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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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For immediate release:

Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services Inc. (CRCSI) is thrilled to announce that it has received a $100,000 grant from Staunton Farm Foundation to enhance the agency’s new Electronic Health Record in the upcoming year. This monumental task could potentially support a new approach to providing treatment through the utilization of integrated assessment and diagnostic tools, providing real time outcomes. Those rich outcomes will enhance the process of care and the collaboration between patient and treatment providers.

CRCSI turned to Staunton Farm Foundation for assistance with this project, being aware of the Foundation’s extensive philanthropic history of funding initiatives to improve mental health and substance abuse services for the residents of the area. Additionally, CRCSI has been the recipient of past awards from the Foundation and has had the pleasure of working with them on previous rewarding projects.

CRCSI has been a leader in mental health care in Western Pennsylvania since 1969 and has long been active in community projects that inspire the health of the community. CRCSI collaborates with other agencies and partners including, but not limited to, Fayette County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration, Carelon Health of Pennsylvania, and WVU Medicine/ Uniontown Hospital, to name a few.

Staunton Farm Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness and substance use disorders. The Foundation works to enhance behavioral health treatment, support, and recovery through grant making to nonprofit organizations in 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland). Learn more at www.StauntonFarm.org.

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Please disregard this reminder if you have already registered.

On Monday, May 11, 2026, RCPA will be hosting a virtual H.R. 1 Medicaid Summit for all members, non-members, and stakeholders from 9:00 am – 10:00 am. This virtual summit will explore the role of providers, advocates, and stakeholders in the process of ensuring access and care for vulnerable Pennsylvanias. Panelists will include:

  • Hoa Pham, Deputy Secretary, Office of Income Maintenance, Department of Human Services;
  • Peter Delia, JD, Federal Policy & Advocacy Strategist, National Council for Mental Wellbeing;
  • Dr. Matthew Hurford, President and CEO, Community Care Behavioral Health;
  • Leesa Allen, CEO and Medicaid Consultant, Leesa Allen Consulting LLC; and
  • Dr. Richard S. Edley, President and CEO, RCPA.

Register Here to Attend This Informative Summit

As part of the event, we will have a Q&A segment. If you have any questions you would like to ask during the Q&A segment, or if you have any general questions regarding the virtual summit, please forward them to RCPA Behavioral Health Policy Associate Emma Sharp.

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Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Governor Shapiro has made student mental health a priority, investing nearly $400 million in school-based mental health and school safety since January 2023. The proposed 2026/27 budget includes a continued investment of $111 million for school safety and mental health supports, with $100 million of these funds allocated through the Pennsylvania Commission of Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) as a non-competitive grant.

Student mental health continues to be the largest instructional challenge in schools, with more than 80% of school districts reporting that a shortage of qualified mental health care providers is the biggest challenge in connecting students to the care they need. Despite significant investments, why can students not access the mental health care they require to thrive?

The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA) and the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition members urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to consider these blueprint recommendations. Never before have we had the opportunity to fund and act so decisively.

The full letter can be read here.

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. RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meetings that will be occurring throughout the budget season.

The next Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meeting is scheduled for Wednesday May 6, 2026, at 1:00 pm. Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions or if you would like to join the Coalition.

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Strengthening Behavioral Health Self‑Pay Collections: Best Practices & Strategies
Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 1:00 pm
Register Here

Join Heather Hearn, Chief Revenue Officer, RCPA Business Member ZMark Health, for a focused session on strengthening self‑pay collections through clear communication, consistent processes, and thoughtfully designed workflows for behavioral health settings. Co-hosting this webinar will be RCPA COO and Mental Health Services Division Director Jim Sharp.

During this session, ZMark Health will cover:

  • Setting financial expectations early and with clarity;
  • Normalizing collections at the point of service;
  • Applying financial policies consistently; and
  • Additional best practices.

As a leader in revenue cycle services for behavioral health organizations, ZMark Health will share practical insights and actionable strategies to help streamline self‑pay workflows and enhance the patient financial experience.

This session supports our ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency, strengthen financial performance, and deliver service excellence. We hope you can join us!

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) held a “kickoff” webinar to discuss the Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) and have released the recording and slides for the presentation, which are available here. DHS is currently awaiting the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the first phase of Year 1 implementation.

Year 1 Funding Mechanisms will include:

  • Expansion of existing programs;
  • Program payments;
  • Intergovernmental agreements; and
  • Grant agreements.

If your organization has an interest in these RFPs, RCPA will provide updates as appropriate, but we also encourage you to sign up directly for the DHS listserv info. Direct RHTP inquiries can be sent here.

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The Mental Health Safety Net Coalition will meet on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 1:00 pm. The Coalition provides an advocacy platform for RCPA members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders for developing strategies, activities, and engagement opportunities to support behavioral health funding in the Commonwealth.

This upcoming meeting will allow the group to finalize the next white paper, which focuses on the school-based mental health and safety funding, as well as budget updates, RCPA Capitol Day, and a review of the Department of Human Services (DHS) budget hearings.

Microsoft Teams Meeting:
Join the Meeting
Meeting ID: 233 482 417 065 33
Passcode: UF7Xf2BW

If you would like to join the Coalition or have any questions, please contact Emma Sharp.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has notified counties of the finalization of the Cost Center Bulletin, which states:

The purpose of this bulletin is to accommodate data reporting for the changing and growing array of services provided by county Mental Health Administrations using federal, state, and county funding. This bulletin establishes new cost centers, updates existing cost centers, and combines existing cost centers. It enables appropriate reporting and monitoring of expenditure and service information for a number of community mental health services. The reporting of county mental health program costs must conform to the cost centers identified in this bulletin beginning with the County Human Service Plans and Income and Expenditures Report for State Fiscal Year 2026/2027.

The complete bulletin is available here. If you have any questions, please contact OMHSAS via email or RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Photo by Larry Crayton on Unsplash

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Family Leadership Toolkit, which is designed for state-level professionals and family leaders working to elevate family voices in systems changes. The Family Leadership Toolkit offers practical tools, strategies, and real-world examples to help build strong, collaborative partnerships between professionals and family leaders. You can:

  • Use it to guide leadership development.
  • Share it with your networks and colleagues.
  • Introduce it in meetings, trainings, and planning sessions.
  • Promote it through your organization’s communication channels.

Access The Family Leadership Toolkit here. For questions, please reach out to OCDEL via email.

Additional questions can be directed to RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (OMHSAS) is issuing a correction to the OMHSAS-26-01 Payment for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services bulletin that was originally issued on February 6, 2026.

This correction addresses a typo in the service description for Psychiatric Rehab Mobile – Group. The previous bulletin incorrectly listed the group size limit as two (2). The correct maximum group size is no more than five (5) individuals in alignment with the licensing standard in § 5230.54 (a)(2). This update corrects the group size limit to five in the service description for procedure code H0036.

Please refer to the updated version of the Payment for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services.

If you have any questions, please contact OMHSAS for further clarification. Members may also direct questions to RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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