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Hello Self Advocates and Allies!

Power Your Life with our FREE 

 SAPNA Summer Event Series

JOIN US TONIGHT!

YOU Are Not Alone! Let's Talk All About Trauma

 Let’s Talk About:

• What trauma is and why we should talk about it

• Who may have trauma

• Where, when and how trauma may happen

• What trauma may look and feel like

• What we can do about trauma

• A tool called the STAR to make a plan for help for trauma

📅 Date: TONIGHT! Wednesday, July 15th

🕙 Time: 6:00pm- 7:30pm

Click The Blue Link Below To Join The Call

https://sau1.me/power 

Keep Reading For More Information About All The Topics We Are Going To Present And As Always Important NEWS YOU CAN USE!

Upcoming SAU1 Events

JOIN US THIS FRIDAY FOR

Join us Friday July 17th to get your questions answered by ODP.

Power Talk with ODP is monthly chat with staff from the PA Office of Development Programs (ODP), the government office that oversees and funds those supports and services. People with ID/A can speak up with ODP while staff and others are welcome to listen and learn.

Our call starts with reviewing the questions we sent to ODP for this call.

After the ODP staff leave, stay to talk about what we heard, and offer questions to send to ODP for next month.

📅 Date: Friday, July 17th

🕙 Time: 10:30–11:30 AM

Click The Blue Link Below To Join The Call

https://sau1.me/power 

Power Your Life with our FREE 

 SAPNA Summer Event Series

EVERY WEEK WILL BE A DIFFERENT TOPIC

SAVE THE DATES

All About Relationships

📅 Date: Wednesday, July 22nd

🕙 Time: 6:00pm- 7:30pm

OR

📅 Date: Friday, July 24th

🕙 Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm

All About Jobs

📅 Date: Wednesday, July 29th

🕙 Time: 6:00pm- 7:30pm

OR

📅 Date: Friday, July 31st

🕙 Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS AND TRAININGS

Volunteer Opportunity with ASERT

Help Shape the PA Autism Needs Assessment

ASERT is beginning development of the 2027 Pennsylvania Autism Needs Assessment (PANA) and we need your help. We can’t do it without you!

First launched in 2010, the PANA is a survey designed to identify gaps in services and supports for autistic people. Tens of thousands of respondents have taken the survey to date. The autism community continues to grow and evolve. A new PANA was conducted in 2018, and it’s time to update it again. That’s where you come in.

We’re forming an ongoing, volunteer-based working group to help shape everything from the questions we ask to how we share what we learn.

Meetings are virtual, begin in August 2026, and require approximately one hour of your time every three months. There will also be opportunities to join subcommittees based on your interests.

The PANA Stakeholder Working Group is a community-centered volunteer opportunity — not a research activity. We welcome anyone in the autism community. If you’re autistic, a caregiver, a family member, we want to hear from you! 

THE LATEST NEWS FROM PA AGENCIES

Now Available:

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP)

Limitations on Overtime,

Paid Relative Caregiving, and Travel Recorded Webinar session

On Thursday, July 2, 2026, Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens presented a webinar session for individuals and families to review ODP policies related to overtime, paid relative caregiving, and travel.

During the session, Deputy Secretary Ahrens Deputy Secretary Ahrens provided an overview for individuals and families on limitations related to overtime, paid relative caregiving, and travel. The webinar also included a question-and-answer session that addressed frequently asked questions and provided participants with additional clarification on these important policy updates.



Click the link below to view the recorded webinar.

Friends-

Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) wants to know what you think! 

The comment period for our fiscal year 2027 annual program goals and objectives is now open.

We use your answers to help us understand the disability community’s needs. 

Your answers shape our goals and objectives for the next year. 

We invite you to share the issues that matter most to individuals with disabilities, along with the families and organizations supporting them. 

You can submit comments until July 17, 2026.

Online Survey:

The goal and objective survey is open until July 17, 2026, which will be the final day to submit public comments.

We thank you for your time, community, partnership, and collaboration. We look forward to hearing from you.