On October 3, 2022, PA Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jennifer Berrier and PA Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Meg Snead announced the Wolf Administration’s goal of using a $14 million federal grant to help Pennsylvanians with disabilities earning subminimum wage transition to competitive, integrated employment.

“Individuals with disabilities contribute their valuable skills, talents, time, energy and perspectives to Pennsylvania’s dynamic economy every day in professions and industries as diverse as our population. They deserve the same protections as all other workers, including the right to earn at least minimum wage for their work,” Secretary Berrier said. “The Wolf Administration will use this funding to help individuals with disabilities and their families learn about and take advantage of opportunities in competitive, integrated employment. There can and should be a role for everyone who wants to and is able to work, and we are grateful to those employers who have already committed to providing competitive, integrated employment.”

Pennsylvania is one of 14 states to receive grant awards from the federal Department of Education for the Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) demonstration project. L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and DHS’s Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) will use the funding to develop a five-year plan to support Pennsylvanians with disabilities in transitioning out of subminimum-wage employment – including more than 5,400 people who currently work in “sheltered workshops,” most of whom have intellectual disabilities or autism — as well as students and youth with disabilities seeking to enter competitive, integrated employment (CIE).

“There can be an end to the subminimum wage exception for individuals with disabilities, but it is incumbent on all of us to make that happen. Workplaces should examine their policies to see which ones are outdated or intentionally or unintentionally discriminating against individuals with disabilities,” said Acting Secretary Snead. “Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism are vital members of our society and of our workforces, and DHS is proud to support opportunities to help them find gainful competitive integrated employment. We are grateful to the federal government for this grant so we can continue this work.”

The practice of paying individuals with disabilities subminimum wage is legal under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a federal law. In September 2020, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for an end to subminimum wage in a report, saying that the program has been “inconsistent with the civil rights protections to which people with disabilities are entitled.” To date, several states have, or are in the process of, ending subminimum wage for people with disabilities or are in the process of phasing it out.

The federal grant will fund Pennsylvania’s Integrated Vocational Engagement and Supports Team (InVEST) Project, a wraparound 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.

The project aligns with the commonwealth’s Employment First philosophical approach that CIE be the first and preferred option and will enhance the commonwealth’s existing network of community rehabilitation service providers by allocating additional resources for staff who will work directly with CIE employers proactively engaged in supporting employees with disabilities and creating a culture of accommodation for all employees. These employer liaisons and employment specialists will be embedded with CIE employers to support employees with disabilities, facilitate communication, create a smooth hiring process, and provide on-the-job supports to ensure success. An interdisciplinary and collaborative resource team will anticipate and respond to the SWTCIE participants’ employment-related needs.

The Wolf Administration encourages all employers to consider learning more about this topic and becoming involved in Employment First, which requires any group receiving public funding to ensure that employment is the main focus for education, training, or support services for anyone with a disability who is eligible to work. Employers can explore opportunities to enhance their workforce by hiring people with disabilities who are invaluable members of our communities, workforce, and economy.

To view the press release, click here.

On September 20, 2022, PDH Division of School Health Chief Colleen Schultz disseminated a PennLink message titled Reminder: 2021-22 SHARRS Reporting Window, which advises recipients that the SHARRS reporting window will close on Friday September 30^th 2022. Staff responsible for completing the SHARRS report are also advised to ensure reporting information is submitted in a timely manner.  There are many schools that have not yet submitted their report, and PDH wanst to ensure all school districts receive their reimbursement for the 2021-22 School Year.

 The memo also notes the following:

• The Superintendent/CEO is the only person with the capability to submit the report. 
• SHARRS programming will close the reporting window at close of business Friday September 30.  Therefore, timely submission of information is essential in order to be reimbursed for the 2021-22 School Year.

SHARRS can be accessed at https://apps.health.pa.gov/SHARRS/Login.aspx  An “INSTRUCTIONS” button on each page provides additional guidance to assist in completing the report.

On September 20, 2022 the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that Pennsylvania has received an estimated $12 million in federal reimbursement funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program to continue to support new and existing activities that meet the criteria for MFP funding. 

The MFP program allows states to leverage federal dollars to help Medicaid beneficiaries who live in institutions receive services they need in community settings instead. The MFP program provides the state with the financial flexibility to allow services to “follow the person” as older Pennsylvanians or those with a disability transition from an institutional setting back into the community. 

Since 2008, Pennsylvania’s participation in MFP has helped more than 4,500 individuals transition into the community, and MFP funding has provided Pennsylvania an estimated $180 million to cover a percentage of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and administrative activities.   

MFP funding can be used for education/outreach, trainings, IT enhancements and data analytics, capacity building, and pilot programs. Projects funded with this year’s federal MFP administrative reimbursement include:   

Capacity Building for the Dual Diagnosis Population and Individuals Under 21  

The Capacity Building Institute (CBI) Strategy educates, informs, and trains staff to identify and work with individuals who have a dual diagnosis of an intellectual disability/autism and a co-occurring mental illness. CBI offers high-level education with a focus on best practices in supporting individuals with complex needs. Funding will also support a new education and training initiative   to build the capacity of the systems involved in serving individuals under 21 with developmental and intellectual disabilities with complex needs.  

START PA 

The START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) PA Program is a community-based program that assists individuals with an intellectual disability or autism and have a co-occurring mental illness. These individuals are at a higher risk for inpatient hospitalizations when they experience crisis and require a high level of specialized skill in assessment and treatment approaches. START PA builds upon local resources, works to close current gaps in the systems of care, and provides crisis intervention and response services and supports for these individuals in the community instead of in State Hospitals or State Centers. 

Trauma Awareness and Intervention Programs  

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown caused or exacerbated trauma for individuals with complex needs, and participants and providers needed resources to prepare for and respond to these individuals. MFP funding will support a collection of “micro-learning” resources about COVID-19 response and other trauma-related issues, which are updated and disseminated by the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Project via a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing network. The ECHO Project addresses population health needs in a scalable way via telementoring and collaborative care.  

More information on MFP can be found here.