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Training

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the Medication Administration (MA) April–June 2025 Train-the-Trainer Face-to-Face Schedule. This is for Medication Administration New and Recertifying Trainers.

Classes for New Trainers and Recertifying Trainers will be held separately. New Trainer classes are for first-time trainers designated as New Trainer and start at 8:30 am. Recertifying Trainer Classes are available in the morning and in the afternoon according to the schedule in the announcement. Morning classes are designated as AM Recertification classes and will start at 8:30 am. Afternoon classes are designated as PM Recertification classes and will start at 1:00 pm.

You may register for one of these sessions after completing the course materials in the Train-the-Trainer course on MyODP’s Medication Administration website. View the schedule here.

AID In PA is accepting applicants for its April 2025 TRAIN program. This free training program was developed for therapists, counselors, and clinical social workers who already have experience working with clients who have an Intellectual Disability and/or Autism (ID/A) diagnosis and are looking to gain knowledge and skills related to trauma therapy.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism are at an increased risk of experiencing trauma. TRAIN is an integrative and neuro-affirming approach to trauma-focused care with neurodivergent adults, centering clinical work with the ID/A communities. After completing the 12 weeks of learning, participants have the option to continue their training through clinical consultation with the developers of TRAIN. You must currently be licensed and provide 1:1 talk therapy sessions to qualify for this course and participate in the case consultation presentations.

The TRAIN program focuses on:

  • Trauma-focused mental healthcare
  • Types and prevalence of trauma
  • Ethical principles of reporting abuse
  • Neurodiversity and Neuro-affirming practices
  • Expressions of trauma
  • Assessing trauma and trauma-focused interviews
  • Trauma-focused and neuro-affirming psychoeducation
  • Trauma response management strategies and nervous system regulation strategies
  • Trauma processing techniques
  • Resiliency and therapist self-preservation

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 AID in PA’s 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:

  • April 8: Pre-training live session
  • May 13: Module 1 live session
  • June 10: Module 2 live session
  • July 8: Module 3 live session
  • August 5: 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’s encouraged to attend all. If you are not currently seeing patients or are not in a 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 March 20, 2025. First come, first serve basis, so don’t delay! If you cannot attend the Spring session due to other commitments but would still be interested in doing it for Fall 2025, please say so in the survey.

Photo by Copernico on Unsplash

TOPIC — Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Overview and Practical Application

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 seminar 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 seminar.

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; and
  • Professionals supporting individuals in Adult Autism Waiver (AAW), Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP), Consolidated Person/Family-Directed Support Waiver (P/FDS), and Community Living.

Where and when will sessions be held?

  • April 1 PaTTAN East, 10:00 am 3:00 pm
  • April 24 PaTTAN Central, 10:00 am 3:00 pm
  • April 30 PaTTAN West, 9:30 am 2:30 pm

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

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 (FLSs), and program managers.

This training also fulfills 6100 ongoing training requirements.

REGISTER

*After logging into your MyODP account, completion of the Demographics Form is required before being able to register for a session.

Please contact the Bureau of Autism Training inbox with questions.

Part 1: Motivational Interviewing in Pediatric Therapy
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am CDT;
9:00 am – 10:00 am MDT; 8:00 am – 9:00 am PDT
Register Here

Part 2: Beyond Motivational Interviewing: Additional Strategies to Improve Engagement in Pediatric Therapy
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am CDT;
9:00 am – 10:00 am MDT; 8:00 am – 9:00 am PDT
Register Here

Presenter Bios:

Alison Heinekamp, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS
Alison Heinekamp is an Occupational Therapist and certified brain injury specialist. She currently works as an inpatient occupational therapist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center practicing in the areas of neurology/neurosurgery and pulmonology. Ali serves on the disorders of consciousness subcommittee of the Ohio Brain Injury Program. She has presented both locally and nationally on topics related to best occupational therapy practices in pediatric brain injury and motivational interviewing in pediatrics.

Heather Blackburn, PT, MPT, CBIS
Heather Blackburn is a pediatric physical therapist who specializes in neuro-rehabilitation, serial casting, and treating children with cerebral palsy and acquired brain injuries. She has presented at OPTA, OPC, Ohio Brain Injury Association, APTA Peds Annual Conference, and AACPDM Annual Conferences on her evidence-based practice work in the areas of serial casting, pediatric brain injury treatment, and aquatic therapy. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and the leader of the Moderate-Severe Brain Injury Translational Research and Clinical Knowledge Team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Heather holds a Masters in Physical Therapy from Ohio University and was LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) certified through Ohio State University.

Objectives: Following this course, the learner will be able to:

PART 1

  • Define self-management and describe motivational interviewing (MI) skills;
  • Apply MI strategies to facilitate meaningful conversations with patients and/or caregivers to maximize collaboration; and
  • Apply MI strategies to improve participation in therapy sessions to maximize outcomes.

PART 2

  • Describe the clinician’s role in improving child/adolescent’s participation with collaborative goal setting; and
  • Identify strategies to improve patient engagement with therapy evaluations, treatment sessions, and home exercise programs.

Audience: This webinar series is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared an update to ODPANN 24-110. This update is to announce the new Deaf Services required training. This training is replacing the previously required Harry M Settlement training. Please review the announcement for additional information and details. Corrections to the original announcement are in red.

Please use this version of the announcement going forward.