PCHC to Host Fatal Five Dysphagia Training
Virtual Training
DDAP Offering New Virtual Format for Clinical Supervision Training
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is offering a new virtual format for the clinical supervision training.
This instructor-led virtual training builds on foundational coursework and gives participants the opportunity to practice clinical supervision skills, along with tools to support assessment and effective work with supervisees.
The next session will be held daily at 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday, January 26, through Friday, January 30.
Log into DDAP’s Training Management System (TMS) to request a virtual seat and review registration and payment instructions for the $300 training. Payment must be submitted by check or money order, as detailed in TMS. Space is limited, and registrations are processed in the order received.
Completion of the Clinical Supervision Training Foundations course, available on demand through TMS, is required before enrolling.
Clinical supervisors and lead counselors with less than two years of supervisory experience are required to complete the core curriculum offering in TMS or a DDAP-approved core curriculum in clinical supervision.
Please send any questions electronically.
OCYF Announces ACF Title IV-E Federal Review for PA
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Children’s Bureau will be conducting a Title IV-E Federal Review for Pennsylvania (PA) in July of 2026. These reviews are mandatory every three (3) years and includes a systematic monitoring of the Title IV-E Foster Care Program. This program provides the cost of foster care maintenance, administrative expenses to manage the program, and training for staff and foster parents. PA’s period under review (PUR) will begin this October 1 and last through March 31, 2026. A random sample of 100 cases of youth in Foster Care will be selected.
In essence, the review considers:
- Judicial determinations regarding reasonable efforts and child’s best interest;
- Timely court hearings and determinations;
- Voluntary placement agreements;
- Responsibility for placement and care vested with state agency;
- Eligibility for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) under the state plan in effect July 16, 1996;
- Placement in a licensed foster family home or child-care institution; and
- Safety requirements for the child’s foster care placement.
What does this mean for you? The Children’s Bureau will review County and Provider case files of the selected child and all their placement detail. The records must be able to show compliance with Federal Regulations as well as the Child Protective Services Law. The review includes the licensing of all agencies with particular attention on:
- Criminal Clearances for all staff, including those who are not child serving and those who are no longer employed;
- No lapse in licensing where Title IV-E claims were made (particularly in single foster homes);
- Fingerprints provided prior to the licensing date;
- Safety Considerations document for staff and foster parents with criminal charges or critical incidents;
- All trainings required for staff and foster parents having been completed; and
- Clearances for Household Members by 30 days after their 18 birthday.
As such, on August 4, 2025, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, OCYF will be offering a virtual training option to learn more about this review. OCYF will complete the following:
- Review details expected during the review;
- Brainstorm PA’s strengths and areas in need of improvement;
- Create tools to ease document collection; and
- Address communication gaps.
To register for this virtual training option, please fill out the form here. Please note that the form mentions an in-person option, but OCYF will now only be offering the virtual option.
Please feel free to contact Caitlin Robinson with any questions regarding the registration of this training. Thank you in advance for your participation in this meeting. OCYF appreciates your partnership and cooperation as they move closer to critical audit for PA.
DDAP to Host Two In-Person Clinical Supervision Trainings
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is hosting two upcoming Clinical Supervision Trainings (CST). These in-person trainings will build on the information provided in the online training and provide participants with the opportunity to practice their clinical supervision skills. Participants will also be provided with tools to assist in assessing and working with their supervisees.
The in-person trainings are being held at:
- Allegheny County Single County Authority, 1 Smithfield St, Pittsburgh
Monday, March 17 – Friday, March 21 - Pine Barn Inn, 43 Pine Barn Pl, Danville
Monday, April 21 – Friday, April 25
Trainings are from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm each day, and there is a $300 fee to attend. Registration is limited and will be processed in the order registrations are received. Those interested in the training can register on the Training Management System website. Email DDAP’s Training inbox with any questions.
The remainder of the 2025 CST dates and regions are listed below. Once locations are confirmed, they will be updated in DDAP’s Training Management System (TMS), offering a variety of in-person and virtual training to maintain your skills and fulfill requirements.
- Southeast Region: Monday, May 12 – Friday, May 16
- Northwest Region: Monday, June 9 – Friday, June 13
- Northeast Region: Monday, August 25 – Friday, August 29
- Southcentral Region: Monday, September 15 – Friday, September 19
- Southwest Region: Monday, October 27 – Friday, October 31
- Southeast Region: Monday, November 3 – Friday, November 7
DDAP has approved additional options for completing this requirement for those unable to attend an event but in need of training to fulfill licensing regulation requirements.
Virtual Trainings Offered on Best Practices for Treating Xylazine-Associated Wounds
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) and Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), in collaboration with the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CSFRE), are providing virtual trainings to clinicians and non-clinicians on best practices for caring for individuals with xylazine-associated wounds. These trainings are offered at no-cost to attendees.
The trainings will be offered in two separate two-hour sessions for individuals and organizations working in Pennsylvania.
CMS Announces Virtual Training Program for IRFs & Long-Term Care Hospitals
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a virtual training program for both inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) and Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs). The virtual IRF training program will review the updated guidance for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility – Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) 4.0 and the LTCH Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Data Set (LCDS) 5.0 for providers in the IRF and LTCH settings. This training is part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure IRF and LTCH providers have access to the education necessary to understand and comply with changes in reporting requirements associated with the IRF and LTCH Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs) that go into effect on October 1, 2022. A major focus of this training will be on the cross-setting implementation of the standardized patient assessment data elements being introduced in 2022 to ensure more consistent reporting and evaluation across post-acute care settings.
The training program consists of two parts:
- Part 1: Beginning May 9, 2022: Access will be provided to recorded training session videos that deliver foundational knowledge necessary to understanding the new items and guidance. These videos are intended to be reviewed in advance of the live event.
- Part 2: June 15–16, 2022: Live, virtual workshop sessions will provide coding practice on the items covered in the Part 1 videos. These live sessions will take place each day from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
To participate in the training program, registration is required. If you have questions about accessing resources or feedback regarding the trainings, please email the PAC Training Mailbox. Content-related questions should be submitted to the LTCH QRP Help Desk and IRF QRP Help Desk
DDAP Offering New Virtual Training Opportunity: Co-Occurring Conditions
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is now offering “Co-Occurring Conditions: Promising Practices and Approaches.”
Co-occurring conditions are no longer the exception but the expectation, requiring treatment programs to design services that address the interrelationship among complex physical, psychiatric, and substance use conditions. This curriculum will review up-to-date principles, terminology, screening, assessment, treatment considerations, and programming guidelines, and the interactive program will engage participants through discussion and small group exercise. This six-hour virtual course is divided into two parts in DDAP’s Training Management System.
Participants of this course will:
- Describe the foundations of integrated treatment;
- Highlight key treatment considerations;
- Employ screening and assessment for COD; and
- Critique integrated treatment plans.