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Criminal Justice

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) shared information about a new program administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) as a resource for those who may benefit. This initiative, called the Student Loan Relief for Nurses (SLRN) Program, will benefit nurses who have worked and continue to work to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals eligible to participate in the SLRN Program are residents of the commonwealth and licensed by the PA Department of State to work as an eligible nurse at a qualified nursing facility within the commonwealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. More information about the SLRN Program is available on the PHEAA website.

RCPA invites members to join us for an informational webinar featuring QUALO Healthy Pathways. QUALO Healthy Pathways is a COVID-19 risk mitigation and compliance software designed in close collaboration with experts in the areas of occupational medicine, human resources, and business operations. The result is a distinctive combination of management strategies and reporting tools that promote workplace health, efficiency, and compliance:

  • Report and Track
    • Exposures
    • Trace Contacts
    • Vaccine Status and Results
    • Testing
    • Exemptions
  • Management Dashboards
  • Compliance and Tracking Reports

Join RCPA member Advanced Metrics’ team of professionals that developed QUALO Healthy Pathways for a demonstration of the software and a live Q&A session. The session will be held on Wednesday, December 1, from 2:00 pm–3:00 pm. 

Click here to register for this session.

Additional information about QUALO Healthy Pathways can be found on the Advanced Metrics website. If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, please feel free to reach out to Advanced Metrics to schedule a session directly.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has released the agenda for the December 2, 2021 Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting. The meeting will be conducted via webinar and remote streaming from 10:00 am–1:00 pm. The links and call-in number to participate in the call are provided in the agenda.

Message from Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF):

Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is proud to announce the launch of a new website, Smart Homes Made Simple. As part of our Smart Home Technology Project, we recently expanded this website with a new design to make it a more accessible, user-friendly, and informative resource.

We hope this website will serve as a hub of information where members of the disability and aging communities, as well as service providers, housing professionals, and technology consultants, can learn how to integrate smart home technology into the homes of people with disabilities and older adults for greater independence, autonomy, safety, and accessibility.

“We are aware that many people with disabilities and older adults who could benefit from smart home technology are still not acquiring it,” says PATF’s CEO, Susan Tachau. “If there’s one thing we hope people will take away from this website, it’s that you don’t have to do this alone and you don’t have to do it all at once. New technology can be scary and overwhelming. Build your team for support, explore what devices may be able to help with your goals, and start small. There’s always room for growth.”

Visit Smart Homes Made Simple.

Hole torn in a dollar bill with medicaid text

Excerpt from: Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Nov. 23, 2021

The Democratic Wolf administration says it wants to spend $1.2 billion in American Rescue Act funds to shore up home and community-based services offered through the state’s Medicaid program, all with an eye toward allowing more of the commonwealth’s residents to access services closer to home. On Monday, the administration dropped the formal details of a plan to direct the federal relief money toward seniors and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities; adults dealing with such behavioral health needs as substance abuse disorder or mental illness; and children with chronic and complex medical needs, the administration said in a statement.

In its statement, the administration said the money also would be used to pay for:

  • Increasing access to home and community-based services;
  • Providing necessary supplies to safely facilitate services;
  • Additional trainings and learning opportunities through workforce support;
  • Supporting families caring for their loved one;
  • Improving functional capabilities of people with disabilities;
  • Enhancing transitional supports; and
  • Home and community-based services capacity building.

RCPA continues its discussions and advocacy with the Department of Human Services on spending priorities for human services, especially initiatives targeting rate structures and the workforce crisis.