Provider Membership

PAR has been extremely active in helping providers through the pandemic and is working very hard to advocate on behalf of individuals with autism or intellectual disabilities. In 2020, we’ve tripled our member engagement by holding weekly press conferences with the media and Town Halls, sending out daily PAR Mail publications, we created a members only COVID-19 Forum on our website where all Providers are sharing and collaborating, our Associate business partners have been offering product discounts, we’ve been holding PARedu educational trainings around COVID and other hot topics, and we hosted our first “Policy focused” conference and also our Annual Solutions Conference VIRTUALLY!

Click here to watch “Advocacy during a Pandemic: Funding for ID/A Services"

100% ANCOR Membership
Upon joining PAR, you automatically receive full membership in ANCOR – our national association that gains you access to advocacy on the Federal level. Outside of PAR, ANCOR membership would cost your organization thousands of dollars. PAR was the first I/DD association in the country to finalize this agreement with ANCOR. As an ANCOR member, you will receive ANCOR news, email updates from the Federal level, you’ll have access to ANCOR’s Friday briefings, membership in ANCOR committees, discounts on webinars and more!

Advocacy – State & Federal
PAR works closely with its Provider Members to keep them informed about policies, practices, action alerts, and upcoming events related to ID/A services in PA. To learn more about PAR’s current advocacy priorities, we encourage you to visit our websiteFacebook, and Twitter pages.

Certificates of Participation
PAR offers participation certificates, free of charge to its members, for attending conferences, General Membership Meetings, and committee meetings.

Committees
PAR supports a growing number of committees that focus on a variety of different issues that have been identified by our members as important to address. Check them out here!

Continuing Education Credits
PAR offers Continuing Education credits, free of charge to its members, for attending conferences, General Membership Meetings, and committee meetings. PAR works with the following accreditation agencies for approvals: State Board of Accountancy, Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), National Association of Social Workers (NASW) - PA Chapter, State Board of Nursing, and Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). PAR also offers Certificates of Participation, which can fulfill agency and regulatory requirements.

Discounted Registration Pricing
As a PAR member, you pay much less when attending PAR conferences and PARedu trainings. We also offer group discounts!

Job Board
PAR now offers a place for members to list open management level positions within the ID/A field in Pennsylvania. Positions remain listed on PAR's website for 30 days or until filled. Click here to visit the Job Board!

NADD Discount
PAR and NADD signed an exclusive agreement that gives PAR members, that are also NADD members, a substantial discount toward NADD certification -- the largest discount NADD has ever given (20%). This includes discounts on DSP Certification, Specialist Certification and Clinical Certification. Click here for more!

Networking
PAR very much enjoys networking and being able to offer networking opportunities to both our members and non-members. But this past year due to the pandemic we’ve had to quickly adjust our sails, so-to-speak as, to make a smooth transition into the virtual world of networking.

Network at the PAR Solutions Conference! The Solutions Conference is the only conference of its kind in Pennsylvania, heralded by many as the must-attend conference of the year for those interested in Pennsylvania's Intellectual Disability and Autism (ID/A) Services. Each fall, the three-day event brings together stakeholders and decision-makers (i.e. CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and Directors) from across the state and country, including providers of ID/A services, self-advocates, family members, community allies, business partners, state officials, and others who are interested in learning about solutions and updates in ID/A services. Being virtual is no different. We simply host our Solutions Conference via Zoom technology. We are even still able to offer exhibit opportunities, virtually!

Network at the Policy Conference! Each Spring PAR hosts a two-day Policy Conference focused on current hot topics and advocacy. Both days are full of informative sessions, hosted virtually. When we can safely meet in person, day two of the Policy Conference will consist of an in-person hill day and rally at the Harrisburg Capitol building.

Network at a General Membership Meeting! Our average General Membership Meetings host approx. 130-140 CEOs, CFOs, and Executive Directors from across the state. All new members receive a membership plaque and introduced at the next scheduled General Membership meeting, along with a few minutes to introduce yourself and your organization to all those in attendance. These meetings are held quarterly and are currently being hosted virtually.

PARedu Trainings
New to PAR, PARedu offers a combination of educational trainings, development programs, and informative webinars. All trainings are organized by PAR, and available to both PAR members and non-members! We believe that training and development for our industry presents prime learning opportunities to expand one’s knowledge base in various subjects which in turn strengthens the capacity of your team.

PAR Mail + News You Can Use
All PAR members receive PAR Mails, a reliable and timely electronic publication that keeps members informed about policies, practices, action alerts, and upcoming events related to Intellectual Disability and Autism services in PA. PAR Mails are sent out daily and are available to everyone in your organization! If you miss one, no worries. You can capture it all in PAR’s News You Can Use that goes out every Friday! News You Can Use is a compilation of the week’s PAR Mails and other important information, including but limited to, news from ANCOR, Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), and Office of Child Developmental and Early Learning (OCDEL).

PAR Online Community
PAR’s Online Community is a hub for member collaboration. It features forums assigned to PAR committees that are dedicated to specific policy areas. Members, which includes all staff employed by the member, can join the forums to see updates posted by PAR staff and other members, ask questions and share resources with each other.

PAR Talk 
PAR Talk is a members-only call that PAR hosts every Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. lead by PAR President & CEO, Mark Davis. This members-only briefing brings you critical updates and up-to-date information from the PAR Policy Team along with other staff updates. Immediately following PAR Talk, Lisa Mathis, Director of Policy & Administrative Relations, leads an update on CPS and Transportation. At the end of each call, you have a chance to ask questions and give feedback.

PAR Urgent Broadcast System
The PAR Urgent Broadcast System will alert providers to emergency information via text message. This text alert system will be used by PAR to distribute urgent and timely information directly to your cell phone when email and PAR Mail are not sufficient. As the CEO or lead executive of your organization, you will automatically be enrolled.

Sponsorships 
PAR members benefit greatly from sponsorship opportunities. Sponsorships encourage provider-to-service provider relationship building. As a  member of PAR, you have access to vetted business partners and their quality products and services offered.

Strategic Plan Input 
Each year, PAR solicits input from all members on initiatives that are important in the ID/A field and updates PAR’s strategic plan as needed. The strategic plan guides PAR’s work throughout the year.

Town Hall 
PAR’s Town Hall Series is designed to give providers and other stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the reopening process as our state navigates through the pandemic. Discussions focus on sharing strategies and experiences dealing with COVID-19 pandemic as ID/A service providers.

Tuesday News Review 
PAR sends out a mid-week two-minute video update on critical news you need to know. Tuesday News Review is sent out via PAR Mail every Tuesday and posted to PAR’s Facebook and YouTube.

Website 
Information regarding just about everything above lives on PAR’s website, par.net. In addition to a plethora of information, your organization will be added to PAR’s Provider Member Directory with a link to your website and your contact information.

Apply for Provider Membership