';
CLOSE
Authors Posts by Emma Sharp

Emma Sharp

26 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

0 623
Young Girl Talking With Counselor At Home

The University of Pittsburgh’s Youth and Family Training Institute (YFTI) is working with the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services and Bureau of Policy, Planning & Program Development to develop and implement a two-year innovative pilot that will define, develop, implement, and evaluate the role of the Family Navigator in up to six sites within the Commonwealth. The goal of the pilot will be to assist in defining Pennsylvania’s Family Navigator Model by testing the effectiveness and implementation strategies of pilot family navigator models for children, youth, and young adults (CYYA) with serious emotional disturbance (SED). The pilot is designed to promote early access, engagement, coordination, and optimization of mental health treatment and services for CYYA aged 5–21 who are experiencing symptoms of mental health problems along with their family caregiver (defined as family members or other caregivers with a primary responsibility of caring for the individual).

A Family Navigator plays a critical role in guiding and supporting family caregivers through the array of mental health services and other systems of care that may be needed to support CYYA. They help them navigate the often confusing, overwhelming, and fragmented services available, ensuring that family caregivers have the resources, information, and support needed to access the appropriate care for their CYYA. Family Navigators who are also Family Peers are able to share their own lived experience related to connecting their loved ones to mental health services. This approach offers a safe and comfortable means of educating family caregivers that may be overwhelmed in the midst of accessing care for their children.

Request for Proposals — Call for Applications:  

  • Up to six sites across the Commonwealth will receive up to $250,000 each year of the 2-year pilot to design and implement a model within the parameters of the Family Navigator definition. This will include varying recruitment strategies, referral sources, and strategies to connect to families.
  • Sites are expected to participate in the evaluation process, training, coaching, and skill-based technical assistance throughout the implementation of their approved pilot with guidance and oversight from The University of Pittsburgh/YFTI to ensure sites are meeting minimum implementation standards in order to continue to receive funding.
  • Counties, provider organizations, health facilities, or other public, private, or non-profit entities within Pennsylvania that serve children, youth, and young adults aged 5–21 are eligible to apply.
  • A diversity of sites is being sought in various contexts such as setting (urban, suburban, rural) and target population.

Submission/Review: Applications are due on or before March 28, 2025. For more information, please contact Bryon Luke, Director of Program Implementation.

Applications will be reviewed by a team of OMHSAS and YFTI staff who will be responsible for selecting the pilot sites.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is available as part of the RFP document. Additional questions can be submitted until March 15, 2025 to Bryon Luke, Director of Program Implementation and will be added to the FAQ on the YFTI website.

If there are follow-up questions from YFTI/OMHSAS regarding the submissions, a member of the review team may contact the project coordinator on the application for clarification.

*NOTE: Current participants in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded System of Care (SOC) grants or interested applicants for an upcoming SAMHSA-funded PA CARE SOC grant are not excluded from applying to this RFP and are encouraged to apply. Please indicate any relevant SAMHSA-funded grants in which your agency is participating in your application and describe how they would be connected to this pilot.
Selected sites will be notified in writing by YFTI by April 25, 2025. The projected start date for implementation will be July 1, 2025.

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 530

The Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) is supporting a specialized training effort addressing child abuse recognition as well as reporting training for residential facilities through a contract with the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA). This training is for child residential staff, their related purchasing entities, and local law enforcement agencies.

Register for an upcoming training:

Training Summary:

This training is for providers and other child serving entities. It will cover clarification on what allegations must be reported to ChildLine as suspected child abuse and/or HCSIS as a reportable incident, and further clarifies when an alternative plan of supervision must be put into place. This training also teaches minimal facts interviewing skills to better determine when to make a report and explains how those reports of suspected child abuse are categorized and handled at ChildLine. Lastly, internal follow-up recommendations and communication are discussed. Other entities that interact with these 3800 facilities are also welcome to attend, including OCYF Regional Office Reps, law enforcement, and MCOs.

This training mirrors the information outlined in the OCYF Bulletin # 3800-21-01 issued January 19, 2021, and is meant as additional training (not a replacement for the mandated reporter training).

Please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp or RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with further questions.

0 1089

The Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Val Arkoosh met with systems stakeholders to provide an overview of the Governor’s proposed 2025/26 DHS budget. The Secretary began by reviewing the accomplishments of DHS under the administration and highlighted areas around Medicaid, systems enhancements, and the expansion in the delivery of services to Pennsylvanians.

The projected spending across DHS showed an investment of $21.17B, with the following breakdowns:

  • $7.13B for Long-Term Living;
  • $6.4B for Medicaid/healthcare delivery;
  • $3.22B for ID/A;
  • $1.72B for Human Services and County Child Welfare; and
  • $1.04B for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

This budget number represents a $1.95B increase over last year’s executive budget. The most significant increases included:

  • $927M for Long-Term Living;
  • $7.23M for Medicaid/healthcare delivery;
  • $1.84M for ID/A;
  • $74M for Child Development; and
  • $32M for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

RCPA submitted questions during the webinar in an effort to gain greater clarity on the proposed $2.4B increase in the Health Choices capitation. Several questions remain unanswered, including:

  • Are these dollars allocated towards physical health, behavioral health, or both?
  • What is the spending strategy for the 2024/25 supplemental appropriations? Is that part of the $2.4B?

There was clarification on the proposed $170M increase in the ID/A budget, but Secretary Arkoosh stipulated that this was not new investments but rather funds to sustain last year’s increase.

The remainder of the webinar was spent outlining current DHS initiatives, including the Keystones of Health 1115 Waiver, which was approved in December 2024. This year’s priority will focus on reentry services as well as planning for future implementation. The Secretary concluded her comments supporting the minimum wage increase, reinforcing the workforce infrastructure, and tackling Commonwealth-wide challenges.

The DHS Bluebook is scheduled for release in the coming weeks and will provide line item details of the budget. RCPA will continue to work with DHS and PA legislators on the budget specifics and our ongoing advocacy efforts. You can view the DHS budget webinar here.

RCPA will continue to update members on the budget as information becomes available. If you have further questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

0 364

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is providing the YouTube link from their last quarterly PSS Stakeholders Call that was held on January 14, 2025, as well as the presentation that was reviewed, for any interested stakeholders or individuals.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. A meeting invite will be distributed closer to the meeting date.

Recommendations for agenda topics or questions can be submitted electronically to the OMHSAS Peer Support Services inbox and must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the meeting date.

Please reach out to RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 492
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

A federal judge has halted President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal aid programs, ruling that the courts need more time to consider the potentially far-reaching ramifications of his order.

Minutes before the directive from Trump’s budget office was to take effect Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan blocked the Trump administration from implementing it for now.

AliKhan’s order will expire February 3 at 5:00 pm. The Trump administration cannot suspend disbursement of any congressionally-appropriated funds until then. The judge described the move as a “brief administrative stay” intended to maintain the status quo while further litigation can play out.

“I think there is the specter of irreparable harm,” said AliKhan, an appointee of President Joe Biden.

The ruling is a win for nonprofit and public health groups who said even a brief implementation of Trump’s freeze could cause devastating outcomes for people who rely on federal funds for services, as well as the workers who provide them. The nonprofits also argued the order from the Office of Management and Budget intrudes on First Amendment rights by seeking to block funding for groups that engage in “DEI programs” or promote “Gender Ideology Extremism,” concepts targeted in Trump’s initial round of executive orders.

Justice Department attorney Daniel Schwei had argued that the groups had failed to show that they needed an immediate halt to the order issued by Trump’s budget office and set to take effect at 5:00 pm Tuesday. He said additional guidance offered by the Trump administration should alleviate concerns about the OMB directive cutting off essential programs.

“They request sweeping relief… not tethered to any identified grant programs,” Schwei said. “It would be appropriate to allow these issues to be addressed on a more orderly timeframe.

RCPA will continue to update members as we work with our national partners to gain greater clarification on this Federal action. If you have further questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

0 291

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) are jointly hosting the quarterly Statewide Positive Approaches & Practices meeting. This meeting aims to provide the most recent research and resources for people with mental health and behavioral challenges, intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities to live an everyday life.

Date: February 20, 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Online – Zoom Webinar
Register Here

0 1134
assistance, support, guidance - business concept words in color hexagons over blue background, flat design

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released updated National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance aimed at enhancing the nation’s response to mental health and substance use crises. This effort is part of an ongoing initiative to address record-high rates of suicide and overdose, while also building on the transition to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in 2022.

The updated National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance is comprised of three key documents. These are the 2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care, Model Definitions for Behavioral Health Emergency, Crisis, and Crisis-Related Services, and a draft Mobile Crisis Team Services Implementation Toolkit, which is open for public comment until March 21, 2025. Together, these resources set forth a framework for reshaping community crisis care systems and ensuring timely access to care.

SAMHSA’s framework is built on three foundational pillars essential to an integrated crisis care system:

  1. Someone to Contact — The 988 Lifeline and other hotlines provide immediate, accessible support for individuals in crisis.
  2. Someone to Respond — Mobile crisis teams are a critical component, delivering rapid, on-site assistance to de-escalate crises and connect people with appropriate care.
  3. A Safe Place for Help — Stabilization services offer facilities where individuals in crisis can access care, resolve crises, and transition to ongoing treatment when necessary.

The new guidance emphasizes scalability and sustainability for these systems, equipping state, tribal, local, and territorial governments with the tools needed to design and improve crisis care services. It also provides practitioners with actionable steps for delivering quality care.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, launched nationwide in 2022, represents a significant shift in behavioral health crisis response. The easy to remember three digit number aims to provide individuals with immediate access to trained crisis counselors, significantly reducing reliance on law enforcement and emergency departments for mental health emergencies. The updated guidance builds on this progress while addressing the urgent need for comprehensive crisis care systems.

The guidance reflects substantial input collected through listening sessions, expert consultations, and public feedback. Crucially, it underscores the importance of a coordinated, flexible, and compassionate approach to behavioral health crises at a time when the nation continues to grapple with increasing demand for services.

With public comments being sought on the draft Mobile Crisis Team Services Implementation Toolkit, SAMHSA aims to refine and finalize tools that advance the capacity of crisis teams to stabilize situations and connect individuals with long-term support. Please forward your comments to RCPA COO and Mental Health Services Director Jim Sharp for inclusion in the RCPA response to SAMHSA. This will addressed in the February 18, 2025, RCPA 988/Crisis Services meeting. You can register for the meeting here.

Prev123Next Page 2 of 3
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association