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ODP

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is looking for provider representatives for an Emergency Planning and Continuity Work Group. Representatives from RCPA members that render residential habilitation and/or day services who are interested can contact Tim Sohosky by June 11, 2025.

The first initiative the group will focus on is reviewing and providing feedback on a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) tool for residential habilitation and day services settings. This tool is essential in identifying potential risks and ensuring that emergency planning measures are comprehensive and effective. Given the increasing number of natural disasters, ODP anticipates providers may find this tool very helpful. Ultimately, ODP will make this tool, accompanying training, and technical assistance available to providers to use (voluntary).

By volunteering for this small work group, representatives will:

  • Contribute professional knowledge to strengthen emergency preparedness;
  • Collaborate with other dedicated providers and stakeholders;
  • Help shape a more resilient community; and
  • Apply a hazard analysis tool and develop potential action steps for their own agency/agencies.

ODP anticipates convening an HVA tool review meeting to discuss and review and will provide a virtual option to accommodate schedules. Tool review and feedback is expected to be three (3) meetings of 1 – 3 hours each over the next few months. On-going work group meetings would be quarterly for 90 minutes – 3 hours.

For Questions or Additional Information
Please contact Tim Sohosky with any follow-up or inquiries related to this update.

The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) invites you to save the date for the 2025 Pennsylvania Autism Training Conference (PATC)! The conference will be hosted virtually on September 30 – October 1, 2025.

About the Conference
PATC provides professionals working directly with children and/or adults with autism with tools, strategies, and resources to help provide the most effective support.

Who should attend?
Professionals looking to increase their knowledge of and/or ability to support individuals with autism across the spectrum and the lifespan. We welcome all individuals and the professionals who support them. Please join us!

Stay tuned for more information!

Photo by Mikael Blomkvist from Pexels

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25 Q3 Report. This is a temporary report format while ODP builds a dashboard for waiting list and program growth data to make this data more accessible for stakeholders. ODP anticipates this will be ready by August.

The report shows ODP has made great progress on tackling the adult emergency waiting list over the past year, noting a 24% reduction since the Governor’s announcement in 2024.

For Questions or Additional Information
Please contact Tim Sohosky for any follow-up or inquiries related to this update.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and its Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) technical advisors, in collaboration with the IM4Q Statewide Steering Committee, have begun partnering with provider association representatives to enhance provider agencies’ understanding of IM4Q and their role in the process. The IM4Q Provider Information Sheet outlines how the IM4Q process works, the ways providers contribute to interviews as well as follow up on identified considerations, and how to request IM4Q data to support their quality management efforts.

Please review ODPANN 25-050 for further details and information.

The Office of Development Programs (ODP) and its Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) technical advisors, in collaboration with the IM4Q Statewide Steering Committee, have begun partnering with Support Coordination Organization (SCO) representatives to enhance SCs’ understanding of IM4Q and their role in the process. The IM4Q SC Tip Sheet outlines the IM4Q process, SC responsibilities, how to inform the individuals they support, and what occurs after the interview. SCOs are encouraged to share the tip sheet as a reference when training new SCs and with experienced SCs as a refresher.

Please review ODPANN 25-051 for further details and information.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the IM4Q technical advisors at the Institute on Disabilities (IOD) at Temple University have begun connecting and working with provider associations to increase provider agencies’ knowledge of IM4Q and their collaboration in order to improve the lives of Pennsylvania residents within the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) service system. To promote these efforts, provider input is crucial in determining the information and activities needed to accomplish this.

You are invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback!

Please complete one (1) survey per organization and submit responses by Friday, July 11, 2025. Your participation should take less than fifteen minutes, and your response will provide important information to enhance the IM4Q process and strengthen ODP’s overall Quality Management structure.

If you have questions, please contact Lee Stephens via email.

Take the Survey Here

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-049. This announcement is to notify Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP) Behavioral Specialists as well as their supervisors that ODP’s Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) is expecting a synthesis of FBAs in the form of the ODP BSASP FBA Summary Report to be maintained in the file of participants receiving Behavioral Specialist Services (BSS) through the AAW and ACAP and submitted as part of the Behavioral Specialist Plan review process.

Please view the announcement and FBA Summary Report for additional details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-048. This communication advises stakeholders of the release of two new skill building trainings for Direct Support Professionals (DSP).

Introduction to Skill Building introduces why it is important for direct supporters to teach skills to individuals with developmental disabilities. Services offered through the ODP waivers are habilitative. DSPs have a direct role in assisting participants in acquiring, maintaining, and improving skills that individuals need to live more independently and have meaningful participation in their communities. The training introduces why it is important for DSPs to teach skills to individuals and focuses on how to build skills so that individuals are safe, healthy, and have a good life in their community. This course is now available on MyODP and offers .5 credit hours. This is a prerequisite to the new Skill Building Basics course.

Please view the announcement for instructions on how to access the trainings.

Photo by Copernico on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) invites you to save the date for the 2025 Community of Practice for Supporting Families Regional Collaborative Summit! The summit will be held live at State College on August 14 and 15 at the Penn Stater Hotel. Virtual participation options will also be available. Join the summit this August to learn from peers and professionals about how to bolster your communities of practice for supporting individuals with disabilities and/or autism (ID/A) and their families. Visit here to learn more; registration information will be announced when available.

Tablet on a desk - Newsletter

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the latest issue of the Certified Investigator (CI) Program Spotlight Quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is designed to provide helpful information and resources to Certified Investigators (CI), Administrative Review Committee members, CI Peer Reviewers, Incident Management (IM) Representatives, and others involved in the incident investigation process.

Please review ODPANN 25-047 for more information and to access the newsletter.