Program Overview

Institute on Disabilities

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University provides various programs and services, including:

• Assistive Technology
  • PA Tech Accelerator
  • Tech Accelerator Webinar Archive
  • AAC Awareness Month Webinar Series
  • Free Emergency Communication Aids
• Programs & Services
  • Advocacy
    • C2P2: Competence and Confidence Partners in Policymaking
    • Families First
    • FRIL: Families Reimagining Inclusive Lives
  • Community Integration and Supports
    • Supports Brokering
    • Home and Community Based Services
    • Participant-Directed Services
  • Media Arts & Culture
    • File Life Stories
    • Rhythm Bath
    • Visionary Voices
    • We Will Talk About These Days
  • Health Equity
    • Access to Care
    • Food Justice
    • Healthy Sexuality
    • Public Health Emergencies
  • Learning and Academics
    • College of Direct Support
    • College of Employment Services
    • Disability Studies
    • Graduate Assistantships
    • Deconstructing Racism and Ableism in the School-to-Prison Pipeline
    • Leadership & Career Studies
    • Mini Course Lecture Series on Disability
  • Public Policy
    • Public Policy Research
    • Three Tips for Meeting with Legislators
  • Technical Assistance
• Research & Evaluation
  • Participate in Research Studies
  • Research Opportunity Intake
  • Research Projects
    • Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment
    • Ethnography of Deinstitutionalization: The Closure of Hamburg State Center
    • Migration and Disability
    • Peer Support and Research Engagement for Young Adults with IDD
    • Racism, Ableism, and the School-to-Prison Pipeline
  • IM4Q
    • IM4Q Statewide Summary Reports
    • IM4Q Data: Examples
    • The Importance of IM4Q
• Resources
  • 30 Years of Assistive Technology in PA
  • Disability Rights Timeline
  • Pennsylvania Voter Resources
    • My Voting Plan Checklist
  • Publications
  • Spotlight on Family Leadership
    • Family Spotlight: Kathy Morris
    • Self-Advocate Spotlight: George Shands
  • The Western Pennsylvania Disability History and Action Consortium

Supports Broker Certification

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) requires that Supports Brokers must successfully complete a Supports Broker Certification Program provided by ODP or its Designee to provide Supports Broker services.

Certification Training

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University provides this certification training. The training provides prospective supports brokers with information they need to understand Participant Directed Services and Supports (PDS) and the role the broker plays in helping people be successful with self-directing their services.

The certification program consists of:

• Two (2) Day Classroom Training providing the participants with opportunities to expand their knowledge, practice their skills, and engage in activities and discussion related to the role of the supports broker.
• A final test, which must be passed with a score of 80% or better to receive an ODP Supports Broker Certification.

Considerations for the Virtual Classroom

To attend this certification, participants must:

• Be a Pennsylvania resident or live in a contiguous state.
• Plan to work as a certified supports broker in Pennsylvania.
• Have a computer or tablet and internet connection to participate.
• Attend and participate in both virtual sessions, with video on, for their entirety to get access to the final exam.

Two-Day Training Virtual Class Schedule

The training is offered on the following dates:

• Monday and Tuesday, November 17-18, 2025
• Thursday and Friday, January 15-16, 2026
• Thursday and Friday, March 1213, 2026
• Monday and Tuesday, April 2728, 2026
• Thursday and Friday, June 45, 2026

The training is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and is intended for people planning to work as a certified Supports Broker in Pennsylvania.

Topics Include

The certification training covers the following topics:

• Principles of Self-Determination & Participant-Directed Supports
• The Role of the Supports Broker & Collaborative Partnerships
• Developing Community Connections, Relationships, and Natural Supports
• Person-Centered Thinking and Planning
• Participant-Directed Supports
• Documentation Requirements
• Reportable Incidents - Protection from Abuse and Neglect
• Employer Responsibilities and Basic Employment Law