The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering an update to the Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA), which includes several provisions to impact services, staffing, and regulatory reporting for RCPA members in all of the Department of Human Services arenas. RCPA and its members strongly support having protections of older Pennsylvanians; however, our recommendations focused on provisions that impact: Expanded fingerprinting and background check requirements; Hiring flexibility and provider operational responsibilities; and Alignment with existing HCBS operational frameworks. The recommendations highlighted the need for the legislative process to preserve and support access to HCBS services, workforce sustainability, operational feasibility, and continuity of care for older adults in the Commonwealth. The full response can be viewed here .
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has released communication ODPANN 26-061 , to announce that the Fatal Five training is now available on MyODP. The Fatal Five training replaces the previously available Fatal Four training on the platform. All previously ODP-approved Fatal Five trainings remain valid and continue to meet regulatory training requirements. The Fatal Five Health Conditions are health concerns that are seen frequently in individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. These conditions can result in serious illness or death if they are not closely monitored and treated. In this training, you will learn what the Fatal Five are, who is at risk, the symptoms and warning signs that alert you to act in the moment to support an individual, the causes and complications of each condition, and what you and others can do to prevent harm and support the individual’s health, safety, and quality of life. This training consists of six webcasts, for a total viewing time of about 76 minutes. Completion of a 25-question Post Test is required for training credit. Once completed, two credit hours will be awarded on the MyTranscript report. The course is available within the Health & Safety category under the “Topics” dropdown on MyODP.org or by using this link to navigate directly to the course .
RCPA wishes to take this opportunity to thank those who attended the HR 1 Medicaid Summit that was held last month. The summit provided an opportunity for the more than 350 participants to learn about the pending changes in Federal Medicaid as well as its implications in Pennsylvania and those who advocate and provide services for this vulnerable population. RCPA would also like to thank our panelists for their commitment to engaging with our members in ensuring collaboration and partnership throughout the implementation. This summit served to represent one of the many facets of advocacy and support for our members across our divisions and RCPA’s advocacy efforts on the HR 1 Medicaid impacts. Available now are the presentations from both the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and from Leesa Allen, RCPA Medicaid Consultant . We will also be releasing the RCPA HR 1 Medicaid Resource Handbook in the near future, which will provide an overview of policy and practice implementation at both the Federal and State levels, a Medicaid FAQ, and recent updates on developing areas, such as the State Directive Payments and Fraud, Waste, and Abuse standards. RCPA will continue to communicate to members regarding HR 1 Medicaid updates and events, including a Medicaid Summit at the RCPA Conference. Visit the RCPA website for details regarding our conference, and note that we plan to share the registration brochure within the coming weeks. If you have additional questions regarding the RCPA Medicaid Handbook, please forward them to RCPA Policy Specialist Emma Sharp .