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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Children’s Bureau will be conducting a Title IV-E Federal Review for Pennsylvania (PA) in July of 2026. These reviews are mandatory every three (3) years and includes a systematic monitoring of the Title IV-E Foster Care Program. This program provides the cost of foster care maintenance, administrative expenses to manage the program, and training for staff and foster parents. PA’s period under review (PUR) will begin this October 1 and last through March 31, 2026. A random sample of 100 cases of youth in Foster Care will be selected.

In essence, the review considers:

  • Judicial determinations regarding reasonable efforts and child’s best interest;
  • Timely court hearings and determinations;
  • Voluntary placement agreements;
  • Responsibility for placement and care vested with state agency;
  • Eligibility for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) under the state plan in effect July 16, 1996;
  • Placement in a licensed foster family home or child-care institution; and
  • Safety requirements for the child’s foster care placement.

What does this mean for you? The Children’s Bureau will review County and Provider case files of the selected child and all their placement detail. The records must be able to show compliance with Federal Regulations as well as the Child Protective Services Law. The review includes the licensing of all agencies with particular attention on:

  • Criminal Clearances for all staff, including those who are not child serving and those who are no longer employed;
  • No lapse in licensing where Title IV-E claims were made (particularly in single foster homes);
  • Fingerprints provided prior to the licensing date;
  • Safety Considerations document for staff and foster parents with criminal charges or critical incidents;
  • All trainings required for staff and foster parents having been completed; and
  • Clearances for Household Members by 30 days after their 18 birthday.

As such, on August 4, 2025, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, OCYF will be offering a virtual training option to learn more about this review. OCYF will complete the following:

  • Review details expected during the review;
  • Brainstorm PA’s strengths and areas in need of improvement;
  • Create tools to ease document collection; and
  • Address communication gaps.

To register for this virtual training option, please fill out the form here. Please note that the form mentions an in-person option, but OCYF will now only be offering the virtual option.

Please feel free to contact Caitlin Robinson with any questions regarding the registration of this training. Thank you in advance for your participation in this meeting. OCYF appreciates your partnership and cooperation as they move closer to critical audit for PA.

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Folders with the label Applications and Grants

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing the notice of a funding opportunity (NOFO) for a new Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot. SAMHSA estimates awarding between 13 to 40 grants. This grant will be up to three years, and the amount funded will be based on a tiered system explained in the NOFO. Applications are due no later than August 1, 2025.

The purpose of the Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot is to leverage existing health care institutions’ capacity to prevent, test for, treat, and cure Hepatitis C (HCV) in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or severe mental illness (SMI), particularly in communities severely affected by homelessness, as well as to gain insights on effective ways to identify patients, complete treatment, and reduce reinfection. Recipients of this program are expected to implement a holistic approach that integrates HCV and HIV testing, comprehensive prevention treatment, and recovery support services for SUD, SMI, hepatitis C, and HIV as needed. Through this initiative, SAMHSA aims to increase the number of individuals who are cured of HCV, reduce the incidence of HCV and HIV in grant-funded communities, and help address the intersection of SUD, SMI, infectious disease, and homelessness in high-need populations across the nation.

The NOFO and application details can be found at the following websites:

This is a unique opportunity for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHC), as many CCBHCs may have the infrastructure to support this grant and may find this pilot to be aligned with their CCBHC programming.

To prepare and submit an application for the Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot, it is essential to refer to the specific NOFO and the FY 2025 NOFO Application Guide. The Application Guide provides detailed instructions on the application process, including registration requirements, attachment completion, budget preparation, and adherence to federal policies and regulations.

SAMHSA requires applicants to download application forms from the Grants.gov website and may need additional forms from the SAMHSA website. It is crucial to ensure that all required forms are completed and included in the application. Incomplete applications without all the necessary forms may be deemed ineligible for review.

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At this year’s Pennsylvania Psychological Association Award ceremony, the founder and CEO of RCPA member Network for Behavior Change Steve Kossor, MA, received the Distinguished Contributions to the Science and Practice of Psychology Award. This prestigious award recognizes the important work and contributions Kossor has made in nearly 40 years of service. Kossor is not only a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist in Pennsylvania, but he is also a critical member of the RCPA IBHS Steering Committee. His guidance and partnership have helped shape our strategies for ensuring the treatment of children with mental illnesses and behavioral disorders.

Kossor has authored several research studies as well as developed and authored The Kossor Scale for Treatment Outcome Measurement. Please join us at RCPA in congratulating him on his award and career achievements.

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Image by BestGraphics_Com from Pixabay

Today, the House voted and passed HR 1 by a margin of 218–214, to advance the bill known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which now moves to the White House to Trump’s desk to be signed into law in time to beat a self-imposed July 4 deadline.

The final version cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income individuals and people with disabilities, and other health care programs. It reduces spending on anti-hunger programs, including SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps, by $185 billion.

The Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation all voted on party lines, with the exception of Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, who was one of only two Republicans to join all Democrats in voting against the measure. RCPA thanks Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick for meeting with RCPA last week and for voting against this bill. We are grateful for the Congressman’s support in protecting the most vulnerable populations that rely on Medicaid.

Main Points Relating to Medicaid Include
About 71 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, according to the government’s most recent data. According to a Congressional Budget Office report published this week, the changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in the current version would result in an increase of nearly 12 million more uninsured people by 2034. It is estimated that nearly 600,000 Pennsylvanians could lose Medicaid coverage.

Work Requirements
The bill outlines new work requirements for the popular entitlement program that provides government-sponsored health care for low-income Americans and people with disabilities. They require adults to work, volunteer, or study 80 hours a month to qualify for enrollment, unless they have an exception. The bill also requires parents of children over the age of 14 to work, as well as those receiving SNAP benefits.

Reporting Requirements
The bill also requires Medicaid recipients to prove their eligibility twice a year, instead of annually.

From our Partners at the National Council on Mental Wellbeing
The scale of the funding reductions and new administrative burdens is immense. But it is also important to recognize that some last-minute changes made to the bill in the past week provide an opening for further advocacy efforts that could potentially mitigate some of the impacts. Most relevant provisions of the bill will not take effect immediately, and in some cases, the effects will be phased in gradually over the course of several years. In addition, several provisions require agency rulemaking for full implementation, and there will likely be opportunities for you to engage through the notice and comment process.

RCPA will continue to review the final bill language and will follow up with a detailed analysis on the impacts of the bill; and through ongoing advocacy channels we will engage in with our national and state partners.

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RCPA is excited to host a membership benefits webinar on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 10:00 am, as an opportunity for members to orient themselves with all that RCPA membership includes. This is not just for new and future members. For current members, there may be benefits associated with our membership that you may not be aware of, including targeted meetings and groups that occur throughout the year.

Registration is required; please register here to attend the webinar. Items we will review include the below and much more:

  • Virtually meet the dedicated RCPA Policy Staff and RCPA lobbyists;
  • Discuss the 2025 Legislative and Administrative priorities;
  • Preview RCPA divisional committee and subcommittee meetings and what they offer;
  • View the RCPA member-only website;
  • Review exclusive yearly educational and networking events; and
  • Understand the value of the National Association and ANCOR memberships included with RCPA membership.

Visit the RCPA member benefits web page for more information, or contact Tieanna Lloyd for benefit details.

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Message from Rep. Dan Williams’s Office:

HARRISBURG, June 24 – Bipartisan legislation introduced by state Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, that would help Pennsylvanians take advantage of new federal Medicaid rules that give patients and clinicians more telehealth options for behavioral health services passed the PA House today with overwhelming support.

“The longstanding and outdated ‘four walls’ requirement has limited Medicaid reimbursement to services within the physical walls of a clinic,” said Williams. “This only creates barriers to care, particularly in rural areas and regions experiencing mental health workforce shortages.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave states the option to waive the requirement on Jan. 1. In response, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has submitted a State Plan Amendment to adopt this flexibility, which is currently awaiting federal approval.

House Bill 1590 would repeal state regulations that conflict with the new federal flexibility. Importantly, the bill would not change existing rules requiring in-person treatment hours for outpatient behavioral health clinics.

“Under this bill, Pennsylvania can fully implement the change, expanding access to behavioral health services and reducing care gaps for our vulnerable populations across the Commonwealth,” Williams said.

The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

It is important to note that, at this time, OMHSAS is awaiting approval from CMS. To address the Federal Medicaid payment conditions in the Pennsylvania statute, there was a need for this legislation to permit services be covered under Medicaid, and HB 1590 would achieve this. It is also important to reiterate that this bill will not change outpatient behavioral health clinic rules requiring in-person treatment hours. The passage of this bill will address these conditions for outpatient clinics as well as the delivery of SUD services.

Both the CMS SPA approval and the legislation would be retroactive to January 1, 2025.

Until then, the completion of both the SPA and the legislation on 4 walls flexibilities will remain in place. RCPA is grateful to have partnered with OMHSAS, House legislators, and other stakeholder associations on the development of this bill. We will continue our efforts in getting the legislation to the Governor’s desk.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Director of Mental Health Services Jim Sharp.

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