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Training

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared communication ODPANN 25-033 to announce that new live case study sessions for the Administrative Review (AR) Course are now available.

All entities that complete investigations are required to conduct the AR process as outlined in the AR Manual. This course is offered as an opportunity to support entities to complete high-quality ARs that help mitigate risks to individuals receiving services.

There are two parts to the course:
Part 1: The Online Module, which includes three (3) units and a quiz; and
Part 2: A live case study session held on Zoom.

The AR course page can be accessed by visiting AR Training and logging into MyODP.

The online module is a prerequisite to the virtual case study session. Once the online module, including all three units and the quiz, are successfully completed, registration will be available for the virtual case study session. Registration is accessed from the same course page. Registration for the case study sessions is currently scheduled for Wednesday, June 11 (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm) and Wednesday, August 13 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm).

Please view the communication for additional information and details.

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared that registration for the Certified Investigator (CI) Initial Certification Course is now open. Classes available are for the May – August 2025 CI Initial Certification Course classes (also known as cohorts). Register now at MyODP’s website, and review communication ODPANN 25-031 for registration information and additional details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared Bulletin 00-25-01: Room and Board for Individuals Enrolled With the Office of Developmental Programs and 5 accompanying documents:

The sixth document referenced in the bulletin, a version of the Room and Board Agreement translated in Spanish, will be released soon. Stakeholders will be notified when this version of the agreement is ready for use.

This bulletin is to clarify Room and Board requirements outlined in 55 Pa. Code Chapter 6100 (relating to Services for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Autism).

ODP has scheduled two trainings:

  1. Room and Board Training: For Residential Habilitation & Life Sharing Professionals
    Friday, March 28, 2025, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
    If you are a professional, please register here.
  2. Room and Board Training: For Individuals and Families
    Thursday, April 3, 2025, 11:30 am  – 1:00 pm
    If you are an individual or family member, please register here.

These trainings will include:

  • The intent of Room and Board;
  • An explanation of Room and Board policies and regulations;
  • An explanation of policy implementation; and
  • An overview of the attachments to the bulletin.

There will be time during the sessions to answer questions submitted by participants during the webinars. For this reason, ODP kindly asks stakeholders to save questions about the bulletin until after the training is held.

Please see the bulletin for additional details and information.

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.