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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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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:

  • Support behavioral health responses in local jurisdictions across Pennsylvania.
  • Support efforts to embed advocates and peer navigators within the justice system.
  • Build capacity to offer free SIM workshops statewide, commencing in 2026.

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:

  • Establishing the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Technical Assistance Center to provide law enforcement training opportunities.
  • A county SIM-Mapping initiative that trains in-house SIM facilitators to provide free workshops to counties. Facilitators will be trained in 2026 and allow counties to receive both adult and upstream SIM workshops at no cost.
  • Apply for local grants for virtually any project related to the Pennsylvania Courts’ Behavioral Health Initiative. Suggested projects include peer navigators; implementing pretrial programs; expanding the capacity of mental health courts; and developing or expanding the ability to connect individuals in crisis with services.

Eligibility & Deadlines:

  • Your recipient agency must be a local government office. Cities, counties, townships, and towns may apply for funding.
  • Subrecipients are eligible for support through primary recipient offices. For instance, a city funded through a SCIP grant may award part of their fund to their Police Department as a subgrant.
  • Your organization must be registered in the Pennsylvania eGrants system.
    • At least two organization members must have eGrants user roles. At least one individual must have an e-signature role within eGrants.

The deadline for applying is September 9, 2025.

  • For further information, see the funding announcement here. You may contact PCCD about the Byrne-SCIP Initiative by email. Emails must be sent by September 2, 2025, to receive assistance.
  • For difficulties with the eGrants system, you may contact the eGrants help desk by phone at (717) 787-5887 or (800) 692-7292 or by email.

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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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