ODP has announced that all Older Adult, Adult Training, and Prevocational Facilities are included in Governor Wolf’s statewide closure announcement, effective immediately. This action is taken as a precaution to assist with slowing the spread of the virus. It is recommended that providers consider redeployment of the staff who work in these facilities to needed areas like residential, in-home support, companion services.

Additional guidance will be coming from ODP shortly, and Deputy Secretary Ahrens will be offering a webinar tomorrow (March 17, 2020) at 1:00 pm. Further information will be shared as soon as it is available.

Also today, Governor Wolf announced mitigation strategies to stop the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the following counties:

Beginning Friday, March 13, in Montgomery County; Saturday, March 14, in Delaware County; and beginning on Sunday, March 15 in Bucks and Chester counties. The mitigation strategies will be effective for 14 days. The Governor’s mitigation plan for all counties includes: (1) a no visitor policy will be implemented for correctional facilities, nursing homes, and others to be evaluated, (2) schools and child care centers licensed by the Commonwealth will be closed, (3) adult day care centers will be closed, and (4) while travel is allowed, it is requested that people refrain from non-essential travel.

The purpose of this communication is to outline functions managed by the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) that will be suspended, and the essential functions that will continue, during the implementation of the above listed counties’ mitigation plan. If this mitigation strategy is applied in other counties/regions in the state, ODP will take a similar approach.

ODP has determined that the following functions and activities are being suspended in the above listed counties:

• Annual licensing site visits
• Facility-based Community Participation Support (CPS) services
• Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) interviews (suspended statewide as of 3/12/2020)
• Supports Intensity Scale meetings
• Quality Assurance and Improvement (QA&I)– remaining site visits

The following have been identified as essential functions by ODP. Additional operational guidance will be provided to staff involved in these operational areas.

• Licensing – Complaints will be followed-up on and investigated as appropriate
• Abuse and Neglect Investigations – critical investigations will continue using remote methods/telephone whenever possible
• Supports Coordination Organizations – will continue all individual monitoring and individual planning using remote methods/telephone
• Administrative Entity – AEs are assigning staff that will be working remotely to complete essential functions including: review and approval of ISPs, incident review, certified investigations related to abuse and neglect, and waiting list management functions

ODP continues to evaluate information on a daily basis along with the Governor’s office. Please continue to be on Alert for updated information.