveness of the organization.

Monique is a member of The Forbes Fund Advisory Council and United Way of Southwestern PA Women’s Leadership Council Diversity Work Group. Monique serves on the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation Board, where she chairs the Development Committee and the Sixth Economic Empowerment Development Corporation Board. She also serves as an Advisory Committee member for the Homewood Community Development Collaborative and a Core Team member for the Homewood Comprehensive Community Plan, formally adopted into the city’s Comprehensive Plan. She is an Advisory Committee member for the University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center. Monique received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Education from Penn West California.

Monique succeeds Michael Smith, who retired last fall after serving as Goodwill SWPA’s President/CEO for 20 years. She will officially begin in her new role on March 1, 2023. Monique represents a considerable step forward for Goodwill SWPA and its commitment to integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into how they function, as the first woman and person of color to lead the organization.

Goodwill SWPA is a diversified nonprofit human service agency that serves southwestern Pennsylvania and north central West Virginia and manages several affiliate units and special-purpose entities, including Goodwill Commercial Services, Inc. and Mission Logistics, LLC. The agency operates 34 retail stores and several other businesses to help fund programs and to provide job training, education and related services to help people overcome employment barriers. The organization serves over 10,000 adults and youth annually while employing over 1,000 people with an annual budget of over $60 million.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) invite provider agencies enrolled to deliver the following services to complete a survey on employment services:

  • Supported Employment;
  • Advanced Supported Employment/Customized Employment; and/or
  • Pre-Employment Transition Services.

Information gathered from the survey on staffing, training, service options, and coordination may influence the provision of employment services funded by ODP and/or OVR for people with disabilities.

This approximately 10 minute survey is voluntary. Responses may be submitted anonymously. The survey should be completed by provider staff responsible for hiring, training, and programmatic decision-making.

This survey will remain open until close of business February 10, 2023. You can complete the survey here.

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On an annual basis, the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) provides approximately 500 hours of training for Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR) administrators and staff. In order to help maximize the impact of BHSL’s training programs, members are requested to complete a ten question survey. Survey results will be kept anonymous and will be used to shape their training programs in 2023 and beyond.

This survey is intended only for administrators and staff of a licensed PCH/ALR. The survey is optional; however, your participation is strongly encouraged. The survey will be available until February 28, 2023.

Questions should be directed via email.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) issued information and clarification on the recent increase to the Personal Care Home (PCH) Supplement for PCH residents currently receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or currently meeting SSI disability and income criteria while applying for SSI.

In August of 2022, the Pennsylvania legislature approved an increase to the PCH Supplement, retroactive to July 1, 2022. The supplement was increased from $439.30 to $639.30 for individuals and from $957.40 to $1357.40 for married couples. The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers both the federal SSI benefit and the PCH supplement. In January 2023, SSA applied the increase and began issuing retroactive payments in lump sums.

As indicated in the Personal Care Home regulations, 55. PA Code Chapter 2600, “If a home agrees to admit a resident eligible for SSI benefits, the home’s charge for actual rent and other services may not exceed the SSI resident’s actual current monthly income reduced by the current personal needs allowance.”

For the purpose of applying the regulations to the PCH Supplement increase, a resident’s actual monthly income should be calculated by including the increased PCH supplement beginning July 1, 2022, and applied as follows:

  • Residents and/or Representative Payees are expected to provide these retroactive payments to the PCH.
  • If a resident was admitted to a PCH between July 1, 2022, and the issuance of the retroactive benefit, the PCH is only entitled to the monthly increase for the months that the resident resided in the PCH.
  • If the resident lived in another PCH prior to admission to their current PCH, the resident and/or representative payee should ensure that the appropriate monthly portions of the retroactive benefit are paid to both the discharging and admitting facilities.
  • Resident-Home Contracts are not required to be updated for the retroactive benefit; however, contracts are required to reflect the actual charges for room, board, and services no later than March 31, 2023.

Questions about the status of individual retroactive and/or monthly SSI and PCH Supplement payments can be addressed by calling SSA at 800-772-1216. Additional questions about the application of the retroactive PCH Supplement increase can be directed via email. For information about applying for SSI and or the PCH Supplement, please contact your local agency.

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