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Tags Posts tagged with "Office of Developmental Programs"

Office of Developmental Programs

ODP made the decision to continue the Vacancy Exception Process for cost based rates that were effective from July 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017, similar to the process for previous fiscal years. This process is applicable to residential habilitation service providers that signed the Addendum to Provider Agreement for the Settlement Agreement. Providers who wish to submit a vacancy exception request and did not sign the Addendum to Provider Agreement, please refer to ODP Informational Memo 003-13 for further information.

In order to submit a request for exception to the vacancy factor for Fiscal Year 17/18, the provider needs to complete a Vacancy Exception Request Form. If additional lines are needed, please contact the rate setting mailbox for the expanded version of the form.

If an agency has completed billing for the time period of July 1 to December 31, 2017, the Excel template must be emailed to the Regional Program Manager and rate setting mailbox by May 11, 2018. If an agency has not completed billing by the due date and they anticipate the need to submit, the rate setting mailbox must be contacted.

  • The announcement can be found here.
  • The Vacancy Exception Request form can be found here.

Person Centered Thinking is a core concept at the foundation of the services and supports provided to people with intellectual disabilities and autism in Pennsylvania. People with disabilities, self-advocates, and other stakeholders are invited to come and learn about Person Centered Thinking and how it can be used to enhance the quality of life of the people we support.

The training is an interactive, two-day training that services as a foundation for everyone involved in supporting people with significant disabilities. You must attend both days in order to complete the training and receive a certificate of attendance. These skills will help teams develop meaningful Individual Support Plans that help people with disabilities achieve an Everyday Life.

The trainings are scheduled for Harrisburg and Malvern in April and May. Please see the ODP announcement for details.

Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Communication Number 029-18 announces the release of a Community Participation Support (CPS) template to assist in addressing both CPS authorization issues for Fiscal Year 17/18 and CPS authorization needs for FY 18/19 Individual Support Plan (ISP) renewals.

Providers should complete the template for all individuals to whom they provide CPS services. ODP wants to understand the scope of provider concerns about implementation of CPS in FY 17/18 and Individual Support Plans not containing all necessary authorizations for billing purposes. The second issue this template will help address is to provide a communication tool for CPS providers, Supports Coordination Organizations, Supports Coordinators, and Administrative Entities on the CPS FY renewal ISP authorizations that will be needed for each individual who will receive CPS in FY 18/19.

Providers will need to complete a form for each individual they serve, and then send the files for FY 18/19 to SCOs. Providers will also need to send a copy of completed files for FY 17/18 as well as FY 18/19 to ODP. These files need to be submitted to the SCOs and ODP by Friday, April 20, 2018.

This announcement includes a complete description of the responsibilities of the providers, SCOs, and Administrative Entities in this process. It also provides guidance regarding moving units of service between various percentages of time that an individual spends in the community and the ability to do so without the requirement of a team meeting.

To minimize the number of critical revisions necessary to ISPs for the CPS service, SCs may calculate additional units of service for each procedure code in order to provide a cushion (up to approximately 10% over the expected number of units for each procedure code). Total authorizations may not exceed the P/FDS and Community Living Waiver caps or an approved P/FDS individual cap exception.

It is important to note that this ODP communication was re-issued with revised attachments so be sure to use the “revised” version of the template.

Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Communication Number: Memo 028-18 provides clarification regarding the provision of discrete respite services for individuals who are authorized to receive life sharing services as well as clarification on the provision of respite services in life sharing homes. These changes went into effect on January 1, 2018. This document is composed of questions received by ODP and their answers, in order to assist providers with understanding the use of both services.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and Temple University’s Institute on Protective Services are holding two investigator forums Thursday, March 29, 2018. The featured topic for the sessions will be Peer Reviews (that are being completed by Temple) and Updates on the Administrative Review Course. The calls will allow participants to network, share best practices, and receive technical assistance in an effort to improve the quality of all investigations. For information on how to participate, see ODP Memo 024-18.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) announced that a new supports coordinator (SC) orientation course is now available on MyODP. The title of the course is You are the Keystone for Individuals and Families. New supports coordinators and targeted supports managers (TSM) must complete the ODP required SC Orientation Curriculum, including this new course. The SC Orientation Curriculum must be completed within 30 days of hire and completed prior to a new SC or TSM working independently with an individual.

Though the entire SC curriculum is required for a new SC or TSM, this specific course provides valuable information, useful for a refresher at any time for any SC or TSM, about their role in the context of the human services system in which he or she works to support individuals and families.

As part of the Collaborative Capacity Building Initiative under the Money Follows the Person Administrative Funds, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), in coordination with the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), is now offering free Mental Health First Aid courses for families, individuals, professionals, clinicians, and community supporters.

Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

ODP and OMHSAS would like to introduce Jen Bankard as the contractor for this program. Jen is a certified MHFA instructor and has served as both a National Trainer and a Quality Evaluator for the MHFA program. You may contact her directly regarding scheduling a course in your area.

Jen Bankard 
email address: [email protected]
phone number: 717-460-1091

It is the hope of ODP and OMHSAS in this joint program to continue to build capacity to support the complex individual in the community. Please contact her now to schedule, and if you should have any additional questions, you may also contact Marlinda Smith at [email protected]. Please help share this information to others for their awareness and participation.

The Office of Developmental Programs, Bureau of Autism Services (BAS) has announced the availability of the first two modules in the newly developed SPeCTRUM 2.0 BAS Autism Competency Training. This training is designed as a free online resource for professionals who are supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families.

The course can be accessed within the MyODP Training & Resource Center, using this link. Further information can be found in BAS Informational Memo #BAW17-41.