National Council Publishes Performance Benchmarks for Utilization of LAMs
Emma Sharp
RCPA Submits Proposed Crisis Regulation Comments to IRRC
RCPA, in partnership with its members, has submitted public comments in response to the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ (OMHSAS) proposed Licensure of Crisis Intervention Services regulations. RCPA thanks OMHSAS for their effort in creating licensing standards that align with national best practice standards for the Commonwealth’s crisis intervention system and their receptivity to further recommendations from current crisis providers.
The proposed regulations have been reviewed by members of RCPA’s 988/Crisis Work Group, who are some of the most experienced and knowledgeable leaders in Pennsylvania’s Crisis System. With their expertise, RCPA developed comments and recommendations to guide the State towards meaningful regulations for Crisis Intervention Licensure.
The largest areas of concern in the proposed regulations are in regard to the staffing requirements and fiscal impacts, which led to the following recommendations:
- Flexibility in the staffing requirements to account for the national behavioral health workforce shortage.
- A transparent cost analysis of the true cost of implementing the regulations to ensure that the regulations do not become an unfunded mandate.
- Increased clarity on the role of community outpatient clinics that are not connected to larger hospital systems.
- The assembly of a stakeholder work group, similar to the forums that OMHSAS convened for their PRTF regulations, to ensure that provider and other stakeholder concerns are addressed before promulgation of the regulations.
Read RCPA’s full public comments here. Contact Emma Sharp with any questions.
National Council Seeks Participation in H.R. 1 Implementation Survey
DHS Launches Human Services Helpers Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is launching Human Services Helpers, a Substack that will cover updates on DHS programs, news from the agency, and how organizations and partners can help their communities. Specifically, as DHS implements changes required by the federal government under HR1, Human Services Helpers will share resources and tips to help Pennsylvanians affected by these changes understand what is happening and what they must do to keep their benefits. News on the federal government shutdown and its impact on programs like SNAP and LIHEAP will also be shared through this platform.
Sign up for updates today and be a helper for PA!
Please contact your respective RCPA Policy Director with any questions.
No-Cost CEs Now Available Through FR-ACT Program
The Office of Children, Youth and Families is offering no-cost continuing education opportunities for service professionals. The Department’s First Responder Addiction and Connection to Treatment program (FR-ACT) is a training program within the Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention that was established to ensure first responders and public safety professionals, including CYS professionals, have the tools necessary to respond to the overdose epidemic. Training is offered at no cost and is available in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania. The Department works with an expert training vendor, St. Joseph’s University, to deliver live trainings.
FR-ACT trains and provides skills to first responders and public safety professionals on opioid use disorder, overdose response, and related information, including:
- Substance use disorder as a chronic disease;
- Stigma reduction;
- Providing resources to overdose survivors and families;
- Naloxone use and leave-behind practices; and
- Warm hand-offs and connection to treatment.
Continuing education credits are now available for Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors licensees who complete FR-ACT training. There are two ways to participate:
- Complete the online, self-study training on TRAIN PA and earn 1 credit hour. Self-study training is available here.
- Schedule a training for yourself or your agency by contacting St. Joseph’s University Center for Addiction and Recover Education. OR, you can email the Department. Credit hours available to participants of live training will depend on the length of live training.
More information about FR-ACT may be found here. Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.
National Council Issues Update on Federal Shutdown as Day 24 Arrives
OMHSAS Procurement Announcement: Fairweather Lodge Initiative Services
A Request for Applications (RFA) regarding Fairweather Lodge Initiative Services (25-RFA-13798) has been issued and is available for review at PA-eMarketplace.
The Department’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is seeking a non-profit (501(c)(3)) registered Pennsylvania-based organization to manage and implement the Fairweather Lodge (FWL) model across the Commonwealth. The FWL model is a structured, community-based program that supports individuals with serious mental illness in their recovery while fostering independence. FWL will expand home- and community-based services by developing two to five new Lodges, which will create permanent housing opportunities for up to eighteen individuals.
If you are interested in this or other RFAs, please sign up for PA State Procurement eAlerts here.
Please submit your questions via email.
RCPA Shares White Paper on IBHS: The Case for Center-Based Services
OMHSAS Releases Proposed Licensure of Crisis Intervention Services Regulations
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced that the proposed Licensure of Crisis Intervention Services regulations will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on October 18, 2025. The package is also posted on the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) website and can be found here. OMHSAS’ proposed regulation seeks to codify minimum standards for the issuance of licenses to provide emergency behavioral health crisis intervention services (crisis intervention services) in the Commonwealth in alignment with national best practices for crisis services.
Starting October 18, 2025, and closing November 17, 2025, the public may submit written comments regarding the proposed rulemaking to the Department via email. Please be aware that all public comments must be published verbatim on the IRRC website with the name of the commenter included. OMHSAS fully supports and encourages individuals with lived experience to submit comments on the regulation, but please be sure you are comfortable with the content of your comment being made public with your name.
Comments may also be submitted to the following address:
Department of Human Services
OMHSAS – Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Program Development, Attention: Tara Pride
Commonwealth Tower, 11th Floor
303 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
RCPA will be convening a Crisis Intervention Regulatory Review Team to evaluate the proposed regulations and submit comments. If any member is interested in participating in the review group, please contact Emma Sharp.
OMHSAS October 2025 Stakeholder Webinar Registration Now Open
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding their October 2025 Stakeholder Webinar on Thursday, October 23, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Visit here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
For those that want to join via phone:
Call-in Number: (914) 614-3221
Access Code: 562-633-851
Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.
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