Pennsylvania

Vision for Supporting Families and the CoP in PA:

Families and individuals receive information and support when they need it and all partners are involved in regular communication and are included in key decision-making meetings.

All staff are familiar with the Charting the LifeCourse principles and they are applied/implemented in multiple divisions/departments.

Innovation/Focus Areas:

Regional Collaboratives engage in statewide community and systems transformational efforts
Influencing the development of a new statewide case management system
The PA CoP for Supporting Families hosts four Innovation Workgroups:
- Employment
- Front Door
- Supports Coordination
- Self Advocate and Family Engagement

Resources and Highlights:

Life After HighSchool, Transition resources: https://www.lifeafterhighschool.net/

Transition Resources: https://www.pattan.net/Graduation-Post-Secondary-Outcomes/Educational-Initiatives

ASERT Autism Resources https://paautism.org/

AID in PA resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: https://aidinpa.org/

Success Stories:

PA’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) are partnering to implement the InVEST Project. PA Family Network Family Advisors will engage self-advocates and family members in this innovative, three-component wrap-around model for assisting individuals with disabilities, including those considering or currently engaged in employment at subminimum wage, their families, and employers, to move from subminimum wage employment to competitive integrated employment.
ODP has provided 140 Emergency Go Bags as part of the ARPA funded initiative to ensure individuals are prepared if an emergency occurs. Orders for the emergency kits are submitted quarterly based on the names provided through the PA Family Network. A total of over 5,000 kits will be distributed to individuals.
ODP released a new ODP Supports Coordinator (SC) Orientation that includes a new Introduction to Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) as well as guidance to SC supervisors for how to build competence applying CtLC over the first year of employment.