Life After Lockdowns: RCPA Member Wellspan Philhaven Sees Increase in Mental Health Services After Stress of Past Few Years
Jim Sharp
Behavioral Health Division Update: Get Involved With Work Groups and Committees
RCPA’s Behavioral Health Division committees and work groups are the foundation of our legislative and advocacy efforts on behalf of members. Member involvement in these groups provides unique perspectives on operational and service-level experiences that shape our positions and strategies.
There are larger bi-monthly Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Adult and Children’s Mental Health Division meetings that include stakeholder updates and discussions. DDAP, OMHSAS, OCYF, and guest speakers from across the continuum of human services typically participate in these meetings. Additionally, we have several active specific work groups that include:
| SUD Committees | Adult MH Committee |
|---|---|
| Opioid Treatment Programs | Adult Mental Health Steering Committee |
| Centers of Excellence | 988/Crisis Services |
| SUD Regulatory Reform | ACT Program |
| SUD Legislative | Regulatory Reform |
| Children’s MH Committees | Combined SUD/MH Committees |
| Children’s Steering Committee | Telehealth |
| IBHS Work Group | Criminal Justice |
| Children’s Residential Services | Value-Based Purchasing |
| School-Based Behavioral Health | ICWC/CCBHC |
| Early Intervention | Workforce |
| Family-Based Services Ad Hoc Group |
Several of the groups are open only to provider members, while others include any interested member. Participation in the groups is open to individuals that you feel best fit the needs of your organization. If you would like to participate in any of the committees or work groups, please contact your Behavioral Health Division Directors Jim Sharp or Jason Snyder. We look forward to collaborating with you in the future.
OMHSAS Releases Updated Act 65 Bulletin: Consent to Mental Health Treatment for Minors
OMHSAS Telehealth Funding Opportunity to Be Released on February 1
Senior Executive 2023 DEI Calendar Now Available
Recommendations Supported by RCPA Members: Revisions to Certification Criteria for CCBHCs
988/Crisis Regulations Work Group Meeting Scheduled for Monday, February 6, 2023
The RCPA 988/Crisis Regulations Work Group meeting has been rescheduled to Monday, February 6, 2023, at 3:00 pm. The group was originally slated to meet on March 23, 2023, but there was a request from the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) to meet with our members to review several important crisis system updates as well as information regarding a small provider work group to collaborate with OHMSAS for a specific project around mobile crisis.
In addition to the OMHSAS updates, we will revisit the activities of the work group to date, prepare for the OMHSAS section of the call, and map out a strategic agenda in preparation for the release of the crisis regulations.
Register for the meeting here. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
$7.2 Million Grant to Help Provide Mental Health Services to Montgomery County Students
PUBLISHED:
NORRISTOWN — The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit has been awarded a $7.2 million four-year grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
This highly competitive Project AWARE grant, for which the intermediate unit will receive $1.8 million a year for four years, has only been awarded to approximately 20 entities across the United States.
Project AWARE is a nationwide grant created to develop a sustainable infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. The intermediate unit provides programs and services to Montgomery County school districts, career and technical schools, non-public schools and other organizations. Through its direct service to students, especially those most at risk, the intermediate unit has been able to identify ways to assist students and their families to navigate mental health supports and services.
“This grant award is a major recognition for the MCIU and reflects all the hard work and accomplishments of our MCIU employees in supporting students and families across the region,” Executive Director Regina Speaker said in a press release issued by the Intermediate Unit. “We appreciate the support of Senator Robert Casey and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean and many other partners, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, for this grant project.”
The grant project will: expand suicide awareness training opportunities for students(K-12), implement a universal mental health screener to be utilized by school district or nonpublic school staff members and create an electronic data system to connect school mental health practitioners (e.g. psychologists, social workers and counselors) with community-based mental health providers that have immediate availability to support students in all levels of care (outpatient therapy to inpatient psychiatric care).
The MCIU is partnering with two other intermediate units on this project — Luzerne and Carbon-Lehigh County Intermediate Units — to proactively address students’ mental health needs.
RCPA recommends members in the Montgomery County region engage with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and local school districts for planning and discussions on how your continuum of services may benefit student mental health in the schools.
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Mental Health Director Jim Sharp.
RCPA ICWC/CCBHC Meeting Highlights
OMHSAS Confirms RCPA Telehealth Extension Notice
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