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Physical Disabilities & Aging

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the governor of each state to submit a four-year unified or combined state plan outlining the state’s workforce development strategy. The plan can be viewed on the Department of Labor and Industry’s website, and the draft for the 2024–2028 plan is available here.

Pennsylvania’s Combined State Plan includes the six WIOA Core programs: Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Wagner-Peyser, Adult Basic Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation. It also includes the following optional programs:

  • Career and Technical Education Programs-Perkins Act
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program
  • Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers Programs
  • Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program
  • Senior Community Service Employment Program
  • Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Program
  • Community Services Block Grant
  • Unemployment Insurance

Some specific areas of interest to our members include the following goals:

  • Empowering individuals paid subminimum wages through 14(c) waivers to obtain CIE;
  • Expediting the Integrated Vocational Engagement & Support Team (InVEST) Project to assist individuals with disabilities, families, and community businesses with CIE engagement, supports, and services/resource coordination;
  • Increasing competitive integrated employment (CIE) opportunities for individuals with disabilities;
  • Increasing transition services for students with disabilities; and
  • Increasing statewide collaboration with the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) to expand Pre-ETS across Departments.

Public comments will be accepted on Pennsylvania’s WIOA Combined State Plan until 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Please submit your comments electronically. Written comments may also be submitted by mail to:

PA Workforce Development Board
651 Boas Street | Room 514
Harrisburg, PA 17121

A Special Session of the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation has been announced and will be held on January 10, 2024, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm via Zoom. The purpose of the session is to discuss and seek approval of the VR portion of the State Plan as well as approval of the letter to Governor Shapiro. You can view both the agenda notice and information on connecting to the meeting.

The meeting documents from the January 3, 2024, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting are now available below and include the agenda and PowerPoint presentations.

Today’s MLTSS Subcommittee meeting was the final meeting. The MLTSS Subcommittee will merge with the Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee beginning in February. The first merged meeting is scheduled for February 1, 2024. Additional information about that meeting will be forthcoming.

On December 29, 2023, the Department of Human Services (DHS) issued to the CHC-MCOs a revised edition of “Operations Memo (#2019-05): Circumstances When Community Health Choices (CHC)-Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) Must Transmit the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Eligibility/Ineligibility/Change Form (PA 1768).” The PA 1768 (included in the Operations Memo) is used to notify the County Assistance Office (CAO) when a CHC participant is determined clinically eligible for CHC HCBS or when a CHC participant, who is receiving HCBS, experiences a change affecting his or her eligibility for HCBS.

This revised operations memo describes situations where the CHC-MCO sends the PA 1768 to the CAO. The memo has also been revised to include Money Follows the Person (MFP) information to communicate on the PA 1768 (Attachment 8), and to update a participant letter (Attachment 4: CHC HCBS Termination Letter (No Response).

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Dehoff.

Join RCPA for a Membership Benefits webinar on Thursday, January 4, 2024, at 1:00 pm to orient yourself with all that RCPA membership entails. This is not just for new and future members; for current members, there may be benefits associated with your membership that you may not be aware of, including meetings and group communications that occur throughout the year. This webinar is a great way to ensure you are getting the most out of your membership!

Register here to attend. During the webinar, you’ll be able to:

  • Virtually meet the dedicated RCPA Policy Staff and lobbyists;
  • Discuss the 2024 Legislative and Administrative priorities;
  • Preview RCPA division committee and subcommittee meetings and what they offer;
  • View the RCPA member-only website;
  • Review exclusive yearly education and networking events; and
  • Understand the value of the National Association memberships included with RCPA membership.

Visit the RCPA member benefits page or contact Tieanna Lloyd for benefit information. We look forward to your participation in this webinar.

On January 10, 2024, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) will be conducting an upcoming webinar that will focus on Person-Centered Service Planning (PCSP) in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS): Requirements and Best Practices.

The webinar will include the following:

  • An overview of person-centered service planning;
  • A detailed discussion of the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) regulations pertaining to person-centered service plans provisions;
  • A detailed review of themes identified during CMS heightened scrutiny site visits regarding person-centered service plans;
  • Measures included in the 2022 HCBS Quality Measure Set that can be used to assess person-centered planning;
  • Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and state examples to support person-centered service planning;
  • Strategies to ensure comprehensive understanding and implementation of person-centered service plans; and
  • Indiana’s approach to person-centered planning.

Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Register here to participate in the webinar.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released the agenda for the January 3, 2024, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting.

The meeting will be held from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. in the PA Department of Education’s Honors Suite at 333 Market St. in Harrisburg, PA. The option to participate via webinar is also available. Register here to participate in the meeting via webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Comments and questions can be sent electronically prior to the meeting.

If you plan to participate via phone, the dial-in number is: (631) 992-3221; Access code: 809-647-074#.