Summer Camps 2012

Community College of Beaver County - 
ESY Summer Program 2012
Monaca, PA

www.ccbc.edu
John Goberish, Manager, Continuing Education
724-480-3450
Diane K, Loverich, Program Specialist
724-480-3451
This camp is possible through a partnership with several Beaver County School Districts, the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit and the Community College of Beaver County.
This is their seventh year for the program.
It is an inclusive setting with trained staff for ASD students.


Glade Run Lutheran Services
2012 Specialized Adventures Camp
http://www.gladerun.org/adventures/download/Specialized-Adv-Camp-Brochrue2012.pdf
http://www.gladerun.org/adventures/lessons-and-camps.php

How to apply for Medical Assistance for Your Child with Autism

How to Apply for Medical Assistance for Your Child with Autism Building a support team around your child is the real first step.
Step 1: Apply for Social Security’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Why must you apply for SSI? Medical Assistance (MA) will pay for many of the services your child will need and in order too become eligible for Medical Assistance, you must first show proof that you applied for federal aid via SSI. "Proof" is in the form either of acceptance documents from SSI or a rejection letter.
You can apply for SSI online, by phone or in person. If you apply in person at your local Social Security office, you will need to bring your child’s Social Security card, original birth certificate, and "medical evidence" of your child’s diagnosis from a qualified physician (neurologist, psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician or PA certified psychologist). You will be asked for information on your family’s assets. If your assets exceed allowable SSI limits (regardless of your child’s diagnosis) you may be immediately "rejected." Ask the Social Security staff person to issue an official rejection letter immediately. If a letter cannot be issued while you wait, ask to have it mailed it to you. You will need the original rejection letter. Make a copy of the rejection letter for your own records.
Apply for SSI phone at: 1-800-772-1213 or online. If your child is found eligible for SSI, he or she is automatically eligible for Medical Assistance. See note on bottom of page for more information.
Step 2: Obtain the Correct Medical Assistance Application You can apply for Medical Assistance online using COMPASS. You can also request a "General Benefits Application 600C" for Medical Assistance (PDF download): Application for Health Care Coverage You can also obtain this application from your County Assistance Office (CAO) or your local elected official’s office.
Step 3: Complete the Entire Application Complete a printed version even if you apply online, as it will help you through the process. If you intend to mail your application, fill out the application completely, including income information. Fill out all sections, even portions you think may not apply to your child. Make a copy of your completed application. You will need this in case your application is lost, and it will be a useful reference when for the required annual renewal applications.
impairments). You can also call your County Assistance Office. The Pennsylvania Health Law Project can help walk you through filling out the application.
On page 4 of the application, write YES next to your child’s name in the column marked "Are you applying for this person?" Also write on page 4 at top: "MA FOR DISABLED CHILD HANDBOOK SECTION 355.4." This note flags your application as one for a child with autism.
Step 4: Bring the Required Documents to Your Local County Assistance Office (CAO) for an Interview An interview can be done in person at your County Assistance Office or by phone. Some parents have found that applying in person, especially with all the proper documents, helps build a support team. You can also mail the application and documents – or apply online using COMPASS -- and follow up by phone to arrange an appointment. Some parents report that going to their local CAO without an appointment -- and simply waiting for the next available caseworker -- is faster. Bring all of these documents for the interview:

• A completed MA Application
• Your child’s original birth certificate
• Your child’s Social Security card
• The original SSI rejection letter (if you have received a rejection)
• A document containing your child’s diagnosis of autism from a physician qualified to diagnose autism
• Recent pay stub (or most recent IRS Form 1040 if self-employed)
• Your Pennsylvania driver’s license
• Evidence of your Pennsylvania residency (example: a utility bill containing your name and Pennsylvania address)

Your child is not required to attend any interview.
This interview and review of your documentation should result in your child being found eligible as a child with autism. The MA system in Pennsylvania evaluates your child based upon the same criteria as SSI, but without considering the family’s financial situation. If your child is found eligible on a provisional basis, you will be issued a Medical Assistance Identification Number. Write this down, along with the name and phone number for your assigned caseworker. You should also request a temporary, or interim, ACCESS card, if it is not provided. This card can be used immediately with health care and behavioral health care providers. A permanent card will be mailed to you.
Step 5: Prepare to Renew Your Application Every Year You will need to complete a re-application once a year. A notice will be mailed to you by your CAO caseworker. You can reapply by mail or online using the Pennsylvania COMPASS system .
Step 6: Once Your Child is Eligible for MA and Assigned an MA Identification Number, You Must Make Two Choices:
First, using the online Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Enrollment Service, choose a physical health services provider in your county.
Once you have chosen a physical health services provider, you will receive a Member ID card. Bring this card and your ACCESS card to all medical appointments for your child. Also, bring these cards to your preferred pharmacy, so that they can put your child’s information in their system.
Each plan provider has a Member Services unit, and a Special Needs unit. Write these numbers down with your other important numbers. Depending on your county of residence, other services, including transportation to medical appointments, may be available.
Second, find out which behavioral health care provider serves your county. You will not have choice to make: each county has a contract with behavioral health care provider. If you plan to obtain behavioral health services, you will need to contact a local direct-care wraparound agency and proceed with the intake process. These agencies are responsible to the care provider mentioned above contracted by your county.
Complaints
You should have a copy of the process for complaining in your county Health Care Plan Provider’s "Member Handbook," mailed to you when you signed up for physical and behavioral health services
If you need a handbook, call your county Plan Provider to have them send you one. For Medical Assistance services, there is a grievance system to protect your rights. Each Plan Provider is required to have a formal process to help resolve client issues. In order to invoke those rights, you must use the complaint system.
Comments
The Department of Public Welfare welcomes constructive feedback about Medical Assistance services provided to families with autism. Use the DPW Online Feedback Page to give us your feedback. Resource -- WPPC.com

LOCAL PARENT TASK FORCE ON THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION

The mission of the Local Task Force on the Right to Education for Beaver County is to facilitate cooperative interaction between parents and educators by providing information, resources, support and training to insure that the spirit and intent of the Right to Education Consent Decree results in the provision of a free, appropriate education for all eligible students with disabilities.

All meetings are open to interested persons, for more information contact:
CHAIRPERSON, LOCAL TASK FORCE
c/o Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit
147 Poplar Avenue
Monaca, PA 15061-2585
724-774-7800 ext 3002


2011-2012 School Year Meeting Schedule
10:00AM
Wednesdays
March 21, 2012
April 18, 2012
May 16, 2012


The Local Task Force on the Right to Education for Beaver County serves the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit www.bviu.org  and the following school districts:


Aliquippa School District


Ambridge Area School District


Big Beaver Falls Area School District


Blackhawk Area School District


Central Valley School District


Freedom Area School District


Hopewell Area School District


Midland Borough School District


New Brighton Area School District


Riverside Beaver County School District


Rochester Area School District


Rochester Area School District


South Side Area School District


Western Beaver County School District

Occupational, Speech, Physical Therapy in Beaver County

Hope Learning Center
http://thehopelearningcenter.com/
Baden, PA
at the PA Cyber Building Blocks location
724-933-HOPE

Aspire Pediatric Therapy
http://www.aspirepediatrictherapy.com/
993 Brodhead Road
Moon Township, PA
412-474-3566


Pediatric Therapy Professionals,Inc.
http://www.pedtp.com/pages/services.html
3023 Wilmington Road
New Castle, Pennsylvania 16105
724-656-8814
Fax 724-656-8815
E-mail: contact@pedtp.com
**They offer services in Beaver County


TALKTIME SPEECH THERAPY
http://www.ttspeech.com/

Talktime Speech Therapy

2400 Darlington Road

Beaver Falls, PA 15010

724.846.TALK (8255)

contact@ttspeech.com

The TSS Scheduling Process

The initiative Value Behavioral Health is adopting is called The TSS Scheduling Process.

This is being created to focus prescriptions of TSS to most effectively meet the needs of the child. Yes, a form will be used to document the days and times when services would be most beneficial for a child. The Evaluator has to complete this, in cooperation with the parent and other responsible adults. The form must be submitted with the evaluation and will be reviewed during the ISPT Meeting. If the ISPT team requests changes to the hours recommended, the changes can be recorded on the ISPT Summary Form, to be reviewed, approved, and signed by the evaluator. What is the effect of the form?

 

Services will be delivered only during the times specified on the TSS Schedule Form
Service time for TSS will match the clinical needs of the child as outlined in the BHRS Symptom Worksheet.

These forms will be mandatory beginning 1/1/12.

Medical assistance concerns 2012

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE has announced changes in Medical Assistance for children with disabilities effective January 3, 2012....

1. The reviews of Medicaid eligibility that started this past summer have particularly affected children. As discussed in previous newsletters, DPW officials ordered local County Assistance Offices to process a backlog of Medicaid cases that were overdue for renewal resulting in more than 700,000 eligibility reviews.

Medicaid enrollment data for children shows a drop of 88,000 –half of that in December alone – since August 2011. These numbers do not include an additional 23,000 children whose benefits
were cut but eventually restored retroactively. Given that virtually all Pennsylvania children without insurance are eligible for either CHIP or Medicaid, it is particularly troubling that the CHIP enrollment did not see a corresponding increase. According to program rules and procedures, when a child’s family income is too high for Medicaid, they are automatically referred to the CHIP program.

However, even as 88,000 children lost Medicaid coverage, CHIP program enrollment remained virtually flat, growing by only 309 children in the same August to December 2011 period.
Social service agencies, healthcare providers and legal aid programs across the Commonwealth all report an increase in individuals terminated from Medicaid due to alleged failure to furnish renewal documents. Many of those terminated not only continued to be eligible for Medicaid, but turned in the required paperwork in a timely fashion and had proof that they faxed, mailed or hand delivered the requested documents. However, their paperwork was apparently lost or was not properly attached to their case record by the County Assistance Office, and their benefits ended.

Individuals who receive MA termination notices and think they are still eligible can contact our
Helpline for assistance at 1-800-274-3258.
REMINDER:
The CAOs are required to send individuals a 15-day advance written notice before closing a Medicaid case. If individuals receive a termination notice but believe they might still be eligible for Medicaid, they should file an appeal within 15 days of the mailing date on the notice.

2.
DPW announced that it plans to ask families with children under age 18 on Medicaid due to their disability, and whose family income is more than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines ($44,700 for a family of four), to pay part of the cost of services starting September 2012. These co-pays are a result of the state budget cost-savings mandated by Act 22 of 2011 and will affect approximately 38,000 children. The Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) is in the process of finalizing policies and procedures regarding the co-pays. Notices will be sent to affected families 30 days prior to implementation.

Medical providers will be responsible for collecting co-payments and may do so at the time of service or make other arrangements for payment. The total amount of co-payments for all Medical Assistance services the child (or children, if more than one child in the family is on Medical Assistance) receives can not exceed the federal legal limit of five percent of the family's income, counted on a monthly or quarterly basis. So, for example, if the family’s income is $48,000 a year, the total amount of all Medical Assistance copays for which they would be responsible could not exceed $200 a month ($4000 a month income x5%) or $600 for three months if DPW decides to calculate this quarterly. Each copay can not be in excess of 20 percent of the cost of the service. Reportedly, co-payments will not be applied to school-based services,
preventative services, and other items or services that are currently excluded from MA co-payment under federal rules.

It is not known whether DPW will deduct a family’s current out-of-pocket costs for their child’s health care when calculating family income. Other questions include: how will DPW track their co-pays paid to all providers to determine when a family can stop paying co-pays? How will DPW notify providers when the family no longer has to pay co-pays?

It is unclear whether providers will be required to provide services if the co-payment is not paid. More clarity will be needed, as these rules are under the Deficit Reduction Act, which is different from co-payments under traditional Medicaid rules.

PHLP will continue updates as new information is received.

3.PLease visit http://www.phlp.org/home-page/about to learn more about Pennsylvania Health Law Project or call 1-800-274-3258.

PHLP is a nationally recognized expert and consultant on access to health care for low-income consumers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. For more than two decades, PHLP has engaged in direct advocacy on behalf of individual consumers while working on the kinds of health policy changes that promise the most to the Pennsylvanians in greatest need.
They are a free law legal service organization and back up center......

BEAVER COUNTY AGENCIES (WRAP, MOBILE THERAPY, BSC, CASE MANAGEMENT

If you have had an evaluation completed for your child by a psychologist and services have been recommended for wrap around, mobile therapy, strength based, family based, socical skills training, or outpatient therapy, you first want to contact the BEAVER COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH and set up and ISTP meeting.
This is where Value Behavioral Health, the insurance provider for your state insurance, will meet with you and make a determination if they will cover the services being recommended.


Evaluation cannot be older than 60 days for services to be approved.

Beaver County Behavioral Health
1040 Eighth Avenue,
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
(724) 847-6225
***You also need to choose a service provider from Beaver County. Below are the agencies that you can choose from. You can also switch providers at anytime. so you are not stuck with the first one you choose.



Northwest Human Services (NHS)
Kelly Nardone, Site Manager
260 Ohio River Blvd.. Baden Plaza
Baden, PA 15005
(724)869-5004
Fax: (724) 869-5449
BSC, TSS ,
Mobile therapy
Social skills group called Stepping Stones for ages 3-15
after school 4:30 to 7:30
Saturdays 9-12 or 12-3pm
Contact - Stepping Stone manager
Erin Dixon

Community Alternatives
Janine Cecconi, Program Director
500 Market St., Suite 300
Bridgewater, PA
15009
(724) 728-0535
Fax: (724) 728-1605





Family Behavioral Resources
Rachel Cornilius, Clinical Directors
Nicole Maneul, austim director
1301 Riverside Dr.
Beaver, PA 15009
(724) 775-1362
Fax: (724) 775-3793
*ASD support group
Social; skills group offered while parents meet
Internal staff available for kids while at the meeting
6-8pm
*Trauma support group - PTSD -
6-7:30pm
*TSS, BSC, Mobile Therapy
**Trauma trained masters level therapists available





Glade Run
Lutheran Services
Jackie Skinner, Operations Director
Jennifer Barch
1008 7th Avenue,
Suite 210
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
(724) 843-0816
Fax: (724)
843-0818
BSC, TSS, Family based, outpatient therapy, Mobile therapy, Strength based therapy ( not avail to ASD)
www.gladerun.org
Specialized ASD classrooms at the Glade Run Zelienople Campus - Contact Jamie Grace
http://www.gladerun.org/autism-services.php





Western PA Psych Care

Dawn Brendle - Autism Supervisor
Heather Morrow, Program Director
Greg DeDominicis, Admin.Mgr.
1607 3rd St.
Beaver, PA 15009
(724) 728-8400
Fax: (724)843-0818
Anger Mangement class
Mondays
6-7:30pm
Social skills
Tuesday
6-7:30pm
Family Support Network
November 1 and November 15
6:00 to 7:30pm
Agency Website:
www.westernpapsychcare.com
Group run by parents
www.familysupportnetwork.info





Cranberry Psychiatric Services

Mental Health Solutions
Eric Dennison, ProgramDirector
717 12th St
Beaver, PA 15010
(724) 843-4647
Fax: (724)843-8033



Wesley Institute

Heather Dawn Filipiak/Erika Gribble
5465 William Flynn Highway,
3rd Floor
Gibsonia, PA 15044
(724) 443-4888
Fax: (724)443-4889





Comprehensive Children & Family Services,
Inc.
Mike Trotta, Autism Program Coordinator
Misty Trosch
220 Fifth St.
Ellwood City, PA 16117
(800) 630-2237
Fax: (724)656-8046


OR




20 South Mercer St.
New Castle, PA 16101
(724) 656-8483
Fax: (724)656-8046