Save the Date: PLEA ACT Spring Training, Fri-Sat, March 18-19, 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA. Stay tuned: further information (CEU credits, venue, hotel accommodations) will be forthcoming in early 2016!
';
Save the Date: PLEA ACT Spring Training, Fri-Sat, March 18-19, 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA. Stay tuned: further information (CEU credits, venue, hotel accommodations) will be forthcoming in early 2016!
Bill approved, extends coverage after Dec. 31
As previously reported, the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is conducting work groups to develop recommendations for the development of youth-young adult peer support services and for youth-young adult psychiatric rehabilitation services. RCPA is participating in both work groups through the involvement of the Directors of the Children’s Division and the Mental Health Division. In January, RCPA will be scheduling a focused conference call with members providing Medicaid-funded peer support service, psychiatric rehabilitation services, and adolescent-young adult mental health services. The purpose of the conference call will be to review the status of the OMHSAS work groups and to gather input from the field with regard to service design, the development of service, supervision and program description standards/regulatory changes, and to better understand the operational and clinical care, cost, and compliance implications for these services.
The Bureau of Autism Services (BAS) is conducting a preliminary survey to help inform the design of services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are transitioning out of high school, including those who may have had justice intersections or psychiatric hospitalizations. This survey is designed to be completed by professionals with or without experience supporting individuals with ASD ages 18-25. BAS is asking for feedback on both surveys by Friday, January 1.
BAS has developed two versions of this survey; one for individuals and families, and another to be completed by professionals. The professionals survey can be completed here. Any questions about these surveys can be directed to the Bureau of Autism Services via email.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) are inviting providers and others to review and provide comments on its draft State Plan for the Child Care Development Block Grant.
To submit comments, download and complete the response form by Friday, January 8, 2016, and email or mail to:
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Attn: State Plan
333 Market Street
Sixth Floor
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17126
The Child Care Development Block Grant is one of the primary federal funding sources for monitoring regulated child care programs, child care subsidy through Child Care Works, and child care quality improvement through Keystone STARS. Pennsylvania’s plan, once finalized, will address how the state will implement new requirements imposed by the reauthorization over the next three federal fiscal years. Key features of the plan include:
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning has also posted and begun accepting public comment on a policy announcement, Reduction of Expulsion and Suspension in Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania. OCDEL will hold a webinar to review the public comments received to date and give the stakeholder community a final opportunity to provide feedback. OCDEL will also accept additional comments via email until Monday, January 18, 2016, at which time the public comment period will be closed.
The Bureau of Autism Services is conducting a preliminary survey to help inform the design of services for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are transitioning out of high school, including those who may have had juvenile justice contact or psychiatric hospitalizations. The survey is designed to be completed by individuals with ASD and their families and caregivers. Surveys should be completed by Friday, December 4. Any questions about this survey can be sent via email to the Bureau of Autism Services.
On November 23, the leadership of the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), including Deputy Secretary Dennis Marion and Medical Director Dr. Dale Adair, provided a webcast presentation on the development of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The webcast to more than 130 RCPA members reviewed the current concepts and recommendations developed by a clinical work group, assisting OMHSAS in the development of ABA medical necessity guidelines, clarifying the authorization pathway for Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services for children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has released an updated schedule for the classroom-based medication administration training. The announcement includes the scheduling of an additional class for medication administration and to advise which other scheduled locations still have availability. Locations where the training has been completed, or the registration closed, have been removed from the listings in ODP Announcement 092-15. The current dates and locations for the medication administration trainings are:
CLASSROOM TRAINING DATES | REGION |
Wednesday, October 21, 2015 | Erie, Erie County |
Thursday, October 22, 2015 | Milesburg, Centre County |
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 | Gettysburg, Adams County |
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 | Mercer, Mercer County |
Wednesday, November 4, 2015 | Warren, Warren County |
Thursday, November 5, 2015 | Towanda, Bradford County |
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 | Shamokin Dam, Northumberland County |
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 | Greencastle, Franklin County |
Thursday, November 12, 2015 | Ambler, Montgomery County |
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 | Dubois, Clearfield County |
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 | Hamlin Wayne County |
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | Franklin, Venango County |
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 | Uniontown, Fayette County |
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 | Blairsville, Indiana County |
Thursday, December 3, 2015 | Altoona, Blair County |
Monday, December 7, 2015 | Harrisburg, Dauphin County |
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 | Tunkhannock, Wyoming County |
Wednesday, December 9, 2015 | Trevose, Bucks County |
Registration instructions can be found here. The next round of training classes are expected to be scheduled for March 2016. Dates and registration information will be released through a future ODP Announcement.
The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has compiled the responses from the survey conducted on the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL). Many of the questions that were posed in response to the survey are answered through the following handouts, as well as on the state’s CPSL website. Members are strongly encouraged to review the website and handouts.
The OCYF is coordinating with Bureau of Human Services Licensing to host a webinar for providers in November, in order to address questions on CPSL and provide further clarification. Additional details for this webinar will be available in the near future. After your organization has reviewed the materials provided, please send any additional, unanswered questions you may have to Nicole Good at OCYF by Friday, October 9, 2015. These questions can then be addressed during the webinar.
Materials from the September 15 meeting of the RCPA Children’s Division are now available: