In light of increasing numbers of measles cases both nationally and in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has created a document to help schools prepare for and respond to measles cases in their facilities.

This document is posted on the PA DOH website at MEASLES: INFORMATION TO PREVENT SPREAD IN SCHOOL AND CHILD CARE SETTINGS as well as on the Communicable and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases webpage. Schools are also reminded to contact the local Department of Health state health center (SHC)/district office or county/municipal health department before acting in response to a known or suspected communicable disease. Call 1-877-PA Health (1-877-724-3258); a representative is on-call 24 hours a day.

Guidance can be provided to schools regarding: disease information; appropriate letters and communications; identification of high risk individuals; appropriate action and treatment; and on-going support and assistance.

In less than one year, the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) has reduced the adult emergency waiting list for home- and community-based services by 20 percent. This is a remarkable shift given that the emergency waiting list had been growing for years. During the Shapiro Administration, more than 3,000 additional individuals have been enrolled in services, and that number will continue to rise. In addition, for the first time ever more than 40,000 individuals are receiving ID/A services through the DHS. Funding in Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 proposed budget will continue this progress, which includes 1,300 people newly receiving services since July 2024.

At present, Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposes an additional $5 million to support Labor & Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in assisting people with disabilities in finding employment through personalized services, vocational guidance, goal setting, job placement, and counseling.

On April 21, 2025, DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh and Labor and Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker joined students and employers at Drexel University for a roundtable discussion highlighting the success of the Shapiro Administration’s multi-year growth strategy for intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) services, the importance of the continued funding in Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal for this community and the workforce that supports them, and discussed how the Commonwealth and community partners are working together to train and employ Pennsylvanians with disabilities and create inclusive workplaces. 

“Receiving job skills training and securing employment helps Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism chart their own course, pursue their goals, and live their Everyday Life among family, friends, and peers in their communities,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “For those with ID/A, that means having access to the right services at the right time so they can live healthier, independent lives. Pennsylvania is achieving this goal by making critical budget investments and supporting the vision of the ID/A community through employment programs. We still have work to do, and that is why continued funding for ID/A services are critical to the future health and wellbeing of this community.”

The 2024-25 bipartisan budget made historic new investments in Pennsylvanians with ID/A and the direct support professionals (DSPs) who care for them by securing $354.8 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers. Services for people with ID/A are covered through Medicaid, which helps three million Pennsylvanians access care and supports that allow them to live healthier, work, and support themselves, their families, and their communities. 

“Creating inclusive workplaces not only empowers individuals with disabilities but also strengthens our workforce and our communities,” said Secretary Walker. “The Department of Labor & Industry is committed to expanding employment opportunities through its Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, ensuring Pennsylvanians with disabilities receive the resources and support they need to achieve meaningful and sustained employment. Governor Shapiro’s proposed investment underscores Pennsylvania’s commitment to building a workforce that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable for all.”

The Department of Labor & Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) helps people with disabilities find employment through personalized services such as goal setting and counseling, vocational guidance, and job placement. Last year, OVR engaged with 74,000 individuals with disabilities, including more than 21,000 students, and placed more than 6,000 people with disabilities into competitive integrated employment. OVR also supported more than 3,800 individuals attending post-secondary training and provided more than $32 million in tuition assistance. Additionally, OVR’s signature paid work-based learning program, MY Work, connected nearly 300 employers with more than 1,200 students in the summer of 2024. Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget calls for an additional $5 million investment in OVR to sustain these critical employment services.

The roundtable was held in partnership with Community Integrated Services (CIS) and Transition Pathways at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. CIS is the region’s largest provider of employment services for people with disabilities. CIS’s mission is to empower people with disabilities through individualized employment opportunities that foster self-sustainability, equality, and community.

“At Community Integrated Services, we believe that employment is a vital pathway to independence, economic mobility, and real connection,” said CIS Executive Director Susan Schonfeld. “Today’s conversation reflects the progress we’re making together — alongside the Autism Institute at Drexel University, our state partners, and dedicated employers — to build a more inclusive workforce for people with disabilities. With continued investment and collaboration, we can expand opportunities and empower more people to lead fulfilling, community-centered lives. CIS is proud to be part of this effort, and we’re committed to making sure inclusive employment isn’t just an idea — it’s the standard across Pennsylvania.”

The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University pioneers research to better understand autism and drive impactful change in communities and worldwide. Transition Pathways at the Autism Institute offers a growing collection of programs that prepare young people on the autism spectrum for employment and connect them to career opportunities.

“I am very proud of the work the Transition Pathways team has done, in partnership with Community Integrated Services and the School District of Philadelphia, to support autistic young adults in getting and sustaining meaningful employment. This work is critical to our mission of driving impactful change for autistic people,” said Dr. Diana Robins, Director, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University. 

Learn more about Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 Budget proposal and its commonsense goals for Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) is alerting Pennsylvanians that an individual from another state tested positive for measles while visiting Lancaster County between April 3rd and 11th after a trip to Texas, creating a potential for exposure to others. People may have been exposed to measles if they were in the following location at the date and time indicated: 

            WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital Emergency Department
            169 Martin Ave., Ephrata, PA 17522
            Tuesday, April 8, 2025, between 9:30 PM and 11:30 PM

WellSpan Health is contacting known individuals who visited this site during this time period. The risk to the general public is low due to high vaccination rates across Pennsylvania. People who are fully immunized are at very low risk of contracting the measles. People unsure of their vaccination status should contact their health care provider.

The individual is an unvaccinated resident of another state visiting in Lancaster County, who became infected after traveling to Texas.

“The best protection against measles is vaccination,” said PA Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “With two MMR vaccines, residents are at low risk of getting and spreading the measles. Knowing the signs of sickness and places people may have been exposed will help protect individuals and communities from this disease.”

Measles is a highly contagious illness that is spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus remains infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after the infected person leaves the area.

Symptoms begin with fever, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis, followed by a rash that starts on the face and spreads downward. Without proper protection or supportive care, measles can be deadly.

People who believe they were exposed to measles and are experiencing symptoms should contact their health care provider or call the Pennsylvania Department of Health toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH. All residents are encouraged to monitor for symptoms.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) people most at-risk are:
-Infants less than one year old who are too young to have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine;
-Individuals who are unvaccinated; and
-Individuals from parts of the world where there is low vaccination coverage or where there is circulating measles.

More information on measles is available in DOH’s measles fact sheet. The DOH recently issued a Health Alert Network advisory for health care providers to be alert for measles symptoms.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has released the latest issue of the Positive Approaches Journal, which aims to provide the most recent research for people with mental and behavioral health challenges, intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities to help them live an everyday life. This edition provides resources on how to best support the physical and mental health needs of individuals with disabilities.

“The Shapiro Administration believes that every Pennsylvanian with an intellectual disability autism deserves to receive the supports they need to achieve an everyday life with dignity and opportunity to pursue their goals and live, work, and recreate among their families and peers,” said DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “It is our hope that the research in this edition of the Positive Approaches Journal can help Pennsylvanians find the resources they need to improve their everyday lives.”

In the 2024-25 budget, Governor Shapiro secured $354.8 million in federal and state funding to ensure more than 40,000 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities or autism have access to the services they need. In less than one year, this investment reduced the adult emergency waiting list for services by nearly 20 percent and decreased the direct support professional (DSP) vacancy rate to 14 percent, the lowest it has been since 2015. The Governor’s proposed25-26 Budget builds on this momentum with additional investments in care worker wages, allowing even more Pennsylvanians to access the supports they deserve.

This edition of the Positive Approaches Journal features research and articles on the following:

• Data Discoveries details health care shortages in physical and mental health professions, and details where these shortages are creating the most need.
• Applying Public Health Principles to Health Psychology explores how systemic factors influence mental health, and discusses public health policy solutions aimed at addressing systemic trauma and promoting overall wellness.
• Cooking with Confidence for Autistic Individuals highlights positive outcomes and lessons learned from the community-based educational program that allows individuals with autism to practice independent living skills, and participate in social and community engagement, through hands-on cooking classes.
• The Fatal Five and the Importance of Monitoring outlines the five primary conditions that significantly elevate the risk of mortality in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and details ways to prevent these risks.  
• Voices of Suicide discusses the negative impacts of stigma around behavioral health, and details organizations that are attempting to fight this stigma.  

The journal is a collaboration of DHS’ Office of Developmental Programs and Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It collects resources, observations, and advancements in mental and behavioral health in order to better serve people in their communities.

Read this edition of the Positive Approaches Journal.

For more information visit www.dhs.pa.gov. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is inviting Pennsylvania schools to join the second round of a pilot program designed to teach K-12 students about the political, economic, and social contributions of individuals with disabilities. The Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program influences the overall culture and environment of schools by reducing stigma and including disability as a part of a school-wide strategic plan.

Schools can apply for up to $30,000 in grant funding to implement the curriculum over three years.

For the program’s launch in 2023-24, PDE) selected 10 schools from across the Commonwealth to implement the program over three years. In the second round, PDE will select 20 schools to join the pilot program starting this year and running through 2028.

PDE developed a toolkit to assist schools with implementation of the pilot. The toolkit resources are inclusive of all age/grade levels and include sample lesson plans, professional development offerings/opportunities, ideas for implementing a disability inclusive curriculum, disability-led organizational contacts, and other resources.

Established under state law in 2022, the program is open to all school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, intermediate units, area career and technical schools and nonpublic schools. Any interested entity must complete an intent to apply at PA Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program, Cohort 2 Grant Application Request. Once the intent to apply is completed, the entity will receive access to the application in the eGrants system within 48 hours.

Applications will be opened March 31, 2025, and must be submitted in eGrants by 3:00 PM on Monday, May 12, 2025. Schools can implement the new curriculum beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

Questions should be directed to Tim Krushinski at [email protected] or Nichole Kopco at [email protected].