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Dr. John Petrila, a national expert on mental health law and policy and data sharing, is sharing some of his expansive knowledge on cross-systems data sharing with participants of the PA Stepping Up Technical Assistance Center via webinar on May 24. The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) is pleased to pass along the opportunity to register for the presentation on this relevant and timely subject. The webinar will discuss how counties can work within their federal and state privacy laws to share data across criminal justice and behavioral health systems along the Stepping Up 4 key measures in order to understand the prevalence of mental illness in their jails.
PA TA Center Data Sharing Webinar
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
This coming week, the Pa. General Assembly will be voting on a critical piece of legislation, HB 1866, aimed at ensuring standards for permanency services for youth turning 18, a time when typically services can end for a child transitioning into adulthood.
Turning 18 represents a pivotal point in life, with new life experiences like college, entering the workforce, living independently, or other exciting and challenging responsibilities. For many youth, this point in life includes the support of biological parents and other natural networks who help guide them and are available when navigating new experiences. Unfortunately, this is not often the case for older youth who are in and transitioning out of the foster care system.
Transition age youth—ages 14 to 21—are older youth in the foster care system transitioning to permanency with a caregiver or aging out of the system to adulthood. Transition age youth often struggle with this life transition due to unique circumstances with being a foster child. Not always having adequate planning and support services to ease the transition can lead to poorer outcomes that have lifelong impacts.
We ask that you support this bill and work with your legislators to get this passed. PA Partnerships for Children has created an amazing fact sheet that can be used to support your efforts. If you have additional questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Director Jim Sharp. We also ask that you share this information with any and all in your network.
RCPA is eager to support our partner, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC), with Casey Family Programs as they look to facilitate community engagement sessions aimed at elevating the lived experiences of those parents and caregivers who have been involved with the Child Welfare System. The purpose would be to learn what policies and practices can focus on primary prevention, family support, and reduction of out-of-home placement. PPC is looking to identify providers who have access to parents and caregivers with a history of formal involvement with the child welfare system through either a referral, in-home services, or placement. The parent or caregiver cannot have current involvement with a county child welfare agency.
The focus group would be coordinated between the provider and PPC and would take approximately 2 hours. Parents and caregivers will be compensated for their time.
We hope our members can support PPC efforts in engaging potential parents in this initiative. If interested, or if you have any questions, contact Policy Director Rachael Miller or RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has released the following bulletin that applies to county mental health/intellectual and developmental disability (MH/ID) administrators, base service units (BSU), mental health review officers, county crisis intervention programs, and hospital emergency departments.
The purpose of this bulletin is to clarify the part of the Mental Health Procedures Act (MHPA) referring to the involuntary commitment process under Section 302 and the 120-hour limitation on holding a consumer for involuntary emergency examination and treatment.
If you have any questions, please call 717-772-7900 or contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.