We are grateful that on September 8, 2023, in welcoming the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals to Pennsylvania for their annual conference, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he has ordered the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs to immediately review the fee schedule rates that fund all ODP services.
 
TPA and our colleagues across the state requested this review in our joint letter to ODP Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens sent on August 24. A review is the critical first step toward updating rates to ensure that our DSP workforce can be fairly compensated and that service capacity can be restored for individuals and families.
 
The next critical step now is for members to complete the current workforce survey being conducted by the Center for Healthcare Solutions by September 22 to determine current wages, vacancies, and turnover across the ID/A community. This vital study will be published in early October and be provided directly to the Office of Developmental Programs. 
 
Please visit our action center by clicking below to send a message to Governor Shapiro acknowledging his message of support.  We will keep everyone appraised of news and developments as today’s announcement from the Governor is implemented. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.