General News

Work Link Offers Convenient Free Van Transportation

WorkLink is a free van service that offers transportation to people who live in Braddock, Clairton, East Pittsburgh , Glassport, McKeesport , and Swissvale.

To use the service, all it takes a completed WorkLink application.

We will take your picture and print you a WorkLink photo ID card right on the spot.

The service offers a way to get to work, job training sites, child care and transfers to Port Authority of Allegheny County buses.

Riders may also use the service for other stops along the route (healthcare, grocery store, bank, post office, church, etc.) that add to quality of life needs.

In addition to the communities that we serve, the WorkLink helps people get to Downtown Pittsburgh, the Waterfront, Monroeville and East Liberty .

Major changes were made to the service in August 2010. Old WorkLink cards expired December 31, 2010 .

Our staff is doing outreach in all of the communities we serve to make riding WorkLink easier. Please call our office at (412)-351-2200 for more information on using WorkLink.

Give WorkLink a try. We may be more convenient than you think!

Office of Developmental Prograoms July 20, 2010

Office of the Medical Director

WEST NILE VIRUS

It is summer again and there have been numerous reports across both the state and the country of birds carrying the West Nile virus. The incidence of West Nile irus seems to be increased this year based on sampling of birds for the virus. With this there will continue to be reports of human illness and death caused by West Nile virus. Human illness from this virus is rare even in areas where the virus has been found. Significant illness and even death are even rarer and often occur in those who are at higher risk such as those over 50 years of age. Most human West Nile virus infections occur in August and September. Symptoms of West Nile virus are flu-like in nature and usually mild, although can be more sever. West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquito bites from an insect carrying the virus. Prevention of mosquito bites is the best way to prevent West Nile virus. Here are some strategies to prevent mosquito bites.

1)       Use insect repellent when you are outside. DEET has been shown to be an effective insect repellent. Always follow the product instructions and avoid using insect repellents on areas that might come in contact with mucous membranes such as the mouth or hands.

2)       Wear clothing with long sleeves, long pants, and high socks to protect against bites.

3)       Spray clothing with insect repellent

4)       Stay indoors during peak mosquito hours from dusk to dawn (evening to early morning.)

5)       Avoid areas where mosquitoes are known to be such as bodies of water such as bird baths or trash cans.

6)       Eliminate standing near water when possible.

For more information about West Nile virus access the PA Department of Health webpage at: www.westnile.state.pa.us or the CDC West Nile Virus page at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod.dvbid/westnile/index.htm or contact your local Department of Health.      

HIPAA TIPS

Prevention

“Use your head as much as you use your heart.”

With all our efforts to do the right thing, there are still those who will try to capitalize ob the vulnerability of people I crisis or those who care.

Don’t let your guard down

°             Curb human nature.

°             Curiosity-unless you have a need to know a client’s information to do your job, you do not have a right to access, view or read client’s health information.

°             Sharing-from a privacy perspective, sharing is not caring. It is human nature to want to share information with a friend or colleague when you learn something new and interesting. It is your responsibility to keep information to yourself.

°             If you learned it at work, it is private.

°             Treat your client’s information the way you would want your information to be protected.

Maintaining the Privacy of Protected Health Information

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) became law as a result of consumers’ concern that their personal information was being made available to others without their consent.

The following information will assist you in maintaining the confidentiality of those you serve. More details are available at,

http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/privacy.html

Keep it Simple

Authorization – written consent to use or disclose Protected Health Information. (PHI)

Confidentiality – Maintaining privacy

Disclosures – the release, transfer, or divulging of information outside of Milestone.

Electronic Transactions – the transmission of information using cable, telephone lines, radio frequencies, and other wireless methods.

Minimum Necessary – The least amount of information needed to provide treatment payment, or healthcare operations.

Privacy Notice – a written notice to inform clients/consumers about the uses and disclosures of information by a covered entity.

Protected Health Information – (PHI) all individually identifiable health information (this includes demographics) transmitted and maintained by a covered entity in any form.

Security – the ability to control, access and protect information.

Work Station Security

Limit access to your computer, client records, and conversations that may relate to the PHI of the clients within your work environment.

Disposing of PHI: Make sure Delete Really means gone.

°             The delete button on your computer does not remove information from a hard drive. One way to remove it is to overwrite the hard drive.

°             Use cross – cut shredders to shred before disposing of paper documents.

Fax Facts: The Pros and Cons of Faxing PHI

°             Ensure the fax machine is located in a secure restricted area.

°             Abstract and fax only the minimum necessary pertinent to the requestor’s need.

°             Confirm that fax cover sheets have the mandated confidentiality warning.

°             Pre-program frequently called numbers to avoid wrong numbers.

°             Verify the digital display screen before pushing the send button .

°             Check transmission reports.

°             Alert and confirm with the receiver before and after a transmission.

Disclosing Protected Health Information (PHI) in Emergency Situations

DO – Obtain verbal permission from clients when possible

DO – Make and effort to verify the identity of a requestor.

DO – Obtain the name of a guardian, care giver, or family member and their relationship to the client.

DO – Provide the minimum necessary to assist emergency relief.

DO – Provide PHI to authorities to prevent or lesson serious and imminent threats.

  Technology vs. Privacy

Preventing Incidental Disclosures

Conversations over cell phone can be heard in some of the strangest places (restroom stalls, roller coaster rides, waiting in line, etc.) With more people using voice-activated calling systems and speakerphones, numerous people within a 20 foot radius can now hear conversations that are held between tow individuals.

We have a responsibility to our clients to take reasonable safeguards to prevent incidental disclosures from becoming disclosure errors. By using our “quite voices” in public places and reducing the volume on our office speakerphone when retrieving messages can minimize incidental disclosures.

APRIL 2010

From Pat Deegan PhD & Associates, LLC

Medicine can’t do its job if it’s not taken correctly. Here are some tips for using medicine correctly, so that it can be most helpful to recovery.

Fit the medication into your life instead of trying to set up your life around your medication.

Use a pill box to prepare your medicine a week in advance.

Use a beeping watch or timer to remind you when a dose is due.

Put dosage time on a calendar, just like an appointment.

Call in refills a week before you run out of pills.

Find friends or family that can give you reminder calls about taking your medication.

Pack your medication and take it with you when you travel.

If you have a complicated schedule for taking medicine, ask your doctor to try and    make it simpler. For instance, ask if you can switch to a medicine that can be taken once a day.

When using any kind of drug, it’s important to read the drug label for instructions. Not following the instructions can hurt your health. Read the label each time you use a new bottle of a drug, in case there have been changes to it since the last time you used it. If you read the label and still have questions, call your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for help.  

News Release

Health Dept. Offers County Residents FREE Smoke Alarms

The Allegheny County Health Department is reminding residents that smoke alarms are proven life savers but only when they are in good working order.   Since nearly half of all smoke alarms don’t work, usually because of dead or missing batteries, health officials recommend testing smoke alarm batteries to make sure they work. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in house fire by 50%, yet most residential fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or in homes with alarms too old to be reliable or which have missing, disconnected or dead batteries. The health department has a free smoke alarm program to help residents who have no smoke alarms or ones more than 10 years old which may no longer be reliable.   The program, funded by PA Department of Health, provides and installs a maximum of two battery operated smoke alarms per home.   To schedule an installation, please call the Health Department at…

(412) 247 - 7800

Good morning,

Please see below for a press release about scholarships available to attend Disabilities Rights Conferences this fall from TASH:

“TASH is an international grassroots leader in advancing inclusive communities through research, education, and advocacy.  Founded in 1975, we are a volunteer-driven organization that advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with the most significant disabilities and support needs -- those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect, and institutionalization.  The inclusive practices we promote and validate through research improve quality of life outcomes for all people.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact:

Haley Kimmet

Phone: 202-540-9015

Email: hkimmet@tash.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2009

CONTACT:

Haley Kimmet

Phone: 202-540-9015

Email: hkimmet@tash.org

TASH ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP SELF-ADVOCATES AND FAMILIES ATTEND MAJOR DISABILITY RIGHTS CONFERENCES IN PITTSBURGH THIS FALL  

Washington , DC – TASH, the leader in advancing inclusion and human rights for people with significant disabilities, announces the availability of scholarships to help self-advocates, parents, and families from the Pittsburgh area attend disability rights conferences that are being held in Pittsburgh this November.  

Attendance at disability rights conferences opens the door to learning opportunities about rights and resources and connects parents and families to youth and adults with disabilities who are leading full and productive lives.  These conferences facilitate a positive outlook on disability and encourage higher hopes and expectations for the capabilities of people with disabilities.  But, with an economy that has tightened the pockets of many, participation at disability rights conferences across the US has declined significantly.  Many self-advocates and families simply do not have the means to cover the costs of conference attendance. 

TASH has launched several initiatives and scholarship opportunities to ensure that all Pittsburgh self-advocates and families have access to disability rights conferences taking place right in their backyard.    

TASH’s People of Color Initiative, which has already supported over 250 individuals and families of color at four other disability rights conferences, is proud to offer forty scholarships to local self-advocates and/or their families of color to attend The Arc of the United States Conference, taking place November 11-14, 2009, and the TASH conference, which takes place November 18-21, 2009.  The People of Color Initiative, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is one of the first nationwide efforts to focus on increasing the representation and leadership of people of color in national disability rights organizations.

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), TASH has scholarships available for Pennsylvania parents with children age birth – 5 who receive early intervention services.  These scholarships cover full conference registration at the 2009 TASH Conference and a one-year membership with TASH.

The FISA Foundation of Pittsburgh has generously donated funds to provide scholarships to the 2009 TASH Conference and a one-year membership with TASH for families and self-advocates within a 100-mile radius of Pittsburgh.

To learn more about these scholarship opportunities and/or request an application,

contact TASH at 202-540-9015 or hkimmet@tash.org.    

Tamara Siegert

Individual, Family, and Community

Resource Coordinator

Allegheny County DHS

Office of Mental Retardation /

Developmental Disabilities

110 Roessler Road

Pittsburgh , PA 15220

This may inform you of educational or other resources. Views expressed by any individual organization or association listed below may not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Human Services or Allegheny County .

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, forwarding, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Any questions should be directed to Allegheny County Help Desk at 412-350-HELP (412-350-4357) or e-mail #HELP@County.Allegheny.PA.US

TASH is an international grassroots leader in advancing inclusive communities through research, education, and advocacy.  Founded in 1975, we are a volunteer-driven organization that advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with the most significant disabilities and support needs -- those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect, and institutionalization.  The inclusive practices we promote and validate through research improve quality of life outcomes for all people.

SEPTEMBER 2009

SEPTEMBER 2009

STOP THE SPREAD !!!

 of H1N1...

  

The new Hab Group website has been introduced!  Our website was closed for a year while new and exciting changes and updates were made.  Take time to check out the pages and drop us an email to let us know what you think or if you have any suggestions.

If you have a "newsworthy" item or information on trainings, local events or freebies, please drop us an email and we will add it to our website information.

June and July were hectic for the Hab office with over 30 new referrals.  We are expecting to be able to serve 90% of these individuals and are hard at work completing the paperwork, assigning staff and mailing the forms necessary to provide the services requested.

Billing will be new this year as we begin to use the "Promise Billing" program. Staff will see some minor changes in the way they need to submit paperwork to accommodate the new billing procedures we need to implement.

There were no trainings scheduled for the summer months.  Check for training updates in October on the Training Schedule page.

The new Hab Group website has been introduced!  Our website was closed for a year while new and exciting changes and updates were made.  Take time to check out the pages and drop us an email to let us know what you think or if you have any suggestions.

If you have a "newsworthy" item or information on trainings, local events or freebies, please drop us an email and we will add it to our website information.

June and July were hectic for the Hab office with over 30 new referrals.  We are expecting to be able to serve 90% of these individuals and are hard at work completing the paperwork, assigning staff and mailing the forms necessary to provide the services requested.

Billing will be new this year as we begin to use the "Promise Billing" program. Staff will see some minor changes in the way they need to submit paperwork to accommodate the new billing procedures we need to implement.

There were no trainings scheduled for the summer months.  Check for training updates in October on the Training Schedule page.

JULY 2007

In July 2007, The Habilitative Group, LLC merged with Allegheny East MH/MR Services and then in November 2007, Allegheny East changed their name to Milestone Centers, Inc. Information about Milestone is available in "links" or visit the website at ( www.milestonecentersinc.org ).

You can visit the Hab Group office at the Market Street address. Through the merger, the Hab Group is able to offer more resources to staff, consumers, families and caregivers. The Hab Group has continued to grow and currently employees 58 staff and serves 160 individuals with developmental disabilities.

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