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Crisis Services

ASERT does not offer crisis services through our Resource Center. If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health distress or thoughts of suicide please call or text 988 for support.

Quick links: MyODP ASDNext AidInPA PhillyAP

Announcements

We need your Stories about Autism

This is Autism will showcase stories of 10 to 15 autistic individuals in short videos (approx. 3-5 minutes). These videos will show the audience who the individual is and what a day in their life is like. Individuals are welcome to include family and support staff, record in their home or at favorite community spot, […]

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2024 Call for Artists: PA Autism Training Conference

On behalf of the Office of Developmental Programs, we are pleased to invite artists on the autism spectrum to exhibit their artwork virtually during the 17th Annual Pennsylvania Autism Training Conference November 5th - 7th.

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2024 Call for Personal Stories: PA Autism Training Conference

Share your story at the 2024 PA Autism Training Conference (PATC)! We're looking for both written and video essays from autistic individuals to showcase at the statewide conference, held virtually November 5-7, 2024.

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2023 Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association (ERICSA) Conference

Staff from ASERT attended the 2023 Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association (ERICSA) Conference in Savannah, GA from May 22-25, 2023. ERICSA was established in 1963 to provide high-quality training to child support professionals east of the Mississippi River, however, the reach has now extended beyond those initial boundaries to all states and tribal nations.

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ASERT to Support the Pennsylvania Autism Surveillance Project (PASP) in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

ASERT will play a supporting role in the new Pennsylvania site of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, the Pennsylvania Autism Surveillance Project (PASP). The ADDM Network, funded by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), generates the national prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities.

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ODP/DHS Services Quick Guides

Have you seen the ODP Services Overview Quick Guide?  It's a resource to briefly explain how ODP can help some people and there's also a Spanish version. Similarly, there is a guide aimed at enrolling children called Steps to Enroll a Child with the Office of Developmental Programs.  A third resource providing information about what ODP and the Department of Human Services has to offer is also attached, Department of Human Services Office Overview and Resources.  

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Office of Developmental Programs 2021 Family Survey Highlights

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) would like to share some of the Family Survey Highlights from 2021.  Family members were asked about their satisfaction with the support their loved one receives from Supports Coordinators (SC) so they can live the life they want to live.  The survey was conducted by the Supporting Families Leadership Team as part of a quality management plan with the goal that families are supported.

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HHS Launches Hotline to Improve Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for People with Disabilities

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the launch of a first-of-its-kind national hotline to connect people with disabilities to information and services to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines.

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Department Of Human Services Announces Expansion Of Peer-Support Program For Individuals On The Autism Spectrum

The Department of Human Services (DHS) today highlighted the expansion of the Community Autism Peer Specialist (CAPS) Program, a first-of-its-kind program in Philadelphia that connects an individual with autism to support from certified peer specialists.

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Regional Response Health Collaboration Program (RRHCP)

The Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have developed the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program (RRHCP).  This program is designed to directly support COVID-19 readiness and response in long-term residential care facilities, including long-term care nursing facilities, personal care homes, and assisted living residences.

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Department of Human Services Emphasizes Importance of Support for People with Disabilities During COVID-19 Emergency

The Department of Human Services (DHS) today hosted a virtual press briefing to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities during the public-health emergency and share information about the department’s efforts to support this vulnerable population throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

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Using the Integrated Supports Star to Problem Solve

The Integrated Supports Star is a tool that was developed by the UMKC Institute for Human Development and is one of many tools that are available at https://www.lifecoursetools.com.  It is a tool that encourages us to solve problems by looking for ideas in five different categories:  Personal Strengths & Assets, Relationships, Eligibility supports, Community Supports […]

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Pennsylvania Launches ‘Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters

Governor Tom Wolf announced a focused multi-agency effort and anti-stigma campaign, ‘Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters,’ aimed at expanding resources and the state’s comprehensive support of mental health and related health care priorities in Pennsylvania.

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