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Tags Posts tagged with "Training"

Training

Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) — An Overview and Practical Application

Note: This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance-Based Contracting (PBC). Please see more details below on Continuing Education (CE) Credits. This training is an approved alternative to the SPeCTRUM offered on MyODP.

Over the years, the prevalence of autism has increased, Pennsylvania’s service delivery system for individuals with autism has expanded, and best practices to provide quality supports have emerged. To support the individual needs of each person with autism across the lifespan, an understanding of core characteristics must be established. It is also important to learn how the individual’s presentation of autism may change across settings and situations.

This training will provide attendees with an in-depth presentation on core characteristics of autism and the impact of the characteristics on daily life, routines, and activities. A review of common terms and basic principles used to change behavior, teach new skills, and develop practical application of best practices will be included. Opportunity for discussion and engagement will occur throughout the training in the virtual setting.

Who should attend?

Direct Support Professionals, Front Line Supervisors, and Program Managers supporting individuals with autism in residential and other home and community-based settings.

Professionals supporting individuals in the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW), Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP), Consolidated Person/Family-Directed Support (P/FDS), and Community Living waivers are encouraged to attend.

Where and when will sessions be held?

You must register separately for each session.

Continuing Education Units (CEU):

This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance-Based Contracting measures CN-DD/Bx.01.1S and CN-DD/Bx.01.1CE for all Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), Frontline Supervisors (FLS), and program managers. This training also fulfills 6100 ongoing training requirements.

To receive a training certificate, attendees must attend both virtual sessions.

Please contact the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) Training Inbox with questions.

The Office of Children, Youth and Families is offering no-cost continuing education opportunities for service professionals. The Department’s First Responder Addiction and Connection to Treatment program (FR-ACT) is a training program within the Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention that was established to ensure first responders and public safety professionals, including CYS professionals, have the tools necessary to respond to the overdose epidemic. Training is offered at no cost and is available in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania. The Department works with an expert training vendor, St. Joseph’s University, to deliver live trainings.

FR-ACT trains and provides skills to first responders and public safety professionals on opioid use disorder, overdose response, and related information, including:

  • Substance use disorder as a chronic disease;
  • Stigma reduction;
  • Providing resources to overdose survivors and families;
  • Naloxone use and leave-behind practices; and
  • Warm hand-offs and connection to treatment.

Continuing education credits are now available for Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors licensees who complete FR-ACT training. There are two ways to participate:

  1. Complete the online, self-study training on TRAIN PA and earn 1 credit hour. Self-study training is available here.
  2. Schedule a training for yourself or your agency by contacting St. Joseph’s University Center for Addiction and Recover Education. OR, you can email the Department. Credit hours available to participants of live training will depend on the length of live training.

More information about FR-ACT may be found here. Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) — An Overview and Practical Application

Note: This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance-Based Contracting (PBC). Please see more details below on Continuing Education (CE) Credits. This training is an approved alternative to the SPeCTRUM offered on MyODP.

Over the years, the prevalence of autism has increased, Pennsylvania’s service delivery system for individuals with autism has expanded, and best practices to provide quality supports have emerged. To support the individual needs of each person with autism across the lifespan, an understanding of core characteristics must be established. It is also important to learn how the individual’s presentation of autism may change across settings and situations. This training will provide attendees with an in-depth presentation on core characteristics of autism and the impact of the characteristics on daily life, routines, and activities. A review of common terms and basic principles used to change behavior, teach new skills, and develop practical application of best practices will be included. Opportunity for discussion and engagement will occur throughout the training in the virtual setting.

Who should attend?

  • Direct Support Professionals, Front Line Supervisors, and Program Managers supporting individuals with autism in residential and other home and community-based settings.
  • Professionals supporting individuals in the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW), Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP), Consolidated Person/Family-Directed Support (P/FDS), and Community Living waivers are encouraged to attend.

Where and when will sessions be held?

You must register separately for each session.

Continuing Education Units (CEU):
This training satisfies the basic autism training requirement for Residential Performance-Based Contracting measures CN-DD/Bx.01.1S and CN-DD/Bx.01.1CE for all Direct Support Professionals (DSP), Frontline Supervisors (FLS), and program managers. This training also fulfills 6100 ongoing training requirements.

To receive a training certificate, attendees must attend both virtual sessions.

Please contact the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) Training inbox with questions.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANNN 25-091. This communication announces the release of an updated training course, “Introduction to Conflict Resolution for New Supports Coordinators,” a 1 credit hour course that is part of the SC First Year Training requirements. This training builds on the concepts discussed in the “Introduction to Facilitation” webcast and provides a framework for working through disagreements within the team and how to resolve them. Before completing this training, completion of the Introduction to Facilitation for New SCs training is recommended.

Introduction to Conflict Resolution for New Supports Coordinators can be found on MyODP as part of the SC First Year Trainings.

Please view the announcement for addition information and details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-089. This announcement is:

  • To share a reminder on Medication Administration Training Requirements
  • To announce the Face-to-Face training schedule for October through December 2025.

Please view the information in the announcement for details, including training dates and registration information.

ADvancing States, which represents the nation’s 56 state and territorial agencies on aging and disabilities as well as long-term services and supports directors, has partnered with the Department of Health Policy and Management at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health to create a first-of-its-kind online training program to support our nation’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program workforce. The initial Foundational Leadership in HCBS: Building Expertise to Better Support People in their Homes and Communities certificate program launches in September 2025.

The core training sessions deliver essential curriculum covering HCBS systems, policies, and operations — everything participants need to enhance their effectiveness and advance policy advocacy in this critical sector. Fewer than 20 spots remain in the September pilot session, and there will be another session offered in January 2026. The course fee is $600 for government and non-profit employees and $1300 for corporate employees. Group registration opportunities are expected to be available for the January 2026 session.

Quick Registration Links:

The course is offered exclusively online and is self-paced so learners can set their own schedules, but the course will require the equivalent of about two hours per week for 10 weeks. Participants will learn more about populations utilizing LTSS, the organizations and individuals providing LTSS, and the varied sources of funding for LTSS, with a focus on HCBS, plus key policy areas, including the Older Americans Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and the processes by which individuals access services. Please view the Course Overview and Syllabus for additional details about course topics and learning objectives.

Sign up using the links above; for questions about the HCBS Certificate program, contact Annie Kimbrel via email.

Autistic and intellectually disabled people are at increased risk of being victimized and experiencing trauma; however, few therapists are skilled in both supporting these communities and providing trauma-focused care. To bridge this gap, psychologists with the ASERT team created the TRAIN program — 12 weeks of self-guided learning and live webinars for mental health therapists licensed in Pennsylvania who are currently working with autistic and/or intellectually disabled adults. TRAIN is an integrative and neuro-affirming approach to trauma-focused care with neurodivergent adults, centering clinical work with the autistic and intellectually disabled communities. After completing the 12 weeks of learning, participants have the option to continue their training through clinical consultation with the developers of TRAIN.

This program covers:

  • Trauma-focused mental healthcare;
  • Types and prevalence of trauma;
  • Expressions of trauma;
  • Neurodiversity and Neuro-affirming practices;
  • Navigating disclosures of abuse and ethical considerations of reporting abuse and neglect of dependent adults;
  • Assessing trauma and using trauma-focused interviews;
  • Trauma-focused and neuro-affirming psychoeducation;
  • Trauma response and nervous system regulation strategies;
  • Trauma processing techniques; and
  • Resiliency and therapist self-preservation.

Target Audience: This program was developed for therapists, counselors, and clinical social workers who already have experience working with clients who have an Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) diagnosis and are looking to gain knowledge and skills related to trauma therapy. Therapists who do not have experience with ID/A clients are also welcome to participate, but the expectation is they would be committed to taking such clients into their practice after completing the program, as the purpose is to build capacity in this area across the state. You must currently be licensed and provide 1:1 talk therapy sessions to adult clients at the moment to qualify for this course and participate in the case consultation presentations.

Course Structure: 12 weeks in total, comprised of 3 modules that are each 4 weeks long. The first three weeks are self-paced learning courses that are assigned through the online Learning Management System. The fourth week of each module is an hour-and-a-half interactive discussion with the other group members and instructors. These live sessions are required and are held from 9:00 am – 10:30 am on the following dates:

  • September9: Pre-TRAIN Live Session
  • October 14: M1 Live Session
  • November 11: M2 Live Session
  • December 9: M2 Live Session
  • January 13, 2026: Weekly Case Consultation Calls (8:00 am – 9:00 am, Tuesdays). This will continue until everyone presents twice.

Case Consultations: After the initial 12 weeks, there is a short break followed by a second 12-week session that consists of weekly one-hour case consultations. These are optional but highly recommended. Each participant is expected to present a case from a current patient and receive feedback/information from other participants and the instructors. Participants need to join at least 6 of the 12 weekly case consultation calls, although it is encouraged to attend all of them. If you are not currently seeing patients or are not in the capacity to present any cases, this may not be the right program for you.

Cost and CE Credits: It is free to participate. 13.5 continuing Education (CE) credits are provided through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) upon completion of the program.

If you believe this program is appropriate for you and can commit to the requirements, please complete this survey by Wednesday, August 27, 2025. This will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, so don’t delay! Also, if you are unable participate this Fall due to other commitments but would still be interested in doing it for Spring 2026, please say so in the survey.