Brenda Bulkoski, Director
Office of Developmental Supports
Brenda L. Bulkoski, M. Ed. has been the director of the DHS Office of Developmental Supports since September 2019. As director Brenda L. Bulkoski oversees the daily operations of the Office of Developmental Supports. This includes assuring compliance with the Pennsylvania AE Operating Agreement, continued development of best practices as it relates to services to those in need, and maintenance of a strong and varied network of programs to meet the needs of individual registered in ODS.
Ms. Bulkoski has been active as an advocate for individuals living with intellectual disability and/or developmental delays since she started working as a DHS program specialist in May of 1994. She earned the position as OID Assistant Administrator in 2003. While in that role, Ms. Bulkoski worked along with the state, various administrative entities, providers and other stakeholders to improve both the ID intake/registration process and service delivery and to initiate systems change.
Her current memberships include the Pennsylvania Association of County Administrators Developmental Disability Committee that examines and resolves DD system issues across all PA counties and the Pennsylvania Residential Learning Collaborative that is developing best-practice guidelines as a resource for providers of residential services for individuals with ID.
Past committee and work-group participation includes working to make the Priority for Urgency of Need for Service (PUNS) form more intuitive and user-friendly, and broadening the ID intake and registration process to include those with autism and developmental delays.
Ms. Bulkoski represented Allegheny County in systems change efforts that reorganized separate local authorities from each county, as administrative entities, with the state as the single authority. She also contributed in the development of HCSIS – Home and Community Services Information System – the statewide database/application that tracks both services and support as well as billing and payment for supports coordinators and providers. This resulted a huge shift in business processes.
Ms. Bulkoski received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s in Special Education from Duquesne University.