Pennsylvania ODP: What Is Changing in Supports Coordination Standards? (And What It Means for Your Team)
Pennsylvania is entering a major shift in how Supports Coordination services are evaluated, and for many providers, the biggest challenge is understanding what’s actually happening.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has introduced performance-based contracting standards, fundamentally changing how services are measured, monitored, and held accountable.
The impact of these changes is:
How your team works day to day is now directly tied to performance.
This guide breaks it all down, including what’s changing, what it means, and how to prepare.
Introduction to Supports Coordination
Supports Coordination is at the heart of Person-Centered Thinking, serving as the bridge between people and the services that empower them to lead fulfilling lives. By focusing on each person’s unique needs, preferences, and values, Supports Coordination enables people to exercise positive control over their own lives and make informed choices about their support. In the realm of mental health services administration and developmental programs, this approach is essential for creating environments where people feel heard, respected, and supported.
Person-Centered Thinking focuses on practical skills that help organizations build a culture rooted in empathy and understanding. When Supports Coordination is guided by these principles, it naturally leads to more effective, trauma-informed support. This means recognizing the impact of trauma on a person’s health and well-being, as well as ensuring that every interaction and service is delivered with sensitivity and respect. Ultimately, Supports Coordination is about fostering a culture where every person’s life, choices, and experiences are valued and supported.
Here are some common questions Pennsylvania Supports Coordinators might have:
What is Pennsylvania changing?
At the highest level, Pennsylvania is shifting Supports Coordination from a compliance-driven system to a performance-driven system.
That means agencies won’t just be evaluated on whether tasks are completed, but on how well they are completed and the outcomes they produce.
These new standards are part of ODP’s move toward performance-based contracting, which begins implementation in 2026. Organizations will need to update their procedures to align with the new performance standards, ensuring that trauma-informed support and person-centered practices are embedded in their daily operations.
Instead of checking boxes, Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs) will now be measured against specific, data-driven performance standards.
What are the new performance standards focused on?
The new standards are organized around four major areas, providing a clear structure for organizations to follow as they enhance their services:
- Sustainability – Ensuring people and families have access to appropriate services and options
- Workforce – Strengthening staff competency and stability
- Responsiveness – Improving access, communication, and satisfaction
- Clinical Capacity – Supporting people with more complex medical and behavioral needs
To meet these standards, organizations will need to focus on developing new competencies and frameworks, particularly in trauma-informed support and person-centered practices.
These aren’t abstract goals. Each area includes measurable requirements that organizations must meet to remain compliant.
What does “performance-based” actually mean in practice?
This is where things start to feel different for teams on the ground.
Under the new model:
- Data will be pulled from multiple systems (claims, surveys, incident data, health screenings, etc.)
- Performance will be monitored continuously
- Organizations must meet defined benchmarks or show measurable progress
- Failure to meet standards can result in corrective action
In other words, performance monitoring will be ongoing and visible. When Person-Centered Thinking skills are taught, service plans are more likely to be acted upon effectively.
Training in Person-Centered Thinking equips staff to see people differently and act on what they learn, improving service delivery. It also underscores the importance of investing in comprehensive training for support staff.
What will change specifically for Supports Coordinators?
For Supports Coordinators, this shift shows up in everyday work.
Expect increased expectations around:
- Building truly person-centered plans that focus on supporting each person’s ability to lead a fulfilling, independent life
- Responding to people with complex needs more effectively
- Demonstrating timely communication and follow-through
- Supporting measurable outcomes
For example, standards now include requirements around:
- Timelines for service initiation
- Frequency and quality of monitoring
- Use of data to inform decision-making
- Demonstrated progress in outcomes like employment and community inclusion
Why is Pennsylvania making this change?
This shift is rooted in the larger goal of
improving outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The standards are aligned with Everyday Lives: Values in Action, which emphasizes:
- Person-centered planning
- Personal choice and control
- Community inclusion, recognizing the vital role of communities and support networks in fostering resilience
- Meaningful engagement in daily life
The intent is to move beyond process and focus on what actually improves someone’s life.
What does this mean for providers and agencies?
For providers, this is an operational shift.
Organizations will need to:
- Focus on teaching staff the principles of Person-Centered Thinking and trauma-informed support
- Ensure staff are trained beyond basic compliance
- Strengthen clinical understanding across teams
- Build systems to track and respond to performance data
- Support consistent, high-quality decision-making
And most importantly:
They need to prepare before these expectations are enforced.
Because performance isn’t something you can fix overnight.
Implementation and Monitoring
Successfully implementing Person-Centered Thinking and trauma-informed practices into your organization demands a structured, ongoing commitment. Training sessions are a foundational element to equip staff with the skills and knowledge they need. These sessions help embed Person-Centered Thinking into daily routines, ensuring that every decision and action is guided by the principles of safety, autonomy, and respect.
Ongoing monitoring is equally important. By regularly evaluating practices and seeking feedback from persons supported and their families, organizations can identify strengths and areas for improvement. This continuous process helps maintain a culture of resilience and support, where relationships are prioritized, and every person’s needs are addressed. Through consistent implementation and monitoring, Supports Coordination becomes a living practice that adapts to the evolving needs of those it serves and remains focused on delivering meaningful, person-centered outcomes.
What kind of training is actually needed now?
This is where many organizations get stuck. To effectively support people, an organization should be interested in developing trauma-informed skills and fostering a culture of ongoing learning among staff.
The standards point clearly to two critical competency areas:
Teams must be able to:
- Build plans that reflect what truly matters to the person, using Person-Centered Thinking skills to provide a structure for facilitating conversations and planning
- Align services with personal goals and preferences
- Move beyond documentation into meaningful outcomes, recognizing that teaching Person-Centered Thinking skills is essential for building effective, personalized plans
Staff must be able to:
- Recognize how trauma impacts behavior, including identifying the signs and symptoms of trauma, such as difficulty in relationships, managing trauma-related symptoms, and substance abuse issues
- Respond in ways that reduce escalation and facilitate support by creating supportive procedures and environments that empower people
- Support people with greater consistency and understanding, shifting the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to understanding behaviors as adaptive responses to trauma
These aren’t “nice to have” skills anymore.
They are now directly tied to performance expectations.
How does IntellectAbility fit into this?
At IntellectAbility, we’ve been working alongside organizations and providers across Pennsylvania through the use of the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST®), helping teams better understand complex risk and work proactively to improve outcomes for people with IDD.
To support providers through this transition, we offer person-centered training designed to build these competencies:
- Person-Centered Thinking Training: Supporting People with IDD eLearn – Based on the full The Learning Center for Person-Centered Practices (TLCPCP) curriculum and Person-Centered Thinking trainer credentialing process, developed with Support Development Associates (SDA)
- Trauma-Informed Support eLearn – Developed with Dr. Karyn Harvey, a leading expert in trauma-informed support for people with IDD
Together, these trainings help teams move from understanding expectations to applying them in real-world scenarios. Providers and teams have expressed gratitude for the support and training received during these important transitions.
How do these courses work?
Both trainings are designed to fit into real-world provider environments:
- Self-paced eLearning (accessible anytime)
- Built for direct application
- Designed to scale across entire teams
- Focused on day-to-day decision-making and support
- Enhance staff ability to implement person-centered plans effectively
This is meant to change how staff think and respond in real situations.
What should providers be doing right now?
If you’re in Pennsylvania, the most important step is simple:
Start preparing early.
Because:
- Training takes time to roll out
- Teams need time to apply what they learn
- Behavior change doesn’t happen overnight
- Developing the necessary skills and systems will require effort and ongoing commitment
Organizations that act now will be in a much stronger position to:
- Meet new standards
- Avoid corrective action
- Deliver better outcomes
Final Thought: This Is Larger Than a Policy Change
Pennsylvania is raising the bar for quality, consistency, and outcomes.
The organizations that succeed will be those that understood the shift early and prepared for it intentionally. Belief in the ability of organizations and people to adapt and thrive under the new standards is essential for achieving lasting success.