Happy Autumn! Below are the PA Family Network workshop and support groups for October. Thank you for sharing these important workshops and Good Life Groups with your network! Register for upcoming events at www.pafamilynetwork.org/events

Support Groups

The Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the October 2024 training and events calendar. Please share widely.

Please see the attached Invitation to Apply to the Pediatric Capacity Building Institute (Year 2). PCBI is geared toward professionals across child-serving systems that are interested in learning more about how to support young people with complex needs and their families in PA and in initiating system change. The PCBI offers a unique nine month, in person, multi-disciplinary, interactive learning opportunity across the entire service partnership. The Institute’s overall goal is to increase the administrative and clinical capacity across all systems to better support these youth and their families. 

There will be an information webinar this morning, September 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) every October to celebrate and highlight contributions people with disabilities make to America’s workplaces. 

The purpose of this announcement is to remind stakeholders of their roles and responsibilities in the Participant Directed Services (PDS) model of service delivery using the Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent (VF/EA) Financial Management Services (FMS) option.

Please review the announcement for further information and details.

Please find linked below the most recent version of the Adult Autism Waiver’s (AAW) Supports & Services Directory (SSD) for August 2024:

Adult Autism Programs General Information – MyODP.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is pleased to announce the release of the 2022-2023 Employment First report. ODP believes that all people with an intellectual disability and/or autism must be encouraged to pursue their vision for an everyday life, which may include working in competitive integrated employment. Competitive integrated employment offers a person an opportunity to achieve economic independence, build self-confidence, enhance self-determination, and meet new people while building new skills. The Everyday Lives: Values in Action publication, developed by the ODP Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC) which includes self-advocates, reads, “Employment is a centerpiece of adulthood and must be available for every person. The benefits of employment for people with disabilities are significant and are the same as for people without disabilities.” This report serves as an update to all stakeholders on the progress that has been made to support individuals served by ODP on finding and maintaining competitive integrated employment.

Access the 2022-2023 Employment First report by clicking here. This document can also be found by visiting the MyODP Employment Home page.

The purpose of this announcement is to inform stakeholders of corrections to rates for select services provided through the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Consolidated, Community Living, Person/Family Directed Support, and Adult Autism Waivers and base-funding that were published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Please review the announcement for additional details.

The purpose of this announcement is to provide the hourly wage and benefits ranges for specific participant directed services (PDS) provided to participants utilizing the VF/EA FMS model, effective October 1, 2024

Please review the announcement for additional information and details.

The purpose of this announcement is to provide the hourly wage and benefits ranges for specific participant directed services (PDS) provided to participants utilizing the Agency With Choice (AWC) Financial Management Service (FMS) model effective October 1, 2024.

The purpose of this announcement is to inform stakeholders that rates for services rendered through the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) have been published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

NOTE: The Community Participation Support rates published on August 30, 2024 in the August 31, 2024 Pennsylvania Bulletin and on the Department of Human Services website are incorrect. The 8% inflationary adjustment factor was not added to the most current rates for Community Participation Support services. On September 3, 2024, ODP will publish the correct rates through an ODP announcement and update the rate tables on the DHS website. A notice with the correct Community Participation Support rates will also be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin as soon as possible.

The purpose of this communication is to announce the release of the latest issue of the CI Spotlight.

Please review the announcement for additional details.

The FDA has approved and authorized for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) that include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2. These vaccines were updated to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by circulating variants. Two vaccines are available for use in the United States: 2024–2025 Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. There is no preference for one vaccine over the other when more than one vaccine is recommended for an age group 

Who should get the vaccine?

Save the Date!

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) is excited to announce the Second Annual Pediatric Capacity Building Institute (PCBI). PCBI is a unique, interactive, educational experience which will occur over a nine-month period (March 2025 - November 2025). DHS strives to bring exceptional speakers who engage participants in a wide range of topics designed to better support children and families with complex needs across the Commonwealth. Some of the topics include infant mental health, leading through change, multisystemic planning, impact of trauma on children and families, vicarious trauma among professionals, expressive therapies, and much more. PCBI also strives to incorporate the voices and experience of the children and families using these supports and services at every juncture. PCBI is open to professionals across systems with an interest in learning more about supporting children with complex needs and system change.

Attention CPS providers:

The Quality Management (QM) Data Collection Tool for CPS and Day Habilitation now has a short tutorial video available on the CPS resource page on the MyODP website.

The purpose of this announcement is to advise providers of the availability of the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) Using the Incident Management (IM) Overview Dashboard to Assess Performance Based Contracting (PBC) Measures RM-IM.01.2, .01.3, and .01.4 guide on MyODP.

Please review the announcement for information on the guide and how to access it.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Announces the Accreditation of MyODP trainings by the National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). Changes to the original announcement were made in red.

Please review the updated announcement and attached ODP Accredited Training List for important information and details.

Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP) providers are invited to sign up for a scheduled one-on-one VOH session to discuss IM topics with the Office of Developmental Programs’ Bureau of Services for Autism and Special Populations (ODP-BSASP).

Providers may sign up for one 30-minute session and multiple staff from the provider may join at the provider’s discretion.

The Department of Human Services released the following MA Bulletin on Friday, August 23, 2024:

• Bulletin 05-24-01: Updated Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Manual Edits Compliance Percentage Requirements in the Fee-for-Service Delivery and Managed Care Delivery Systems.

In addition, an updated version of the ODP EVV Technical can be found at the following link. This updated guide includes essential information on the latest compliance requirements and procedures: