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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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Visualizing the Behavioral Health Workforce Crisis
February 22, 2024, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Register Here
Featuring Charles Klinger, Chief Operating Officer, Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural PA (BHARP)

Charles has led a collaborative data project across 24 Pennsylvania counties. It paints a picture of a devastated workforce.

Agencies provide this data, and review it with government and managed care. It is being used to support recruitment and retention efforts.

Charles and his team are working together to find solutions to the BH workforce crisis.

Charles has led the Provider Workforce Staffing (PWS) report in response to the major changes in behavioral health staffing since 2020. Over 20% of available positions remain unfilled, signaling an increased divide between available workers and population need.

This report highlights the costs of adequately filling our network in a clear and comprehensive way. Average rate of pay for a multitude of mental health jobs have been reviewed in the PWS report, from psychiatrists to housekeepers.

Most BH staffing problems arise from lack of available workers. According to Charles’ research, workers are leaving jobs, and there are no candidates available to replace them. Many jobs have consistently remained vacant.

For those from Pennsylvania, the PWS is particularly illuminating, as it focuses on state-specific needs, like the loss of workers in every level from outpatient care, to intensive behavioral health services (IBHS).

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RCPA is continuing to accept proposals for our 2024 Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success, which will be held September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. Our Conference Committee seeks workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence, telehealth innovations, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective businesses; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share. Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 17, 2024. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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As you are aware, The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has proposed adopting a system under which private provider agencies would be graded on their performance on a number of ODP-selected indicators of quality. Underlying this model is the assumption that service providers should be able to offer all necessary supports and services to a broad range of individuals throughout their lives. In a sense, providers will be shaped towards becoming more comprehensive in their offerings.

RCPA is interested in assessing the extent to which the intellectual disability providers are prepared to meet these new expectations. By assessing readiness, we hope to be able to offer suggestions to ODP that will ease the transition to this new service model.

I am inviting you to assist us in our advocacy efforts by completing a survey that will help assess our readiness. A PDF copy of the survey can be accessed here, so that you can preview the questions and gather any information you believe will be helpful in completing the survey. When you are ready to complete the survey, you can access the survey online using this link. Please complete the survey by COB on Tuesday February 20, 2024.

If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact either Dr. Scott Spreat (via email or 215-750-4015) or Carol Ferenz (via email or 717-364-3282).

Thank you for your participation.

Richard S. Edley
President and CEO
RCPA

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This Request for Proposals (RFP) requires performance analysis activities to administer the requirements of the CMS 1915(b)(4) waiver for licensed residential habilitation, unlicensed residential habilitation, supported living, and life-sharing services, as well as for supports coordination services currently offered in all ODP 1915(c) waiver programs.

Tasks to support administering the requirements of the 1915(b)(4) waiver include but are not limited to: data collection, analysis and reporting, Provider Contract Management, managing a public facing website, and providing and maintaining an information support system.

All offerors are required to create a user profile within the DHS JAGGAER portal. Please visit here to access the portal.

Proposals are due Tuesday, March 5, 2024, by 12:00 pm. Visit PA eMarketplace for more information and to apply.

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The 2024 RCPA Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success will be held September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. The Conference Committee is seeking workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence, telehealth innovations, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective businesses; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism.

Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 17, 2024. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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