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odp announcement

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.

This communication is intended to provide guidance to all stakeholders who participate in the process of transitioning an individual from Residential Habilitation Service to Supported Living or Lifesharing. Updated information includes instructions for adding procedure codes for transition payments and directions to AEs. The new language is below:

Once a request is approved, ODP will issue communication directly to the Provider, AE, and SC with instructions for adding the transition payments to the individual’s ISP. The communication will contain procedure codes, steps for adding the service to the ISP, and additional instructions for submitting claims.

By signing the transition request form, the AE is indicating they agree that the provider has presented a plan that ensures the individual’s health and safety needs will be meet in the proposed Lifesharing or Supported Living program. A move date does not need to be determined for a signature to be applied, but the AE may use discretion to request more detailed transition information from the provider to assure a reasonable and safe transition plan is in place.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

ODP Announcement 22-071 serves to inform readers that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Services Overview is now available. This quick guide gives an overview of ODP, program eligibility, who to contact to establish eligibility, and what happens after.

Printable versions in English and Spanish are available. The quick guide is also available on the MyODP and Department of Human Services (DHS) websites.

ODP Announcement 22-064 shares information regarding an online learning opportunity about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) offered through TechOWL. AAC Essentials is an online learning opportunity designed to increase your understanding of AAC.

There are four courses, each for a different audience:

  • Supports Coordinators;
  • AAC Users;
  • Family, Friends, and Direct Support Professionals; and
  • Administrators and Leaders.

Each course offers short lessons ranging from operating and troubleshooting AAC to encouraging AAC. In each lesson, there are buttons for you to ask questions and speak to a Speech-Language Pathologist from TechOWL directly.

These courses are free. Once the course is completed, participants will receive a certificate of completion. All lessons can be explored without completing the course. Training may be accessed through the TechOWL website.

ODP Announcement 22-065 is to inform all HCSIS users and stakeholders of the upcoming disablement of Internet Explorer and the redirection to Microsoft Edge browser. Beginning June 15, 2022, Internet Explorer will no longer be a supported browser for HCSIS. Users will need to use Microsoft Edge to run the application.

Microsoft Edge with IE mode is officially replacing the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on Windows 10. As a result, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will go out of support and be retired on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 11.

For further outreach, please refer questions to HCSIS.

ODP Announcement 22-063 announces rate increases for Supported Employment (SE) services and OVR Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is committed to providing quality services to Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Effective partnership with Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) is essential to fulfilling this commitment. Recognizing the unique challenges affecting our CRPs, OVR is modifying service rates for both Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services. Please see the Supported Employment and Pre-ETS Rate Increases Memo for full details.

ODP Announcement 22-062 is to inform interested parties of the 988 lifeline. Trained crisis response professionals can provide support to individuals considering suicide, self-harm, or any behavioral, mental health, or substance abuse need.

Starting on July 16, 2022, people who call, text, or chat with 988 will be directly connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The existing Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will remain available.

Callers can also connect with the Veterans Crisis Line or receive assistance in Spanish. These services will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are free to any caller no matter where they live.

Additional resources can be found here.

ODP Announcement 22-061 is to announce that the amendments to the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS waivers (hereafter referred to as the Intellectual Disability and Autism (ID/A) waivers) were approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) effective June 1, 2022.

The ID/A waiver amendments were submitted to CMS on January 3, 2022. Since that time, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has been engaged in ongoing discussions with CMS. Substantive changes were approved as follows:

  • Eligibility was expanded to include children with a developmental disability due to a medically complex condition. The Family Medical Support Assistance service was added to support the complex medical needs of these children. Provider qualification criteria were enhanced to ensure providers have the needed structure to support these children.
  • Delivery of services while the participant is hospitalized is currently allowed through Appendix K flexibilities. Guidance regarding delivery of services while the participant is hospitalized is contained in the Operational Guide. This guidance should continue to be followed until otherwise notified.
  • Homemaker services include infection control measures and intensive cleaning, such as cleaning medical equipment and disinfecting the home.
  • Home accessibility adaptations support individuals to transition from an institutional setting to a private home (including a Life Sharing home) and clarify covered home accessibility adaptations due to changes in Medical Assistance.
  • Transition to Independent Living payments were added to the Consolidated Waiver to support participants to transition from residential habilitation homes to Life Sharing or Support Living.
  • Changes were made to residential qualification requirements to ensure that all residential providers are adequately prepared prior to delivering a service and prior to the provider going through ODP’s qualification process.

The following rates, as communicated in ODP Announcement 22-051, are also effective June 1, 2022, when authorized on an Individual Support Plan:

  • Family Medical Support Assistance services;
  • Medically Complex Life Sharing services in the Consolidated Waiver; and
  • Transition to Independent Living payments in the Consolidated Waiver. Each full waiver application approved by CMS and the record of change document are available here.

ODP will be scheduling webinars soon to discuss the changes made in these approved amendments, as well as changes made to the July 2022 waiver renewals once they are approved by CMS. ODP will release a communication announcing the webinars when the waiver renewals are approved. Questions about this communication should be directed to the appropriate Office of Developmental Programs Regional Office.

ODP Announcement 22-060 provides a News Alert from the Infection Prevention Specialist Partnership with Health Care Quality Units with information regarding performing COVID testing, treatment, and up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine booster dose recommendations.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has received funding through a Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appropriation under the 2019 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) — Enhanced Detection Expansion (EDE) Grant.

This grant funding is being used to build capacity and provide additional support for infection prevention and control through the Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) in partnership with a team of infection prevention specialists from Infectious Disease (ID) Connect. This project will run through June 2023.

A separate informational News Alert regarding Monkeypox is also available.

Monkeypox facts:

  • It is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus.
  • It was first discovered in 1958.
  • The majority of the infections are in Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • Cases outside of Africa are linked to international travel or imported animals.
  • Rodents and non-human primates harbor the virus.
  • 19 cases have been confirmed since 6/1/22.
  • It is unclear how cases were exposed, but early data suggests that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases.
  • But, this does NOT mean that it is a sexually transmitted disease approved vaccine in this group.

For more information, please contact your regional HCQU contacts are listed in the ODP Announcement.

ODP Bulletin 00-22-02, effective June 2, 2022, is to establish the process for requesting a waiver of a regulatory requirement. This bulletin applies to entities seeking to be licensed or are currently licensed under one or more of the following chapters:

  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2380 (relating to Adult Training Facilities);
  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2390 (relating to Vocational Facilities);
  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 6400 (relating to Community Homes for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Autism);
  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 6500 (relating to Life Sharing Homes); and
  • Providers of home and community-based services (HCBS) for individuals with an intellectual disability or autism subject to 55 Pa. Code Chapter 6100 (relating to Services for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Autism).

Licensees and ODP-enrolled providers are expected to comply with all applicable regulations. However, the Department recognizes that there are occasions where compliance with a regulation impedes the licensee’s or ODP-enrolled provider’s ability to provide services to an individual. As a result, the Department permits licensees and ODP-enrolled providers to request that a section, subsection, paragraph, or subparagraph of a regulation not apply when it is in the best interest of an individual or group of individuals who receive services from the licensee or ODP enrolled provider.

Not all regulations can be waived. Section 6100.43(a) prohibits waivers of the following regulations:

  • Sections 6100.1–6100.3 (relating to General Provisions);
  • Sections 6100.41–6100.56 (relating to General Requirements);
  • Sections 6100.181–6100.186 (relating to Individual Rights); and
  • Sections 6100.341–6100.350 (relating to Restrictive Procedures).

Additionally, section 6500.12(7) prohibits waivers of sections 6500.1–6500.4 (relating to General Provisions). While Chapters 2380, 2390, and 6400 do not address waivers of regulation, waivers for these chapters are at the discretion of the Department and can be requested pursuant to 1 Pa. Code section 35.18.

Providers should utilize the Office of Developmental Programs’ form “Request for Regulatory Waiver.”