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Tags Posts tagged with "COVID-19"

COVID-19

Over the past 24 months, direct support professionals (DSP) have experienced high risks of infection, hardship, and exhaustion. Many have become ill and lost loved ones. The voices of DSPs and frontline supervisors matter now more than ever.

Show them you care about their wellbeing by sharing this confidential survey. The University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, in partnership with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, developed this survey to better understand the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on direct support workers and identify the most effective ways to protect DSPs, frontline supervisors, and the people they support.

Please forward this survey to the direct support workers that you employ, including paid family members. Their answers will be anonymous. National and state-specific results from the survey will be shared widely in September 2022. Three earlier surveys were conducted by ICI and NADSP, and the results are available here. The new survey is for both direct support workers who completed an earlier survey and those who did not.

Complete the survey here. The survey closes on July 22, 2022.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today it is extending its opioid treatment program (OTP) exemption for an in-person physical evaluation for buprenorphine treatment for a period of one year from the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). The extension goes into effect upon the expiration of the COVID-19 PHE.

Read the full announcement.

ODP Announcement 22-073 announces that the Department of Human Services (DHS) is preparing for the eventual end of the Public Health Emergency. Under the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration, Pennsylvania has continued Medical Assistance (MA) coverage for most people unless they moved out-of-state, passed away, or asked to end their MA.

When the federal PHE ends, the Department of Human Services must determine if people are still eligible for MA. MA recipients will have to complete a renewal to maintain their MA coverage.

DHS is seeking trusted partners to assist in this PHE unwinding process through means of connection to individuals that will need to renew MA benefits. Today, an email newsletter called the DHS Helper Portal is being launched.

Sign up to become a helper today!

  1. Fill out the simple online form.
  2. The form will generate an email to the email address given.
  3. Confirm the address by walking through the prompts in the email.
  4. Congratulations! You are a helper!

ODP Announcement 20-114 provides an updated timeline on Medication Administration training requirements as it pertains to the “Modified” and “Standard” courses offered by the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ODP allowed staff who are required to take the Standard Medication Administration Training Course (“Standard Course”) to take the Modified Medication Administration Training Course (“Modified Course”) until December 31, 2021.

Because the effects of the pandemic are ongoing, staff can continue to take the Modified Course in place of the Standard Course until July 31, 2022.

The Department previously required that staff who took the Modified Course in lieu of the Standard Course complete the Standard Course no later than December 31, 2022. Please be advised that this deadline has been extended to July 31, 2023.

Beginning August 1, 2022, staff persons must take the Standard Course.

Thursday, June 16, 2022, 11:00 am EDT
REGISTER

This multi-part conversation includes perspectives from the disability community, medical doctors, as well as Allegheny and Philadelphia county health departments. This event is sponsored by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, the LEND Center of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Mayor’s Commission for People with Disabilities in the Office of the Mayor, and the Department of Public Health City of Philadelphia, as well as the Allegheny County Health Department.

AGENDA

11:00 am — Welcome
11:10 am — People in the disability community will share their lived experience with COVID and specific challenges of these times.
11:30 am — Medical doctors will discuss current information about COVID and specific impacts to individuals with disabilities. They will also share new information about something called “Long COVID,” which is COVID symptoms that last beyond a few weeks.
12:00 pm — Department of Health professionals from Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties will give us status/statistics of COVID, what the counties are doing now, how they are assuring accessibility of resources, and how people can stay safe during a surge.
12:30 pm — Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) policy gaps revealed by COVID will be discussed, including what we can do to close the gaps.

Visit here for more information.