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Authors Posts by Emma Sharp

Emma Sharp

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The Mental Health Safety Net (MHSN) Coalition’s weekly advocacy communication focused this week on the Commonwealth’s need for an increase in Behavioral Health Capitation to ensure sound rates to sustain providers and access to services. The full advocacy letter can be read here.

The Mental Health Safety Net (MHSN) Coalition is a group of stakeholders participating in a joint advocacy effort to protect and preserve our mental health service delivery system. RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the MHSN Coalition meeting on Monday, June 30, 2025, from 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This meeting will serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities.

Please contact Emma Sharp with questions or if you would like to join the coalition.

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Earlier this week, the Senate Parliamentarian advised lawmakers that several provisions in the budget reconciliation bill will not be able to pass with a simple majority vote. This includes the Senate’s proposed reductions to state provider taxes that were expected to result in billions of cost savings to the federal government. Senate Republicans now have several options to consider before moving forward, including removing key Medicaid provisions in the bill or re-drafting and re-submitting them to try to earn Parliamentarian approval. Other policies that were ruled unallowable under the Byrd Rule included the exclusion of specific groups of immigrants from Medicaid and withholding federal funds from states that use their own funds to provide coverage.

Senators are expected to vote in the coming days. While Pennsylvania Federal legislators are hearing the message from RCPA and other state associations, they are hearing very little from the constituencies in their home districts.

To assist with outreach and to help tailor the letter provided above, National Council and RCPA have provided additional resources below:

  • Find your US legislators here.
  • Call or write to your legislators here.

Your outreach TODAY is critical. If hundreds of billions of dollars are cut:

  • Millions of people are expected to lose access to lifesaving care and services;
  • Community behavioral health providers, operating on the thinnest of margins already, will face additional financial hardship; and
  • The cuts are unlikely to save any money overall because costs will simply shift to states, who will be forced to try and make up the funding difference.

Specific proposals under consideration, like mandatory work requirements and provider tax policy changes, are expected to create huge administrative burdens that are likely to result in eligible people losing their coverage, plus massive funding losses for states that could result in reduced availability of mental health and SUD services.

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Through a contract with the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA), the Department of Human Services’ Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) is supporting a specialized training on the reporting requirements for incidents involving children served in Child Residential and Day Treatment Facilities. This training is designed for child residential facility staff, their related purchasing entities, law enforcement agencies, OCYF Regional Office Reps, MCO staff, and staff of other entities that interact with Child Residential and Day Treatment Facilities.

Title of Training: Reporting Requirements for Children Served in Residential Care Facilities

Training Hours: Three (3) Hours

Format: Live Virtual

Register for an Upcoming Training:

Training Summary:

This training is for providers and other child serving entities and clarifies 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 then 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 – OCYF Regional Office Reps, Law Enforcement, MCOs, etc.

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 Emma Sharp with any questions.

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The Mental Health Safety Net (MHSN) Coalition is a group of stakeholders participating in a joint advocacy effort to protect and preserve our mental health service delivery system. The Coalition’s third advocacy letter addresses the need for funding for county mental health services for adults in Pennsylvania. The full letter can be read here.

RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meeting on Monday, June 23, 2025, from 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This meeting will serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities.

Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions or if you would like to join the Coalition.

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The Mental Health Safety Net Coalition is a group of stakeholders participating in a joint advocacy effort to protect and preserve our mental health service delivery system. The Coalition’s second advocacy bulletin, which was sent to the General Assembly, discusses the behavioral health workforce shortage and the challenges that they face. The full letter can be read here.

RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meeting on Monday, June 16, 2025, from 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This meeting will serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities.

Please contact RCPA Policy Analyst Emma Sharp with any questions or if you would like to join the Coalition.

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RCPA, in its partnership with the PA Health Access Network (PHAN), is asking organizations to consider signing on to their new letter, which opposes cuts to Medicaid and Pennie. The latest proposal in Congress would take healthcare away from 600,000 Pennsylvanians who receive their coverage through Medicaid or Pennie. This is a separate letter than was previously shared with members in February; we ask your organization to join PHAN and show your opposition to potential cuts. This new communication reflects some of the specific areas that will be impacted.

Enter your information to publicly sign on to the letter on behalf of your organization. Please note: this sign-on page is for organizations only. Please contact Bill England with any questions or if you do not want to be listed publicly.

RCPA continues its state and federal advocacy efforts for state mental health funding and preserving Medicaid funding. If you are interested in joining the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition, please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp.

Thank you for all you do in working to preserve Pennsylvania’s healthcare.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) issued OMHSAS-25-02 Voluntary and Involuntary Commitment Forms on May 27, 2025. In response to concerns from stakeholders, OMHSAS will be pausing implementation of this bulletin for 90 days, through August 27, 2025. In addition to giving providers the opportunity to update electronic health records and print new forms, OMHSAS will use that time to continue to receive and respond to stakeholder questions and to schedule Q&A sessions. The department thanks stakeholders for the comments that have been provided so far and welcomes additional comments and questions, which can be sent electronically.

OMHSAS-25-02 and all forms can be found at links provided. As OMHSAS continues to work towards standardized Mental Health Procedures Act Forms that work across the Commonwealth, they appreciate your partnership and input.

Contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

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The Mental Health Safety Net Coalition is a group of stakeholders participating in a joint advocacy effort to protect and preserve our mental health service delivery system. The Coalition’s first advocacy bulletin discusses the critical areas of funding for the FY 2025/26 budget, including community mental health, school-based services, crisis intervention services, psychiatric centers, and the Behavioral HealthChoices program.

The full letter can be read here.

RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meeting on Monday, June 9, 2025, from 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This meeting will serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities.

Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions or if you would like to join the Coalition.

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The Shapiro Administration has released a response to potential federal Medicaid cuts. This document provides information on the Medicaid and SNAP programs in Pennsylvania and offers a high-level analysis of the potential impacts of HR 1, Congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill, on the commonwealth. As currently proposed, the legislation would kick over 300,000 Pennsylvanians off Medicaid, shift $1B in food assistance costs from the federal government onto our state budget, and strain our hospitals, potentially leading to the closure of as many as 25 rural hospitals across Pennsylvania. The legislation would also add significant new IT and administrative burdens for commonwealth agencies in the form of unfunded mandates from Washington.

Read the full report here. In addition, you can view this infographic for details on the impacts of implementing work requirements to SNAP benefits. Contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

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