“Eight programs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Lebanon VA Medical Center (VAMC) received three-year accreditations from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International.
The accreditation decision by CARF represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services…
Behavioral Health Programs Accredited
Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM)
Domiciliary Residential Recovery Center (DOM)
Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PPRC)
Employment and Community Services Accredited
Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)
Compensated Work Therapy (CWT)
Transitional Residence Program (TR)
Therapeutic and Supported Employment Services (TES)
~~“To enhance this supported employment (SE) initiative, DelCo created a Reinvestment Plan to hire a consultant who assisted with developing and delivering a systemic Supported Employment training and funds for providers to hire a .5 FTE Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) to assist with SE implementation. All contracted provider agencies were offered a one-time, monetary incentive for hiring a CPS in a vacant, non-billable position (e.g., residential specialist) within their agency to promote the mindset that “work is everyone’s business.”
Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council (PARC) Annual Reports
“The PaRC is mandated by The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), to report on the status of vocational rehabilitation programs operated within the Commonwealth by submitting an Annual Report to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Governor and to make available to the public.
The PaRC Annual Report contains Federal and State Position Papers, State Plan Attachment, Committee Goals, Council Accomplishments, and other useful information highlighting the important work of the Council and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR).”
Excerpt from 2017 -2018 Annual Report: “The Mission of the Council is to inform and advise the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Legislature and the Governor on the diverse issues affecting employment of people with disabilities….
OVR has supported 7,885 persons with disabilities into the workforce this past year. The number of students who received pre-employment transition services was 25,601. The average hourly wage of individuals employed is $13.28.”
SBA Awards Funding to Organizations Delivering Entrepreneurship Training to Service-Disabled Veterans
~~“Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV)… Saint Joseph’s University’s program is designed to provide the tools, education and mentoring necessary for post-9/11 disabled veterans to start or grow their businesses… . The funding opportunity, offered by SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development, supports each organization’s programs for service-disabled veterans planning to start a new business or expand and diversify existing small businesses. Each awardee was chosen based on their demonstrated history of and commitment to providing training programs and resources to service-disabled veterans.”
Pennsylvania SR 170: Task Force to Study Coordination of Veterans Services (2019)
“Establishing a task force on services for veterans, including the coordination of services in this Commonwealth among Federal, State, local and nonprofit programs aimed at serving veterans, and directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to the task force and conduct a comprehensive review and analysis of services for veterans.”
Pennsylvana OVR Supported Employment Guidance for Community Providers During COVID-19
“To give guidance to providers about the provision of Supported Employment Services during a period of state-mandated mitigation strategies for slowing the spread of Coronavirus Disease – 2019 (COVID-19).”
~~“ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training) is a statewide initiative funded by the Bureau of Autism Services (BAS), Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), PA Department of Human Services. ASERT is a key component of the BAS’s strategy for supporting individuals with autism and their families throughout the commonwealth. The ASERT Collaborative is a partnership of medical centers, centers of autism research and services, universities, and other providers involved in the treatment and care of individuals of all ages with autism and their families. The ASERT Collaborative has been designed to bring together resources locally, regionally, and statewide. Each ASERT region is charged with understanding the needs of their respective region, including those of the most rural regions of Pennsylvania and the most underserved populations.”
Temple University Institute on Disabilities (College of Education)
“The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is one of the sixty-seven University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
“Established in 1974, the Institute has mirrored the changes in the field of developmental disabilities, evolving into a model of self-determination and individualized supports in the community…
During its early history the Institute provided extensive technical assistance and training to professionals in the field and later became nationally recognized for advocacy and research efforts centered on the closure of the Pennhurst Center. In the 1980's, the Institute began developing and evaluating support models for Pennsylvanians with disabilities and their families.”
