The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is pleased to announce the OMHSAS Bulletin Series Update, OMHSAS-25-01, effective May 14, 2025. Obsoleted bulletin lists are updated every few years. This listing identifies bulletins that are no longer in effect. Providers should no longer be referring to them for guidance.
Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is conducting an all-stakeholders survey as the first step in the process to develop one proposed chapter of licensing regulations for inpatient psychiatric services in psychiatric units of general hospitals, private psychiatric hospitals, and Extended Acute Care services located within those inpatient settings. The survey provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to submit anonymous input into regulatory development. OMHSAS will review and analyze the responses as part of the process of developing a proposed regulation. This survey is for all stakeholders, including licensed providers. All responses are voluntary.
Please do not include any personally identifying information or contact information in the survey response.
A copy of the survey questionnaire can be found here and is to help you gather the information for the questionnaire. Please do not submit a hard copy or a copy of this document. Use the link provided to respond to the questions. If you have any questions about this survey or any additional feedback to provide on the inpatient regulations work, please send these electronically.
Please submit the completed survey by May 26, 2025.
The All-Stakeholders Survey can be accessed here.
The RCPA Mental Health Division will be convening a steering committee as part of this regulatory process. We have had advanced discussions with OMHSAS, and they will work with RCPA in the regulatory development. Thank you for your interest and participation in this important work. If you have questions or wish to be a part of this steering committee, please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp.
The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has released Policy Clarification #3490-25-03, which provides guidance on how to address concerns involving privately run camps that do not allege “child abuse” committed by a “perpetrator,” as defined by the Child Protective Services Law (23, PA C.S., Chapter 63). View Policy Clarification #3490-25-03 here. Questions regarding this Policy Clarification may be directed to your applicable OCYF Regional Office, or to Erik Walters, Human Services Analyst in OCYF’s Bureau of Policy, Programs and Operations.
Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.
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.
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Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp for in-person registration.
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
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Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions or concerns.
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