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Brain Injury

RCPA has extended the deadline to complete the workforce survey to Monday, October 18, 2021. The survey, which is open to all Human Service Providers in Pennsylvania, covers work force issues for a diverse range of programs, including Mental Health, IDD/Autism, Brain Injury, Drug & Alcohol, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF). The survey responses seek to gather data related to hiring, retention, vacancy rates, pay structures, vaccinations, and COVID-19 impacts on programs as well as access to care associated with the pandemic.

We thank you in advance for your time in completing this survey and would ask that you share this information with your colleagues, fellow leaders, and Human Resources teams. The more information collected, the more we will be able to provide to stakeholders, which will affect not only RCPA members but all providers within the Commonwealth.

A copy of the results of this survey will be available to all participants at the conclusion of the study. Please complete the survey here. The workforce survey will end at close of business on Monday, October 18, 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Director of Children’s Services Jim Sharp.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging recently announced a “Save the Date” for an upcoming virtual forum with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Related Disorders Task Force on November 4, 2021 from 9:00 am–12:30 pm. The primary topic of the virtual forum is Physician and Consumer Education in Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Registration will open on October 13, 2021. Questions should be directed to Heidi Champa, Aging Services Specialist.

The Council on Brain Injury (CoBI) has announced an upcoming webinar/clinical forum, “Caregiver Needs: Insights for Professionals,” on October 13, 2021 from 3:30 pm–5:00 pm. This lecture will address an often-overlooked group — the caregivers of those living with acquired brain injuries (ABI). Caregivers often step into their roles out of love, a sense of duty, or a lack of other options. They often don’t recognize themselves as “caregivers” and can end up neglecting their own needs, feeling exhausted and isolated, and at risk for health complications themselves. Elissa Lewin (of Nancy’s House) will discuss the importance of helping caregivers to recognize their own physical and emotional needs and how professionals can help. A live question and answer session will follow the presentation. Please register here.

This session is intended for a professional audience. There is no cost to attend. 

The following announcement/reminder was issued and directed to Personal Care Homes (PCH), Assisted Living Residences (ALRs), and nursing facilities (NFs) by the Department of Human Services (DHS)/Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL):

This message is to serve as a reminder that the deadline to apply for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) payments is Friday, October 15, 2021. If you have not yet submitted your Facility Acceptance Form, please do so on or before October 15 using the highlighted directions below. The facility acceptance form may be found on the DHS Long-Term Care Providers page. PCH and ALR providers that already submitted a Facility Acceptance Form do not need to resend a form.


This message is to update and replace the Listserv email sent on August 31, 2021 with the subject “American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One-Time Payments – Notification, Instructions, and Timelines.”

The Office of Long-Term Living has published revised lists of qualifying entities and payment amounts for personal care home (PCH) and assisted living residence (ALR) ARPA payments. The revised lists are available as of September 9, 2021, on the DHS Long-Term Care Providers page under the heading ‘American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding.’ Revisions include the addition of providers omitted from the original published list and corrected payment amounts for providers that experienced a change of ownership or a name change between April 1, 2020 and June 1, 2021. These revisions resulted in adjustments to payment amounts for all qualifying PCH and ALR providers.

PCH and ALR providers that already submitted a Facility Acceptance Form do not need to resend a form. 


American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One-Time Payments – Notification, Instructions, and Timelines

Governor Wolf signed Act 24 of 2021, which allocates $282 million of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for payments to nursing facilities (NF), personal care homes (PCH), and assisted living residences (ALR). To qualify for the one-time payment, a facility must be in operation as of June 1, 2021.

These one-time ARPA funds must be used for COVID-19 related costs not otherwise reimbursed by federal, state, or other sources of funding. The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) sent a letter dated August 30, 2021, with details about the payments, including information about the approved use of and reporting on these funds. For reference, a sample of the letter, a list of qualifying entities and payment amounts, and a copy of the Facility Acceptance Form are available on the DHS Long-Term Care Providers page under the heading ‘American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding.’

Nursing Facility Payments

  • ARPA NF Payment #1 – Medical Assistance (MA) Days
    • The total funds available for a one-time payment to Non-Public and County NFs pursuant to Act 24 (ARPA NF Payment #1) is $198,000,000. Each facility’s ARPA NF Payment #1 is calculated by dividing the facility’s MA days, as reported for the NF Assessment for the third quarter of calendar year 2019, by 4,976,570, the revised total 2019 MA days for all facilities, as reported for the NF Assessment for the third quarter of calendar year 2019, to obtain an NF specific quotient. Each NF’s quotient is multiplied by $198,000,000 to determine its payment amount.
  • ARPA NF Payment #2 – Licensed NF Beds
    • The total funds available for a one-time payment to Non-Public and County NFs pursuant to Act 24 (ARPA NF Payment #2) is $49,000,000. Each facility’s ARPA NF Payment #2 is calculated by dividing the facility’s licensed NF beds as of March 31, 2020 by all licensed Non-Public and County NF beds as of March 31, 2020 to obtain an NF specific quotient. Each NF’s quotient is multiplied by $49,000,000 to determine its payment amount.

NFs enrolled in MA do not need to submit requests for funding. All NFs enrolled in MA will receive the funding, provided they meet the criteria described above. OLTL will distribute the funding as a one-time gross adjustment. NFs enrolled in MA can expect to see the payment appear as a gross adjustment transaction/lump sum payment on the PROMISe remittance advice dated September 6, 2021, with payment occurring September 15, 2021.

NFs not enrolled in MA must complete the Facility Acceptance Form and return it by October 15, 2021, to DHS. Providers may also fax the completed form to the OLTL Bureau of Finance at 717-787-2145. Checks will be issued and mailed in the order in which DHS receives Facility Acceptance Forms.

PCH/ALR Payments

  • ARPA PCH/ALR Payment #1 – Licensed Occupancy
    • The total funds available for a one-time ARPA payment to PCHs and ALRs pursuant to Act 24 (ARPA PCH/ALR Payment #1) is $27,000,000. Each PCH/ALR Payment #1 is calculated by dividing the licensed occupancy of the PCH or ALR, as determined by the most recent DHS inspection on or before April 1, 2020, by the total licensed occupancy of all PCHs and ALRs, including those with a special care designation, as determined by the most recent DHS inspection on or before April 1, 2020, to obtain a facility-specific quotient for each PCH and ALR. Each facility’s quotient is multiplied by $27,000,000 to determine its payment amount.
  • ARPA PCH/ALR Payment #2 – Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Residents Served
    • The total funds available for a one-time ARPA payment to PCHs and ALRs pursuant to Act 24 (ARPA PCH/ALR Payment #2) is $3,000,000. Each ARPA PCH/ALR Payment #2 is calculated by dividing the number of individuals for whom the PCH/ALR received a state SSI payment from DHS in March 2020 by the total of all PCH’s/ALR’s individuals for whom a state SSI payment was made in March 2020 to obtain a facility-specific quotient. Each PCH’s/ALR’s quotient is multiplied by $3,000,000 to determine its payment amount.

PCHs and ALRs must complete the Facility Acceptance Form and return it by October 15, 2021, to DHS. Providers may also fax the completed form to the OLTL Bureau of Finance at 717-787-2145. Checks will be issued and mailed in the order in which DHS receives the Facility Acceptance Forms. 

Act 24 of 2021 requires the ARPA funding to be obligated by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2026, or returned to the commonwealth. Additionally, these funds must be used for COVID-19 related expenses. Providers must keep documentation to prove that these funds were used for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic in case of an audit. Any person or entity accepting an ARPA payment agrees to provide documentation to DHS, upon request, for purposes of determining compliance with Act 24 requirements. Instructions on expenditure reporting will be provided at a later date.

DHS recommends that providers consult their accountants or attorneys for further clarification on acceptable uses of ARPA funding. DHS encourages providers to review guidance for eligible expenditures on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website in their Compliance and Reporting Guidance.

NFs that have questions about the information in this Listserv should contact the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939.

PCHs and ALRs that have questions about the information in this Listserv should contact the Operator Support Hotline at 866-503-3926 or via email.

Group Warns of Escalating Health and Safety Crisis in I/DD Community
Releases Video to Increase Awareness
Calls to End One-Size-Fits-All Policy Solutions

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Together for Choice, a national advocacy organization formed to protect and advance the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), today announced the ACT NOW for Severe Autism Campaign with a consortium of partners, including the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA), concerned parents and other advocates. The campaign seeks to shine light on the growing health and safety crisis involving individuals with severe autism and change policies that deprive them of the services they need.

“For too long, individuals with severe autism have remained in the shadows and all too-often forgotten in policy discussions,” said Ashley Kim Weiss, National Coordinator of Together for Choice. “Most of the attention and resources have been devoted to integrating high functioning members of the I/DD community into society, which we agree is important. Equally important, however, are the most vulnerable individuals with severe disabilities who can never fully integrate and are in desperate need of customized care and support to live healthy and productive lives.

The group promoted a video, which first debuted at the RCPA Conference held in Pennsylvania last week. A parent of a severely autistic child self-financed and produced the video to combat the increasing claims of the highly vocal and publicly visible advocates of the neuro diversity community, that severe autism does not exist. Or worse yet, that the needs of those individuals with severe autism are no different than the needs of any other individual diagnosed with autism.

The video can be found at: https://youtu.be/xwvKYE5C2Ys

“While the video is at times uncomfortable to watch, it is critical that the public see the realities that these individuals and families face on a daily basis,” said Richard S. Edley, President and CEO of RCPA. “We need more resources and more flexible policy solutions to address this growing crisis. One-size-fits-all solutions must end. We must recognize that one-size does not fit everyone. People will always be left out – and sadly, it is often the most vulnerable who are forgotten.”

The group also launched a website at www.ACTNOWFORSEVEREAUTISM.com which houses the video and contains a petition to end these policies as well as more information about how the public can get involved and advocate for change in policies that discriminate against individuals with severe autism and their families.

About Together for Choice
Together for Choice (TFC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to unite to protect and advance the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to live, work and thrive in a community or setting of their choice. Please visit www.togetherforchoice.org for more information.

About the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association:
With well over 350 members, the majority of who serve over 1 million Pennsylvanians annually, Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA) is among the largest and most diverse state health and human services trade associations in the nation. RCPA advocates for those in need, works to advance effective state and federal public policies, serves as a forum for the exchange of information and experience, and provides professional support to members. RCPA provider members offer mental health, drug and alcohol, intellectual and developmental disabilities, children’s, brain injury, medical rehabilitation, and physical disabilities and aging services, through all settings and levels of care. Visit www.paproviders.org for more information.

 

Contact for TFC
Ashley Kim Weiss
National Coordinator
Together for Choice
P: 310-889-8800

Contact for RCPA
Richard S. Edley, PhD
President and CEO
Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA)
P: 717-364-3280

We invite and encourage all Human Service Providers in Pennsylvania to participate in the RCPA workforce survey. The statewide survey examines workforce topics for a diverse range of programs, including Mental Health, IDD/Autism, Brain Injury, Drug & Alcohol, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF), and others. The survey responses seek to gather data related to hiring, retention, vacancy rates, pay structures, vaccinations, and COVID-19 impacts on programs as well as access to care associated with the pandemic. The workforce survey will close on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

The survey was developed for Legislative and State Stakeholders that requested RCPA to quantify the impact of the pandemic on our workforce so that we might effectively lobby for the welfare of the agencies that support and serve individuals with disabilities and health issues. RCPA has made the survey available to providers across Pennsylvania, not just RCPA members. Please be assured that response data will be de-identified and aggregated for reporting by an independent research entity, and your individual data will be shared with no one.

We thank you in advance for your time in completing this survey and would ask that you share this information with your colleagues, fellow leaders, and Human Resources teams. The more information collected, the more we will be able to provide to stakeholders, which will affect not only RCPA members, but all providers within the Commonwealth.

Please review the Master List of survey questions, which includes all service line areas, questions on the program operations, and vaccinations, to assist in your survey responses. A copy of the results of this survey will be available to all participants at the conclusion of the study. Please complete the survey here.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Director of Children’s Services Jim Sharp.