The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) invites you to save the date for the 2025 The Community of Practice for Supporting Families Regional Collaborative Summit! The summit will be held live in State College on August 14^th and 15^th at the Penn Stater Hotel. Virtual participation options will also be available. Join the Summit this August to learn from peers and professionals about how to bolster your communities of practice for supporting individuals with disabilities and/or autism (ID/A) and their families.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is pleased to announce the release of the 2023-2024 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 2023-2024 Employment First report by clicking here. This document can also be found by visiting the MyODP Employment Home page.

Below are the PA Family Network workshop and support groups for June. Thank you for sharing these important workshops and support groups with your networks! Register for upcoming events at www.pafamilynetwork.org/events  

Support Groups

The Office of Developmental Programs requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 25-046: Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) Quality Management (QM) Certification Classes Registration for Additional Upccoming 2025 Virtual Classes. The purpose of this announcement is to provide information on how to register for four new 2025 QM Certification class dates.

Please review the announcement for additional information and details.

The Office of Developmental Programs requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 25-045 Registration Now Open for June Certified Investigator (CI) Forum and How to Access CI Forum Question and Answer (Q&A) Documents. The purpose of this announcement is to communicate to the above entities that Temple University Harrisburg Certified Investigator Program and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will be facilitating Forums for Certified Investigators (CIs) and others involved in the incident investigation process, and to announce the posting of Q & A Documents from past CI Forums on myODP.   

Please review the announcement for additional information and details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 25-044 New Assessments Required for Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) Participants. The purpose of this communication is to inform all interested stakeholders about the new assessment protocol that is replacing most of the previous assessments required for participants in the AAW effective July 1, 2025, and to announce a mandatory training for AAW Supports Coordinator (SC) and SC Supervisors.

Please review the announcement for additional information and details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached reissue of communication, ODPANN 25-043 Updates to the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) Manual for Individuals with intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism and its attachment: PUNS Manual. The purpose of this communication is to distribute the updated Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) Manual, which includes changes related to the Multi-Year Program Growth Strategy initiative. This updated PUNS Manual is designed to replace the prior PUNS Manual. This announcement is being reissued with a correct link for the attachment: PUNS Manual.

Please review the announcement for additional information and details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attach Health Alert: Lyme Disease and Other Tickborne Diseases in Pennsylvania. The purpose of this communication is to share important information about tickborne diseases in Pennsylvania, symptoms of tickborne diseases, and tick removal. Please review the announcement for additional details.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication; ODPANN 25-042: Now Available: Room and Board Residency Agreement Translated into Spanish. This announcement provides access to stakeholders to a DP 1077-S form in Spanish.

Please review the announcement for additional information on accessing the form.

The Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the May 2025 training and events calendar.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requests your assistance sharing the attached communication, ODPANN 25-041 Open for Public Comment: Proposed Supports Coordination Performance-Based Contracting and IDA Waiver Amendments. The purpose of this communication is to inform all interested stakeholders of the opportunity to submit public comments on the proposed implementation of Performance-Based Contracting for Supports Coordination services and proposed additional changes to the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) Waivers that are not related to Performance-Based Contracting effective January 1, 2026. The public comment period starts on April 19, 2025, and ends on May 26, 2025, at 11:59 PM for all proposed changes in this communication.

Please review the announcement for additional information and details.