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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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Message from the Department of Human Services (DHS):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2021 

Department of Human Services Discusses Spending Plan for Home and Community-Based Services Enhanced Federal Funding to Support Mental Health Services, Children 

Harrisburg, PA — Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) today highlighted Pennsylvania’s spending plan for approximately $1.2 billion in enhanced federal Medicaid funding made available to states through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This funding will support Medicaid’s home and community-based services (HCBS) system throughout the commonwealth, which helps seniors, people with disabilities, children with complex medical needs, and many other groups safely live in their community among their family and peers. This funding will strengthen Pennsylvania’s home and community-based services system by allowing more Pennsylvanians access to critical services in their communities and supporting service providers that perform this work every day.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the professionals who care for our most vulnerable, including children, seniors, people with disabilities, and those needing mental health services,” said Acting Secretary Meg Snead. “This enhanced funding through the American Rescue Plan Act will allow employers to recruit and retain skilled workers and allows them to plan for the future to provide training, certification, technology access, and much more.”

DHS received conditional approval of its spending plan on December 1 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. On today’s call, DHS outlined how funding will be used through the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), and the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP).

  • OMHSAS will prioritize funding for workforce recruitment and retention to qualifying providers, specifically mobile crisis mental health services, intensive behavioral health services (IBHS), psychiatric rehabilitation, and family-based mental health services. While many mental health services are not considered HCBS under ARPA, within the parameters of this funding opportunity, OMHSAS also will invest in training clinicians in trauma-informed treatment modalities, technology and training for telehealth, and updating the state hospital system’s technology infrastructure and providing staff training for use of electronic health records to facilitate more efficient transitions to community-based placements and services.
  • OCDEL supported a 3 percent rate increase for Infant/Toddler Early Intervention services, which allows all providers of Early Intervention services, including Service Coordination, to receive a 3 percent rate increase for services. This rate increase went into effect on July 1, 2021.
  • OMAP will use the recommendations of its pediatric shift care nursing work group to inform ARPA spending with a focus on achieving the following goals: improve care and service coordination for children with complex medical needs; support training of private duty nurses; leverage health information technology to allow for the sharing of clinical information; use a value-based payment structure for managed care organizations to improve outcomes of children receiving pediatric shift care nursing services; and facilitate co-training opportunities for both shift nurses and families to help improve coordination, continuity, and support among caregivers.

“When we invest in the caring workforce, Pennsylvania benefits both socially and economically,” said Acting Secretary Snead. “Having care provided in your own home or within your community allows family caregivers to be part of the workforce themselves and it allows those needing home and community-based services to stay safe, healthy, and to thrive.”

More information about Pennsylvania’s home and community-based services spending plan is available on DHS’s website.

RCPA continues to meet with DHS advocating for members on the spending plan and distribution strategies to ensure the workforce issues are front and center of the plan. If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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American Rescue Plan Funding Will Support State Efforts to Transform Suicide and Mental Health Crisis Care

Today the Department of Health and Human Services, through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will make critical investments in suicide prevention and crisis care services, announcing $282 million to help transition the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from its current 10-digit number to a three-digit dialing code – 988.

In 2020, Congress designated the new 988 dialing code to be operated through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Converting to this easy-to-remember, three-digit number will strengthen and expand the existing Lifeline network, providing the public with easier access to life-saving services. The Lifeline currently helps thousands of people overcome crisis situations every day. The 988 dialing code will be available nationally for call, text, or chat beginning in July 2022.

Standing up the 988 dialing code is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on ensuring that those in crisis have someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go. The 988 code is a first step toward transforming crisis care in this country, creating a universal entry point to needed crisis services in line with access to other emergency medical services.

With funds from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget and additional funds from the American Rescue Plan, SAMHSA’s $282 million investment will support 988 efforts across the country to shore up, scale up, and staff up, including:

  • $177 million to strengthen and expand the existing Lifeline network operations and telephone infrastructure, including centralized chat/text response, backup center capacity, and special services (e.g., a sub-network for Spanish language-speakers).
  • $105 million to build up staffing across states’ local crisis call centers.

“As we continue to confront the impact of the pandemic, investing in this critical tool is key to protecting the health and wellbeing of countless Americans – and saving lives. Giving the states a tool to prevent suicide and support people in crisis is essential to our HHS mission of protecting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our nation,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We know that remembering a three-digit number beats a ten-digit number any day, particularly in times of crisis, and I encourage every state to rev up planning to implement 988 for the sake of saving lives.”

To support the initial transition to 988, SAMHSA’s investment represents a budget increase of more than 10 times the FY 2021 budget amount of $24 million. A large portion of FY 2022 funding will be distributed to crisis centers across the country.

“This investment in states’ crisis call center operations will help strengthen our partnership as SAMHSA works with states to meet the suicide prevention and behavioral health needs of people across our nation,” said Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., the HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “Transformation of this scale is never easy – but too many Americans are experiencing suicide and mental health crises without the support and care they need. The federal government cannot do this alone.”

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young people and was the tenth-leading cause of death in the nation in 2019, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. In 2019, one death by suicide happened almost every 11 minutes in the US.

More recently, SAMHSA’s 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data show 4.9 percent of adults aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide, 1.3 percent made a suicide plan, and 0.5 percent attempted suicide in the past year. Among adolescents 12 to 17, 12 percent had serious thoughts of suicide, 5.3 percent made a suicide plan, and 2.5 percent attempted suicide in the past year. The findings vary by race and ethnicity, with people of mixed ethnicity reporting higher rates of serious thoughts of suicide.

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The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has updated guidance as it relates to the completion of the Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire. Hopefully this will answer some questions you have.

  • The Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire (CRCQ) is required to be filed annually by the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) licensed providers.
  • This email is only for providers of service types that are regulated by the DHS and any Provider/Agency that receives a blue Certificate of Compliance issued by the DHS Licensing Administration to operate the type of service it provides. It does not apply to an Agency/Provider that is listed with or receives a license from the Department of Health (DOH). If your type of service is found in the DHS Provider Directory, you are included in this email.
  • The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) providers can be found here.
  • This new procedure applies to any CRCQ that must be submitted to the Bureau of Equal Opportunity (BEO) as of December 2, 2021. If you are ready to submit that form, this procedure should be followed.
  • If you currently have a Civil Rights Compliance approval letter or you have submitted the CRCQ prior to December 2, 2021, this procedure will be effective with your next renewal. You do not have to resubmit a CRCQ.
  • The DHS Licensing Administration will not forward any hard copies or any emailed copies of the CRCQ to the BEO. You must email or fax the CRCQ to your regional RA email or fax number for your regional BEO as noted below.
  • The Bureau of Equal Opportunity will not forward any license renewal application or license renewal application payment to the Licensing Administration, as they will not be accepting mail for the renewal process.
  • Instructions of where to send the licensing application, licensing application fee (if required), and the Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire are detailed on the licensing renewal packet cover sheet (HS1230) that is sent via regular mail at the time of renewal.
  • Renewal packets will continue to be sent via regular mail 130 days prior to the expiration date of your Certificate of Compliance. The Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) providers will continue to receive the renewal request via email and will continue to use HCSiS for your submissions.
  • If the deadline for submission of the licensing renewal application, licensing application fee (if required), and the Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire cannot be met, for whatever reason, you do not have to call for an extension, but it MUST be received by Licensing Administration and the BEO, respectively, prior to the expiration date of your current Certificate of Compliance.
  • Any questions concerning the Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire ONLY should be directed to the regional Bureau of Equal Opportunity as noted below. (The counties comprising the regions can be found on the map in CRCQ application packet):
    • DHS BEO Southeast Region: (717) 787-1127 | Email
    • DHS BEO Central/Northern Region: (717) 787-1127 | Email
    • DHS BEO Western Region: (412) 565-7607 | Email
  • Any questions concerning the blue license (Certificate of Compliance) or any fees related to it should be directed to the DHS Licensing Administration at (717) 705-0383.
  • Any questions concerning the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) should be directed to 1-800-222-2117.

If you have any questions or concerns with this process, please contact RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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CMS has released an official memorandum stating that it has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of this vaccine mandate rule pending future developments in the litigation.

Memorandum Summary             

Survey and Enforcement of the Vaccine Requirement for Health Care Staff in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified Providers and Suppliers Suspended While Court-Ordered Injunctions Are in Effect:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not enforce the new rule regarding vaccination of health care workers or requirements for policies and procedures in certified Medicare/Medicaid providers and suppliers (including nursing facilities, hospitals, dialysis facilities, and all other provider types covered by the rule) while there are court-ordered injunctions in place prohibiting enforcement of this provision.

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