The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is hosting a series of public comment webinars to provide an overview of how it proposes to implement Performance-Based Contracting for Residential Services effective January 1, 2025. Additional proposed changes to the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support Waivers that are not related to Performance-Based Contracting will also be covered. Registered participants will have the opportunity to provide verbal comments on the waiver amendment during the session.
Make a major impact on your organization and those in your care by using the right exempt financial tool(s). With the appropriate financial vehicles for consumer funds management, you will be better equipped to manage resource limits, secure eligibility for benefits and positively influence long term outcomes.
Join us and learn how to:
Break the cycle of spend downs while ensuring the continuity of benefits.
Create a pathway for consumers to save money and spend it how and when they choose.
Understand the new financial landscape and how to handle the impacts to SSI/Medicaid.
Build an endowment feature to support your I/DD community, especially those with few to no resources.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is hosting a series of public comment webinars to provide an overview of how it proposes to implement Performance-Based Contracting for Residential Services effective January 1, 2025. Additional proposed changes to the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support Waivers that are not related to Performance-Based Contracting will also be covered. Registered participants will have the opportunity to provide verbal comments on the waiver amendment during the session.
The webinar series targets Service Coordinators, Managed Care Organizations, and Service Coordination Entity support staff who assist program participants in securing and maintaining affordable, accessible housing through Home and Community-Based Services. Our target audience for these webinars includes individuals and organizations who provide long-term services and supports for older Pennsylvanians and people with physical disabilities. This webinar series builds on information already provided in the Online Housing Training Modules (www.deringconsulting.com/OLTL) and the Self-Determination Housing of Pennsylvania (SDHP)/Inglis’ Prepared Renter Program (PREP) curriculum. The content in each webinar builds on prior content. Participants will get the most out of the series by taking all of the webinars.
This virtual summit will bring together national, state, and local leaders — including United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy — working across sectors to address social isolation and loneliness. The summit will spotlight creative technology solutions and innovative programs that you can adapt to the needs of people in your community, along with tools and resources that can help you leverage technology to foster social connection.
The summit is a free event, but you must register to participate! Visit the event page for more information and the full agenda.
This event will include CART closed captioning and ASL interpretation. Contact info@committoconnect.org with any questions.
The Department of Human Services’ Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce the Dual Diagnosis Professional Conference Series, which offers presentations focused on supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) and mental health needs. The selected presenters share their expertise on best and promising practices as well as provide general knowledge. Session topics, which focus on increasing capacity to serve individuals with dual diagnosis in the community, are chosen based on identified needs and with input from the field of professional stakeholders.
The invited audience of all professional stakeholders, including direct and clinical supporters for individuals with ID/A are encouraged to attend.
Registration is required and at no charge to attendees.
Three (3) hours of training credit and a certificate of achievement is provided.
This presentation focuses on the connection between trauma-informed care and positive support, framed in a wellness perspective. Critical to this effort was the creation of a safe place, the wellness center, specifically selected and modified to reduce the possible re-traumatization of individuals with ID/A or a dual diagnosis. Trauma-informed care emphasizes creating healing environments, while positive supports focus on strengths and resilience. By merging these approaches, practitioners can bolster interventions for trauma-affected individuals. Key principles and strategies for implementing a wellness-oriented approach to trauma-informed care are discussed, emphasizing collaboration, empowerment, and self-care for both providers and recipients.
PRESENTERS
John Thvedt - Psychologist/CEO, Shared Support South: With over 40 years as a licensed psychologist in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) field, John Thvedt has served as clinical director, behavior specialist, therapist, consultant, and CEO for nonprofit organizations across the US. He is one of the original co-founders of Shared Support Concepts, subsequently, Shared Support Inc., and currently, Shared Support South. In his career John directed group homes for the Jay Nolan Center for Autism as part of the deinstitutionalization movement in California in the early 80’s; provided behavior specialist services throughout southern California; consulted on the Southern Poverty law center’s review of state hospitals in Florida; and conducted mandated annual reviews of Pennhurst individual’s services following their return to community living after the closure of the institution. Currently, John is dedicated to trauma informed program design that supports the clinical and everyday life needs of people with complex behavioral health needs and IDD through Shared Support South.
Christine Martin - President, Shared Support South : With 38 years of experience in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) field, Chris Martin has held various roles spanning Direct Support, Management, and Executive positions. She is one of the original co-founders of Shared Support Concepts, subsequently establishing Shared Support Inc., and currently presides over Shared Support South. Throughout her career, Chris has directed Supports Coordination units and served as the Executive Director for the Arc of Bucks County, where she spearheaded grant initiatives aimed at enhancing mental health services for individuals with IDD. In her role as a consultant, Chris has coordinated and led Self-Determination initiatives across several Pennsylvania counties and Maryland. Chris has also supported teams to plan for individuals with a dual diagnosis transitioning from institutional settings into community living.
This session will address how to effectively use personality and leadership assessments, 360 surveys, executive evaluations, and board surveys to develop the strengths of your leadership team and board. The purpose and value of each assessment tool will be considered, as well as the benefit of utilizing multiple tools in a programmatic approach that addresses both leadership and culture development, such as in DCM’s tri-level approach to development.
Presenters: Dr. Terrence Cahill, President, DCM Institute for Nonprofit Board & Executive Leadership and Allan Weisberg, Managing Director
This virtual summit will bring together national, state, and local leaders — including United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy — working across sectors to address social isolation and loneliness. The summit will spotlight creative technology solutions and innovative programs that you can adapt to the needs of people in your community, along with tools and resources that can help you leverage technology to foster social connection.
The summit is a free event, but you must register to participate! Visit the event page for more information and the full agenda.
This event will include CART closed captioning and ASL interpretation. Contact info@committoconnect.org with any questions.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy will hold a webinar on obtaining and keeping Medicare-covered care. The program is presented in partnership with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation's National Paralysis Resource Center.
The webinar will discuss the following topics:
Medicare-covered services and equipment
Typical access problems experienced by Medicare beneficiaries
“Do’s & Don’ts” to maximize coverage and minimize delays
Understand appeal basics, in the event you receive a denial
Engage in Q&A and discussion
Presenters:
Kathy Holt, MBA, JD, Associate Director/Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy
Louise Corcoran, MBA, JD, Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy
Barbara McCoy, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Associate Ombudsman
Charting the LifeCourse was created to help individuals and families of all abilities and all ages develop a vision for a good life, think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is hosting a series of public comment webinars to provide an overview of how it proposes to implement Performance-Based Contracting for Residential Services effective January 1, 2025. Additional proposed changes to the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support Waivers that are not related to Performance-Based Contracting will also be covered. Registered participants will have the opportunity to provide verbal comments on the waiver amendment during the session.
Do you struggle with understanding how to support someone going through the justice system or knowing what to say to their judicial teams? This training will walk through ODP’s new way of reconceptualizing autism with a large concentration on how a person’s presenting symptoms may be misunderstood by justice system professionals. The training is designed to equip an individual's team so they can support not only the individual, but the justice professionals involved with their case as well.
Title III of the ADA requires places of public accommodation to remove barriers to accessibility that are deemed “readily achievable”. The term "places of public accommodation" includes businesses that are generally open to the public and that fall into one of 12 categories listed in the ADA, such as restaurants, movie theaters, schools, daycare facilities, recreation facilities, and doctors' offices. Having an awareness of barriers to accessibility, taking steps to determine how they can be overcome, developing a plan to address those improvements (including a time frame for improvements), and finally implementing those improvements if they are readily achievable, is critical for Title III entities.
A new issue brief released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides recommendations to improve HCBS workforce data. The recommendations are informed by input from HCBS providers, workers, consumers, and researchers. HHS is implementing these recommendations through the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services rule and through the DCW Strategies Center’s intensive technical assistance to selected states.
HHS and DOL in collaboration with the DCW Strategies Center are hosting a webinar to present their recommendations to improve data about the HCBS workforce. A non-federal panel of leaders in the field will discuss the recommendations and share innovations.
Every year, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issues a Notice of Proposed Rule Making for the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) that defines services and reimbursement rates for physicians and other providers providing care to people with Medicare. As of Jan. 1, 2024, Medicare will reimburse for various services including Community Health Integration services, Social Determinants of Health risk assessments, and Principal Illness Navigation services. Furthermore, the final rule provided supportive language for clinical providers to contract with community-based organizations (CBOs) to meet the needs of beneficiaries. Join the webinar for a discussion of how the final rule may impact CBOs implementing, expanding, and sustaining evidence-based health and wellness programs through individual organizations or community care hubs (CCH).
Presenter:
Timothy McNeill, RN, MPH, Founder, Freedmen’s Health
The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) invite you to save the date for the statewide Dual Diagnosis Conference. This year’s two-day conference will be held virtually. Nationally recognized speakers will provide perspectives on the impact of trauma, physical health, and metabolic health.
To learn more, Click here to visit the Conference Site.
The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) invite you to save the date for the statewide Dual Diagnosis Conference. This year’s two-day conference will be held virtually. Nationally recognized speakers will provide perspectives on the impact of trauma, physical health, and metabolic health.
To learn more, Click here to visit the Conference Site.
This is an engaging discussion of the innovative concept called “Strategic Alignment” which refers to the process of going beyond the traditional strategic planning process to achieve long term success and sustainability. Strategic Alignment motivates all stakeholders, both internally and externally, to be focused and committed to achieving one goal: the organization’s strategic vision. In addition, this concept requires the development of new competencies and non-traditional skill sets for both executives and board leadership.
Presenters: Dennis C. Miller, Founder & Chairman and Michael Shriver, Managing Director
This webinar will provide details on specific performance standards for Performance-Based Contracting for residential services. Each session will cover the required reporting, data source, data collection, and analysis for each performance standard.
A prerecorded General Overview Webinar will be disseminated on 5/21/2024 as a pre-requisite to the sessions outlined below. It is strongly recommended Providers watch the General Overview webinar prior to attending. These sessions will each be unique in content and build upon one another. Providers are encouraged to attend all four sessions. Due to anticipated audience size, only two representatives from each Provider agency should register to attend. All sessions will be recorded and made available on MyODP.
Click here for PA Bulletin (04/19/24): Availability of Application for a Waiver for Selective Contracting for Residential Services and Availability of Amendments to the Consolidated, Community Living, Person/Family Directed Support and Adult Autism Waivers Required for Selective Contracting of Residential Services, as Well as Additional Proposed Changes to the Waivers
Click here for PA Bulleting (04/19/23): Availability of the Proposed Rate Setting Methodology, Fee Schedule Rates and Department-Established Fees for Services Funded Through the Office of Developmental Programs' Consolidated, Community Living and Person/Family Directed Support Waivers and the Community Intellectual Disability Base-Funded Program and Availability of Proposed Amendments to the Community Living and Person/Family Directed Support Waivers
In this second annual ODP Employment Regional Symposium, participants will hear from employers about how, what, and why they hired individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals who are employed and their teams will describe how having a job made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Bureau of Special Education will discuss collaboration across systems and offices with a focus on things that you thought might not be possible.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in advancing the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities including but not limited to: current and future employers, local education authorities, intermediate units, ODP employment/community participation support/residential providers, supports coordinators, administrative entities transition counselors, regional employment coalitions, and OVR business liaisons.
Lunch will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.
This webinar series will provide details on specific performance standards for Performance-Based Contracting for residential services. Each session will cover the required reporting, data source, data collection, and analysis for each performance standard.
A prerecorded General Overview Webinar will be disseminated on 5/21/2024 as a pre-requisite to the sessions outlined below. It is strongly recommended Providers watch the General Overview webinar prior to attending. These sessions will each be unique in content and build upon one another. Providers are encouraged to attend all four sessions. Due to anticipated audience size, only two representatives from each Provider agency should register to attend. All sessions will be recorded and made available on MyODP.
In this second annual ODP Employment Regional Symposium, participants will hear from employers about how, what, and why they hired individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals who are employed and their teams will describe how having a job made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Bureau of Special Education will discuss collaboration across systems and offices with a focus on things that you thought might not be possible.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in advancing the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities including but not limited to: current and future employers, local education authorities, intermediate units, ODP employment/community participation support/residential providers, supports coordinators, administrative entities transition counselors, regional employment coalitions, and OVR business liaisons.
Lunch will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.
An educational and insightful discussion of nonprofit best practices for CEOs and Board leaders to gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to become a great nonprofit board. Key issues that will be addressed include the characteristics of successful nonprofit boards, the concept of the CEO and Board partnership, board recruitment and reappointment, the importance of board diversity, committee structures, the board’s role in strategic planning and “how good boards evaluate the CEO, great boards evaluate themselves.”
Presenters: Dennis C. Miller, Founder & Chairman and Joe Costa, Managing Director
This webinar series will provide details on specific performance standards for Performance-Based Contracting for residential services. Each session will cover the required reporting, data source, data collection, and analysis for each performance standard.
A prerecorded General Overview Webinar will be disseminated on 5/21/2024 as a pre-requisite to the sessions outlined below. It is strongly recommended Providers watch the General Overview webinar prior to attending. These sessions will each be unique in content and build upon one another. Providers are encouraged to attend all four sessions. Due to anticipated audience size, only two representatives from each Provider agency should register to attend. All sessions will be recorded and made available on MyODP.
In this second annual ODP Employment Regional Symposium, participants will hear from employers about how, what, and why they hired individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals who are employed and their teams will describe how having a job made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Bureau of Special Education will discuss collaboration across systems and offices with a focus on things that you thought might not be possible.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in advancing the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities including but not limited to: current and future employers, local education authorities, intermediate units, ODP employment/community participation support/residential providers, supports coordinators, administrative entities transition counselors, regional employment coalitions, and OVR business liaisons.
Lunch will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.
This webinar series will provide details on specific performance standards for Performance-Based Contracting for residential services. Each session will cover the required reporting, data source, data collection, and analysis for each performance standard.
A prerecorded General Overview Webinar will be disseminated on 5/21/2024 as a pre-requisite to the sessions outlined below. It is strongly recommended Providers watch the General Overview webinar prior to attending. These sessions will each be unique in content and build upon one another. Providers are encouraged to attend all four sessions. Due to anticipated audience size, only two representatives from each Provider agency should register to attend. All sessions will be recorded and made available on MyODP.
In this second annual ODP Employment Regional Symposium, participants will hear from employers about how, what, and why they hired individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals who are employed and their teams will describe how having a job made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Bureau of Special Education will discuss collaboration across systems and offices with a focus on things that you thought might not be possible.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in advancing the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities including but not limited to: current and future employers, local education authorities, intermediate units, ODP employment/community participation support/residential providers, supports coordinators, administrative entities transition counselors, regional employment coalitions, and OVR business liaisons.
Lunch will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.
