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The purpose of this Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) announcement is to remind providers to complete the ODP Community Participation Support System Capacity Survey and the Authorization Service Survey. See the survey questions below:
ODP Announcement 22-089 reports that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has developed two brief surveys for Community Participation Support providers to collect information on current system capacity. The first survey is meant to collect current data from Community Participation Services (CPS) providers on CPS capacity across the ODP service system. The second survey is meant to collect current data on individuals who are authorized to receive CPS across the ODP service system but are not receiving the service.
ODP will send each provider a list of MCIs with less than 5% CPS utilization, if there are any associated with their MPI, to assist with information gathering.
Important note to all CPS Providers: Providers must contact individuals and families, or the assigned SC, when the reason for less than 5% utilization is unknown.
The first survey regarding system capacity will be available Monday, August 8, 2022, and will close Monday, August 22, 2022.
The second survey to collect individual-specific information will be available Monday, August 15, 2022, and will close Thursday, September 15, 2022.
ODP will release these surveys no more than once per quarter.
Attachment 1 — ODP CPS Survey 1: Service System Capacity Questions
Attachment 2 — ODP CPS Survey 2: Authorized Services Questions
Any questions regarding the surveys should be directed to the appropriate regional CPS lead.
ODP Announcement 22-086 informs all provider agencies employing DSPs that the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) will keep the portal for completing the 2021 National Core Indicators® (NCI) Staff Stability Survey open for an additional week. The portal will close on Monday, August 8, 2022.
HSRI is aiming for a 5% or lower margin of error for each participating state. The lower the MoE, the more representative and impactful the data will be. Pennsylvania currently has a 6.24 margin of error, and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) would like to see it reach the recommended level since it is within reach.
Therefore, ODP encourages eligible provider agencies to complete the survey if they have not already done so. Thank you to provider agencies that have completed the 2021 NCI® Staff Stability Survey. ODP will share the Staff Stability Survey Report when HSRI issues it.
For questions, contact Ms. Lee Stephens, ODP IM4Q/NCI Statewide Lead.
ODP Announcement 22-083 announces that Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) providers with approved ARPA Grant applications should use the following survey to request reimbursement for expenses incurred. Reimbursement for Technology Grants may consist of one progress payment and one final payment. Reimbursement for Training/Credentialing and Business Associate Grants may include up to two progress payments and one final payment.
Prior to beginning the survey, providers should ensure that supporting documentation (paid invoices, cancelled checks, accounting records, etc.) is available and scanned into a PDF format. These documents will need to be attached at the end of the survey.
Providers should generally expect to see payments a few weeks following ODP’s review of submitted information.
Please access the survey here. Contact Rick Smith for technical questions or issues.
A message from Deputy Secretary Ahrens:
Dear Administrative Entity Staff and Providers,
The purpose of this message is to notify Administrative Entities (AE) and providers of Community Participation Supports (CPS) that as of July 15, 2022, the routine reporting to AEs and/or the applicable regional office of ODP on the operating status of CPS programs is no longer required. ODP is initiating a new mechanism for data collection on the status of CPS programs.
Going forward, ODP will periodically issue a brief survey to providers to collect information on areas of program operation, including but not limited to:
The frequency of these surveys is dependent on changes in pandemic and workforce dynamics but will not exceed once a quarter.
ODP will also provide a list of individuals currently authorized for CPS services who have not utilized CPS services at the time of the survey being released. The survey will ask specific questions related to why the individual has not utilized the CPS service as authorized. The first provider survey is targeted for release August 1, 2022. CPS providers will have up to 30 days to complete the survey. Raw data from the survey will be provided to AEs. Summary data will be shared with stakeholders.
Please note: For CPS providers who still have locations closed, we ask that you complete the survey and notify the appropriate AE and/or ODP regional office prior to any program reopening.
Additionally, any program closure should be reported in EIM per the ODP Incident Management Bulletin.
Thank you for your cooperation as we seek to use more efficient methods of collecting program information in order to improve access for those in need of services.
ODP will be sharing this notice on ODP’s Provider Listserv and with the Provider associations. To ensure all CPS providers are aware, AEs, please ensure the CPS providers in your area receive this notice.
Please direct questions to the appropriate regional CPS lead.
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.
From Kristen Houser, Deputy Secretary, DHS/Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services:
I am writing to request your participation to inform the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the PA Department of Human Services of the values and desired outcomes and objectives that you would like to see reflected in a crisis behavioral health response system of services.
On July 16, 2022, the new, easy to remember, three-digit phone number to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will become active. People experiencing mental health-related distress – whether that is thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress – will be able to call 9-8-8 to be connected to trained staff at a National Lifeline Crisis Call Center for immediate support and referrals to appropriate local resources, including mobile response teams or first responders such as law enforcement or EMS if needed.
We know that communities across Pennsylvania have access to very different local resources to help them during a mental health-related crisis, and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the PA Department of Human Services is about to embark on a multi-year plan to work with counties to enhance and expand the availability of mobile crisis response teams. Included in the plans for a full continuum of crisis intervention services is access to walk-in and crisis respite centers.
As a first step, we are reaching out to individuals across multiple disciplines to request input to ensure the values and desired outcomes and objectives we utilize to build these services is informed by stakeholders from across the Commonwealth.
Please take a few minutes to answer the questions within by July 8. The short survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.