The Adult Mental Health and Children’s Services Committee meetings for Wednesday, October 8, 2025, have been cancelled. RCPA will announce details of a potential combined meeting in November once information is available. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Sharp, RCPA COO and Mental Health Services Director.
National Council’s Hill Day event will span two days, with a Public Policy Institute Program on October 7 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, and meetings on Capitol Hill slated for October 8. This is a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the country and share your important stories directly with the people who represent you in Washington, D.C.
Last year, RCPA members received the opportunity to learn and develop their lobbying skills through the Public Policy Institute sessions and put them to work meeting with Pennsylvania legislators in a series of meetings and roundtables. The experience was invaluable and created a pathway to advocating in their home districts and events like the RCPA Capital Day.
While Hill visits are open to all, space will limit the Public Policy Institute to 400 registrants.
As RCPA will once more serve as Team Captains for the Pennsylvania delegation, we ask that, when you register, you also contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp. RCPA will be coordinating and communicating with members as the event proceeds.
Attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging; however, hotel rooms can be booked through the Omni Shoreham Hotel at a discounted group rate once you have registered. Group transportation between the hotel and Capitol Hill will be offered at set times.
Note on potential shutdown: If Congress does not reach a spending agreement by September 30, there may be a government shutdown starting October 1. D.C. offices will remain open, however, and staff meetings can still occur. More updates will be provided if a shutdown appears likely.
More details will be forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you there!
Questions:
We are excited to announce Hill Day 2025!
Hill Day will span two days, with a Public Policy Institute Program on October 7 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, and meetings on Capitol Hill slated for October 8.
This is a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the country and share your important stories directly with the people who represent you in Washington, D.C.
Last year, RCPA members received the opportunity to learn and develop their lobbying skills through the Public Policy Institute sessions and put them to work meeting with Pennsylvania legislators in a series of meetings and roundtables. The experience was invaluable and created a pathway to advocating in their home districts and events like the RCPA Capital Day.
While Hill visits are open to all, space will limit the Public Policy Institute to 400 registrants.
As RCPA will once more serve as Team Captains for the Pennsylvania delegation, we ask that, when you register, you also contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp. RCPA will be coordinating and communicating with members as the event proceeds.
Attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging; however, hotel rooms can be booked through the Omni Shoreham Hotel at a discounted group rate once you have registered. Group transportation between the hotel and Capitol Hill will be offered at set times.
Note on potential shutdown: If Congress does not reach a spending agreement by September 30, there may be a government shutdown starting October 1. D.C. offices will remain open, however, and staff meetings can still occur. More updates will be provided if a shutdown appears likely.
More details will be forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you there!
Questions:
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) has entered into a Settlement Agreement to resolve a federal class action lawsuit concerning mental health and child welfare services for Pennsylvania youth who are adjudicated dependent and have mental health disabilities. This case affects all Pennsylvania youth under the age of 21 who now, or in the future, are adjudicated dependent and have diagnosed mental health disabilities. The settlement will involve additional requirements from county children and youth agencies, county mental health systems, as well as requirements on the Primary Contractors and Behavior Health Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (BH-MCO). BH-MCOs, Primary Contractors, and County Mental Health Administrators have been separately notified.
The settlement will impact community-based as well as residential children’s services for this population of youth, and it has not been determined fully how these services will be funded in the County or Health choices system, though DHS is charged with requesting CMS to cover these or a portion through Federal funding.
The proposed settlement agreement can be read here. The settlement agreement will not be finalized until objections have been heard and the agreement receives approval by the judge. PA DHS will communicate more details and timelines in the coming weeks as the settlement is finalized.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp.
Overview
The Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (“Byrne SCIP”) is a grant administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). These are federal funds that Pennsylvania receives from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). State governments may use these monies to fund “state, local, and tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence” in accordance with an approved Byrne SCIP Plan.
This AOPC announcement briefly highlights several funding opportunities in Pennsylvania’s approved plan that relate to the intersection of courts and behavioral health, specifically “Priority Area #1: Equip Pennsylvania communities with training and resources to respond holistically to behavioral health crises.”
Please see PCCD’s entire funding announcement here. Grant application and administrative guides can be accessed on PCCD’s website under the Funding section.
Priority Area #1 Objectives:
The SCIP grant is an excellent opportunity for governmental agencies to obtain funding for specific behavioral health-related purposes that benefit citizens and criminal-legal system actors. Approved funding opportunities include:
Eligibility & Deadlines:
The deadline for applying is September 9, 2025.
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