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ID/A

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-041, which informs all interested stakeholders of the opportunity to submit public comments on:

  • Performance-Based Contracting for Supports Coordination services scheduled to take effect January 1, 2026. This includes:
    • Proposed changes to the 1915(b)(4) waiver and Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS waivers related to Performance-Based Contracting;
    • Proposed Implementation Plan for Performance-Based Contracting for Supports Coordination;
    • Proposed rates effective July 1, 2026, for Supports Coordination Organizations that meet criteria for the Select tier; and
    • Proposed changes to the Targeted Support Management State Plan.
  • Additional waiver amendments (not related to Performance-Based Contracting) to the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS waivers scheduled to take effect January 1, 2026.

The public comment period starts on April 19, 2025, and ends on May 26, 2025, at 11:59 pm for all proposed changes in this communication. Please view the announcement for additional information and details.

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Date: April 2, 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Register Here

It has been said that if you meet one person with autism, you’ve met ONE person with autism. This means that autism looks unique in each individual. It is also important to understand that autism frequently coexists with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health diagnoses.

In this training, PCHC will:

  • Increase the general knowledge about intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and co-occurring mental health challenges;
  • Understand how mental health challenges may present in individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorders; and
  • Discuss common barriers and resources to treatment.

PCHC’s hope is that, with this information, you will be able to better understand and serve this complex group of wonderful people.

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Val Arkoosh met with systems stakeholders to provide an overview of the Governor’s proposed 2025/26 DHS budget. The Secretary began by reviewing the accomplishments of DHS under the administration and highlighted areas around Medicaid, systems enhancements, and the expansion in the delivery of services to Pennsylvanians.

The projected spending across DHS showed an investment of $21.17B, with the following breakdowns:

  • $7.13B for Long-Term Living;
  • $6.4B for Medicaid/healthcare delivery;
  • $3.22B for ID/A;
  • $1.72B for Human Services and County Child Welfare; and
  • $1.04B for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

This budget number represents a $1.95B increase over last year’s executive budget. The most significant increases included:

  • $927M for Long-Term Living;
  • $7.23M for Medicaid/healthcare delivery;
  • $1.84M for ID/A;
  • $74M for Child Development; and
  • $32M for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

RCPA submitted questions during the webinar in an effort to gain greater clarity on the proposed $2.4B increase in the Health Choices capitation. Several questions remain unanswered, including:

  • Are these dollars allocated towards physical health, behavioral health, or both?
  • What is the spending strategy for the 2024/25 supplemental appropriations? Is that part of the $2.4B?

There was clarification on the proposed $170M increase in the ID/A budget, but Secretary Arkoosh stipulated that this was not new investments but rather funds to sustain last year’s increase.

The remainder of the webinar was spent outlining current DHS initiatives, including the Keystones of Health 1115 Waiver, which was approved in December 2024. This year’s priority will focus on reentry services as well as planning for future implementation. The Secretary concluded her comments supporting the minimum wage increase, reinforcing the workforce infrastructure, and tackling Commonwealth-wide challenges.

The DHS Bluebook is scheduled for release in the coming weeks and will provide line item details of the budget. RCPA will continue to work with DHS and PA legislators on the budget specifics and our ongoing advocacy efforts. You can view the DHS budget webinar here.

RCPA will continue to update members on the budget as information becomes available. If you have further questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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March 18, 2025
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Register Here

Interactive Session with Individuals and Families Using LifeCourse Tools to Explore ODP Services
The Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) invites individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or autism and their families to join in a virtual exploration and discussion with members of the Division of Policy and Program Innovation. These sessions are informal, meaning the conversation will not be recorded, and rules will be set before the session starts to ensure everyone feels comfortable and safe to provide questions and comments. The session will be held through Microsoft Teams.

Please note: This event is being held only for individuals and family members; this is not an event for someone who is only a professional.

What Will Be Covered?

This will be an interactive session incorporating the use of some of the LifeCourse Tools to explore how services and supports can fit into an everyday life. Through the use of these tools and the LifeCourse Framework, this session will provide time to discuss and discover what individuals and families want and need in their life and how services and supports can help.

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The Department of Human Services is holding a live, virtual Zoom training to provide Support Coordinator (SC) Supervisors and Support Coordinator Organization (SCO) Trainers the opportunity to apply learning from the Supports Coordinator Monitoring Residential Services training to support their SCs to effectively monitor Residential Services. Each session will include small and large group discussions of two scenarios an intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) or adult autism waiver (AAW) SC might encounter during a residential monitoring. SC Supervisors and Trainers can use these scenarios and discussions as a model for similar discussions with their SCs to improve the thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and quality of residential monitoring.

Session recordings (6 scenarios) will be made available on MyODP and announced through ODP Communications. The recordings can be viewed by SCs and used by SC Supervisors/Trainers to support additional SC staff development.

Audience: ID/A and AAW Supports Coordinators, SC Supervisors, and Support Coordination Organization administration

Please register here.

Three sessions are being offered, with each session exploring different scenarios. You are invited to register and attend one or more of the sessions.

  • Monday, February 3, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • Friday, February 7, 2025, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Prior to the sessions, completion of the Supports Coordinator Monitoring Residential Services training is required.

Note: If you are experiencing issues accessing the link, try right clicking the link, selecting “Copy Link,” and pasting the link into your browser. If the problem persists, try a different browser.

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) released the following Medical Assistance (MA) Bulletin on Friday, August 23, 2024:

In addition, an updated version of the ODP Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Technical Guide can be found below. This updated guide includes essential information on the latest compliance requirements and procedures:

Agencies are encouraged to review these documents thoroughly to ensure compliance and that provider policy and procedures are aligned with the updated requirements.

Thank you for your continued commitment to providing high-quality services for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism (ID/A) and their families in Pennsylvania.

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