A publication of the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Pennsylvania State Resources

Complete update · 11/2007
Partial update · 2/25/2008

The offices listed on this state sheet are primarily state-level offices. Even if an office is not close to your home, they can usually put you in touch with resources in your community, as well as provide you with information and assistance about disability issues in your state. If you find that an address or number has changed or is incorrect, please e-mail us at nichcy@aed.org and let us know.

State Agencies and Organizations

Age of Eligibility

Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under Department of Education: Special Education.

United States Senators
Honorable Arlen Specter (R)
711 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4254
(202) 228-1229 (Fax)
E-mail Web Form: http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
Web: http://specter.senate.gov/

Honorable Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D)
383 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6324
(202) 228-0604 (Fax)
E-mail Web Form: http://casey.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Web: http://casey.senate.gov/

United States Representatives
To find the contact information for your representative in the House of the U.S. Congress, visit the House’s Web site at: www.house.gov, or call: (202) 225-3121; (202) 225-1904 (TTY).

Governor
Honorable Edward G. Rendell
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-2500
E-mail Web Form: http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html
Web: www.governor.state.pa.us/

Official State Web Site
Web: www.state.pa.us/

Accessible Pennsylvania
Online Disability Resource for Pennsylvanians
Web: www.accessiblepa.state.pa.us

State Department of Education: Special Education
John J. Tommasini, Director
Bureau of Special Education
Department of Education
333 Market Street, 7th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 783-6913
Special Education Consultline: (800) 879-2301(V/TTY)
Web: www.pde.state.pa.us

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Shula Nedley, Director
Bureau of Assessment and Accountability
Department of Education
333 Market Street, 9th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 705-2343
Web: www.pde.state.pa.us

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2
Maureen Cronin, Director
Bureau of Early Intervention Services
Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Department of Education and Public Welfare
333 Market Street, 6th Floor, PDE Building
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 783-7213
E-mail: mcronin@state.pa.us

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5
Shatarupa Podder, Acting Chief
Bureau of Early Intervention Services
Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Department of Education and Public Welfare
333 Market Street, 7th Floor, PDE Building
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 787-9266
E-mail: spodder@state.pa.us
Web: www.pde.state.pa.us

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
William A. Gannon, Executive Director
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Department of Labor and Industry
1521 N. 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 787-7312
E-mail: wgannon@state.pa.us
Web: www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=128&Q=168255&dsftns=4490

Coordinator for Transition Services
James Palmiero, Managing Director
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN)
3190 William Pitt Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
(412) 826-6850; (800) 446-5607
E-mail: jpalmiero@pattan.net
Web: www.pattan.net

Office of State Liaison of Career and Technical Education for Students with Disabilities
Lee Burket, Director
Bureau of Career and Technical Education
Division of Field Support
Department of Education
333 Market Street, 11th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 787-5530
E-mail: lburket@state.pa.us
Web: www.pde.state.pa.us

State Mental Health Agency
Joan Erney, Deputy Secretary
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Department of Public Welfare
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675
(717) 787-6443
E-mail: joerney@state.pa.us
Web: www.dpw.state.pa.us

State Mental Health Representative for Children's Behavioral Health Services
Stanley J. Mrozowski, Ph.D., Director
Bureau of Children's Services
Beechmont Building
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105
(717) 772-7763
E-mail: smrozowski@state.pa.us

Programs for People with Developmental Disabilities
Kevin Casey, Deputy Secretary
Office of Developmental Program
Department of Public Welfare
Health and Welfare Building, Room 502
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675
(717) 787-3700
Web: www.dpw.state.pa.us

Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Graham Mulholland, Executive Director
Developmental Disabilities Council
561 Forum Building, Commonwealth Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-6057
E-mail: gmulhollan@dpw.state.pa.us
Web: www.paddc.org

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
1414 N. Cameron Street, Suite C
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 236-8110; (800) 692-7443 (in PA)
(877) 375-7139 (TTY)
E-mail: drnpa@drnpa.org
Web: www.drnpa.org

Client Assistance Program
Stephen Pennington, Statewide Director
Pennsylvania Client Assistance Program
1617 JFK Boulevard, Suite 800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 557-7112 (V/TTY)
E-mail: info@equalemployment.org
Web: www.equalemployment.org

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Michelle L. Connors, Director
Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach
Division of Child and Adult Health Services
Department of Health, 7th Floor, East Wing
Health & Welfare Building
7th & Forster Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 772-2763
(800) 986-4550 - Special Kids Networks
E-mail: mconnors@state.pa.us
Web: www.state.pa.us

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program
1011 Mumma Road
Wormleysburg, PA 17043
(800) 986-5437
Web: www.ins.state.pa.us

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired
David De Notaris, Director
Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Department of Labor and Industry
1521 N. 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 787-6176; (800) 622-2842 (in PA)
E-mail: ddenotaris@state.pa.us
Web: www.state.pa.us

Programs for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Sharon Behun, Director
Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
1521 N. 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 783-4912 V/TTY
(800) 233-3008 (V/TTY in PA only)
E-mail: ra-li-ovr-odhh@state.pa.us
Web: www.dli.state.pa.us/odhh

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 654-5988 (V)
(800) 654-5984 (TTY); 711 (TTY)
(800) 229-5746 (Speech to Speech - English)
(866) 260-9470 (Speech to Speech - Spanish)

Programs for Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind
Julie Baumgartner, Consultant
Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Project
6340 Flank Drive, Suite 600
Harrisburg, PA 17112-2764
(717) 541-4960, ext. 3115; (800) 360-7282 (in PA only)
Web: www.pattan.net

State Education Agency Rural Representative
Bureau of Special Education
Department of Education
333 Market Street, 7th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 783-6913
Web: www.pde.state.pa.us

Regional ADA Technical Assistance Center
Marian Vessels, Director
DBTAC: Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
TransCen, Inc.
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 700
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 217-0124 (V/TTY)
(800) 949-4232 (V/TTY - DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)
E-mail: adainfo@transcen.org
Web: www.adainfo.org

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Diane Nelson Bryen, Executive Director
Institute on Disabilities at Temple University - UCEDD
University Services Building, Suite 610
1601 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 204-1356 (V/TTY)
E-mail: dianeb@temple.edu
Web: http://disabilities.temple.edu

Nathan Blum, M.D., Director
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND)
Children's Seashore House of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
3405 Civic Center Boulevard, Room 210
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4388
(215) 590-7466
E-mail: blum@email.chop.edu

Technology-Related Assistance
Amy S. Goldman, Associate Director
Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology
Institute on Disabilities/UCEDD
1601 N. Broad Street, Suite 610
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 204-1356 (V/TTY); (800) 204-PIAT (V, in PA)
(866) 268-0579 (TTY, in PA)
E-mail: ATINFO@temple.edu
Web: http://disabilities.temple.edu

State Mediation System
Jill Lichty, Coordinator
Office for Dispute Resolution
6340 Flank Drive, Suite 600
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 541-4960
Web: http://odr.pattan.net

Special Format Library
Vickie L. Collins, Librarian
Free Library of Philadelphia
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
919 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 683-3213; 800-222-1754
E-mail: flpblind@library.phila.gov
Web: http://lbph.library.phila.gov/

Disability-Specific Organizations

Attention Deficit Disorder
To identify an ADD group in your state or locality, contact either:

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 150
Landover, MD 20785
(301) 306-7070
(800) 233-4050 (Voice mail to request information packet)
Web: www.chadd.org

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
P.O. Box 543
Pottstown, PA 19464-0543
(484) 945-2101
E-mail: mail@add.org
Web: www.add.org

Autism
Karl Smelser, Director
Marie Mambuca, Family Support Coordinator
ABOARD (Advisory Board on Autism and Related Disorders)
35 Wilson Street, Suite 100
Pittsburgh, PA 15223
(412) 781-4116; (800) 827-9385
E-mail: info@aboard.org
Web: www.aboard.org

Cindy Waeltermann, Director
AutismLink
376 Wagon Wheel Trail
Wexford, PA 15090
(412) 364-1886
E-mail: info@autismlink.com
Web: www.autismlink.com

Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-0881; (800) 3-AUTISM
Web: www.autism-society.org

Blind/Visual Impairments
Jaclyn Packer, Ph.D., Director of Information Center
American Foundation for the Blind
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
New York, NY 10001
(212) 502-7600; (800) 232-5463
E-mail: afbinfo@afb.net
Web: www.afb.org

James Antonacci, President
National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
42 S. 15th Street, Suite 222
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 988-0888
E-mail: nfbofpa@att.net
Web: www.nfbp.org

Cerebral Palsy
Joan W. Martin, Executive Director
United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania
908 N. Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 441-6049, ext. 26
E-mail: info@ucpofpa.org
Web: www.ucpofpa.org

Epilepsy
Judy Painter, Executive Director
Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania
Lifeswork
1323 Forbes Avenue, Suite 102
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 261-5880; (800) 361-5885
E-mail: pbeem@efwp.org
Web: www.efwp.org

Jeanette K. Chelius, Executive Director
Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania
919 Walnut Street, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5237
(215) 629-5003; (800) 887-7165 (in PA)
E-mail: efepa@efepa.org
Web: www.efepa.org

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Stephen H. Suroviec, Executive Director
The Arc of Pennsylvania
101 S. Second Street, Suite 8, Executive House
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 234-2621; (800) 692-7258
E-mail: ssuroviec@thearcpa.org
Web: www.thearcpa.org

Learning Disabilities
Debbie Rodes, President
Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania
Toomey Building
P.O. Box 208
Uwchland, PA 19480
(610) 458-8193
Web: www.ldapa.org

Mental Health
James W. Jordan, Jr., Executive Director
NAMI Pennsylvania
2149 N. Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 238-1514; (800) 223-0500
E-mail: nami-pa@nami.org
Web: http://namipa.nami.org

Catherine Panzarella, Director
Family & Youth Support & Advocacy Division
Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania
1211 Chestnut Street, 11th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 751-1800, ext. 513; (800) 688-4226, ext. 513
E-mail: pin@pinofpa.org
Web: www.pinofpa.org

Speech, Language, and Hearing
Diane Yenerall, Business Manager
Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association
800 Perry Highway, Suite 3
Pittsburgh, PA 15229-1128
(412) 366-9858
E-mail: psha@psha.org
Web: www.psha.org

Spina Bifida
Patricia Fulvio, Executive Director
Spina Bifida Association of Greater Pennsylvania
215 E. State Street, Suite D
Quarryville, PA 17566-1242
(717) 786-9280; (888) 770-7272 (In PA)
E-mail: SBAofPA@aol.com
Web: www.geocities.com/SBAofgPA

Tourette Syndrome
Sherrie Sponseller, Administrator/Advocate
Pennsylvania Tourette Syndrome Association
132 W. Middle Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 337-1134; (800) 990-3300 (in PA)
E-mail: sherrie@patsainc.org
Web: www.patsainc.org

Organizations Especially for Parents

Parent Training and Information Center (PTI)
Parent Education Network
2107 Industrial Highway
York, PA 17402
(717) 600-0100; (800) 522-5827 (V/TTY) (In PA);
(800) 441-5028 (Spanish)
E-mail: pen@parentednet.org
Web: www.parentednet.org

Elisabeth Healey, Director
Parent and Education Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center
1119 Penn Avenue, Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4205
(412) 281-4404; (866) 950-1040
(412) 281-4409 (TTY)
Email: admin@pealcenter.org
Web: www.pealcenter.org

Community Parent Resource Center
(Serving American Street Empowerment Zone and providing intense training sessions to parents of children with disabilities in Philadelphia)
Luz Hernandez, Program Director
Hispanos Unidos para Ninos Excepcionales
(Philadelphia HUNE, Inc.)
202 W. Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 425-6203
E-mail: huneinc@aol.com
Web: http://huneinc.org

(Serving rural Northwest Pennsylvania)
Gail Walker, Director
The Mentor Parent Program, Inc.
P.O. Box 47
Pittsfield, PA 16340
(814) 563-3470; (888) 447-1431 (in PA)
E-mail: gwmpp@verizon.net
E-mail: mentorparentprogram@verizon.net
Web: www.mentorparent.org

Parent-To-Parent
Fiona Patrick, Program Director
Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania
6340 Flank Drive, Suite 600
Harrisburg, PA 17112-2764
(717) 540-4722; (888) 727-2706 (in PA)
E-mail: info@parenttoparent.org
Web: www.parenttoparent.org

Partners in Policymaking
Diane N. Bryen, Ph.D., Executive Director
Institute on Disabilities/University Center for Excellence
Temple University
University Services Building, Room 610
1601 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 204-9395
E-mail: dianeb@temple.edu
Web: http://disabilities.temple.edu

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Caroline Allen, President
Pennsylvania Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc.
4804 Derry Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 564-8985
E-mail: info@papta.org
Web: www.papta.org

Other Disability Organizations

David Bateman, President
Easter Seals South Central Pennyslvania
2201 S. Queen Street
York, PA 17402
(717) 741-3891; (888) 273-7251
E-mail: davidbateman@eastersealscentralpa.org
Web: www.VisitEasterSeals.org

Carl G. Webster, Executive Director/CEO
Easter Seals of Southeastern Pennsylvania
3975 Conshohocken Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 879-1000
E-mail: cwebster@easterseals-sepa.org
Web: www.easterseals-sepa.org

Tiffany Mori, Social Service Manager
Easter Seals Society of Western Pennsylvania
2525 Railroad Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 281-7244
(800) 587-3257
E-mail: tmori@westernpa.easterseals.com
Web: www.westernpa.easterseals.org

MENTOR ABI Group - New Jersey
Rehabilitative and Support Services for Persons with Acquired Brain Injury
505 S. Lenola Road
Blason Office Plaza II, Suite 217
Moorestown, NJ 08057
(856) 235-5505
Web: http://nj.thementornetwork.com/state/index.asp

Neurofibromatosis Clinics Association
P.O. Box 14185
Pittsburgh, PA 15239
(412) 795-3029
E-mail: info@nfpittsburgh.org
Web: www.nfpittsburgh.org

Sue Scott Dolan, Director
Pennsylvania Parents and Caregivers Resource Network
P.O. Box 4336
Harrisburg, PA 17111-0336
(717) 561-0098; (888) 572-7368 (in PA)
E-mail: info@ppcrn.org
Web: www.ppcrn.org

Independent Living

To find out the contact information for the Statewide
Independent Living Council (SILC) in your state, contact:
Independent Living Research Utilization Project
The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research
2323 South Sheppard, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 520-0232 (V); (713) 520-5136 (TTY)
E-mail: ilru@ilru.org
Web: www.ilru.org

To find out the contact information for centers for
independent living (CILs) in your state, contact:
National Council on Independent Living
1710 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 207-0034 (V); (202) 207-0340 (TTY)
E-mail: ncil@ncil.org
Web: www.ncil.org

This information is copyright free. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
NICHCY State Resources are listings of selected state-wide organizations that can refer people to organizations in their area. We update our state resources continuously; however, the addresses and telephone numbers of these selected groups are constantly changing. If you find that an address or number has changed or is incorrect, please e-mail us at nichcy@aed.org and let us know.
Publication of this document is made possible through a Cooperative Agreement between the Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.	NICHCY P.O. Box 1492 Washington, DC 20013 (800) 695-0285 · v/tty (202) 884-8441 · fax e-mail: nichcy@aed.org web: www.nichcy.org