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Authors Posts by Emma Sharp

Emma Sharp

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services is pleased to invite stakeholders to an informational webinar. This webinar will highlight significant sections of the proposed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) regulations that received the highest number of comments during the comment period. The proposed PRTF regulations will codify the minimum licensing standards, Medical Assistance (MA) participation requirements, and payment conditions for PRTFs that provide medically necessary behavioral health treatment to children, youth, or young adults under 21 years of age with a behavioral health diagnosis.

OMHSAS has worked collaboratively with the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth & Family Services (PCCYFS) and RCPA in planning for the May 21, 2025, meeting. RCPA has offered limited space for those who would like to attend in-person; the in-person meeting will be held at 777 East Park Drive, Suite G-4, Harrisburg, PA 17111. Virtual attendance through TEAMS is also an option. In-person attendance is limited to 55 individuals (no more than one individual per organization). Stakeholders may register for in-person attendance by contacting Emma Sharp.

Additional information will be distributed closer to the meeting date. We hope you will join us on May 21, 2025, at 10:00 am!

Questions or comments about this webinar should be sent electronically.

Teams Meeting Information
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 293 767 570 019 7
Passcode: tj393wW9

Dial in by phone
+1 267-332-8737,,333559543# United States, Philadelphia
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 333 559 543#

Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp for in-person registration.

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Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

Earlier this year, Community Care Behavioral Health (CCBH) notified Behavioral Health Services of Somerset and Bedford Counties, Inc. (BHSSBC) of their intent to withdraw from servicing the HealthChoices contract with the counties. In April, BHSSBC announced that they are working to transition its subcontract from CCBH to Magellan Behavioral Health Services of Pennsylvania, Inc., one of five behavioral health managed care organizations (BH-MCO) in the commonwealth, with an effective transition date of November 1, 2025. The primary goal is to provide a seamless transition for providers to prevent any disruption in the delivery of crucial behavioral health and/or substance use disorder services to their members.

All parties will continue to work collaboratively in an effort to promote the delivery of high-quality behavioral health and substance use disorder services to the community.

BHSSBC is one of 24 primary contractors in Pennsylvania’s Behavioral HealthChoices program. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) receives federal Medicaid funding and enters contracts with these primary contractors, who then enter contracts with BH-MCOs, which, among other responsibilities, manage a network of behavioral health providers.

Read BHSSBC’s latest correspondence here.

Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

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Trauma-informed care in the Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has emphasized the importance of trauma-informed approaches in providing technical assistance, training, policy, guidance, support, and monitoring procedures. OCYF has developed and collected many trauma tools and resources that may be helpful for child welfare stakeholders and providers as they proceed on their trauma-informed care continuum, such as their monthly Trauma Tip Sheet.

In the January 2025 Trauma Tip Sheet, the US Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing was introduced, and different topics have been explored in the following months. The May 2025 Trauma Tip Sheet highlights the topic of “Mattering at Work,” and can be read here.

Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

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The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) Division of Policy has published their quarterly Post on Policy newsletter, highlighting policy updates, work group activities, staff contacts, upcoming changes, and special events. This newsletter was designed to inform and update on all things policy in the Office of Children, Youth, and Families Bureau of Programs, Policy and Operations/Division of Policy. Read the newsletter here.

Please contact Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions or concerns.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) April 2025 Stakeholder webinar is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. You can register for the webinar here. 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: (562) 247-8422
Access Code: 757-198-515

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding a quarterly public meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 10:00 am to 11:00 am, for anyone interested in discussing the topic of peer support services (PSS) while working in the mental health field. In particular, OMHSAS will be providing updates on staffing and the release of frequently asked questions.

The Microsoft TEAMS link for this meeting can be found below.

Please send any discussion topics, questions, or agenda items via email by April 7. The email account will be monitored, and the sender will receive a reply only if more information is needed.

If you or your colleagues would like to be added to an OMHSAS Listserv to receive the quarterly invitations, please visit this website and then click on the “join or leave the list” link.

Meeting Date/Time:                 Agenda Topics Due By:
Tuesday, 1/14/25, 10:00 am     December 30, 2024
Tuesday, 4/8/25, 10:00 am       April 7, 2025
Tuesday, 7/8/25, 10:00 am       June 24, 2025
Tuesday, 10/14/25,10:00 am    September 30, 2025

OMHSAS is open to ideas and suggestions on maximizing the effectiveness of these meetings.

These quarterly meetings are not a replacement for the Mental Health Planning Council quarterly meetings; those will continue in addition to these newly established meetings.

Questions pertaining to these meetings should be submitted via email.

TEAMS MEETING INFORMATION:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 223 156 162 141
Passcode: QkkY9M

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions or concerns.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) conducted Technical Assistance (TA) sessions regarding the updated Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (PRS) regulations outlined in 55 Pa. Code Chapter 5230. These sessions were held in November 2024 for licensed PRS providers and Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations (BH-MCO). The revised regulations became effective on January 18, 2025. To further support licensed PRS providers and BH-MCOs in implementing the new regulatory requirements, OMHSAS has released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document addressing common questions identified during those sessions. The FAQ document is now available; you can view the document here.

The FAQ document can also be found at the links below.

Comments and questions regarding this memorandum should be submitted via email to the DHS Psych Rehab inbox. You can also contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced the speakers for their Children’s Crisis Intervention Forum, which will be held April 29 – 30, 2025, at the Hilton Harrisburg. The speakers will include:

  • Drew Martel, LISW, CADC, is a leading expert in crisis intervention and suicide prevention, overseeing crisis response programs at CommUnity Crisis Services.
  • Amanda Gillespie, LISW-S, is the MRSS Coordinator at Case Western Reserve University, with expertise in crisis intervention and youth mental health.
  • Heather Distin, Project Director at Case Western Reserve University, is a licensed clinical counselor with 20 years of experience in youth behavioral health and multi-system collaboration.
  • Ashley Nichols-Kaye, MS, MHP, CHCO, is the Program Manager for Human Services Quality Management and HIPAA Compliance at Venango County Human Services.
  • Dr. Rhonda Boyd is a faculty member at PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and an associate professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is also the associate director of CHOP’s Child and Adolescent Mood Program.
  • Jennifer Foxworthy, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, is the Founder and CEO of Inspirationally Speaking, LLC, and Unstoppable You Ministries, Inc., serving others as a motivational speaker, author, and coach.

From experienced insights to actionable strategies, these speakers (and more) will inspire your impact!

Date: Tuesday, April 29 – Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Location: Hilton Harrisburg (discounted accommodations available)
Parking: Discounted parking provided to conference guests
Register Today – Space is Limited!

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

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