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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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On April 30, OMHSAS presented a stakeholder informational webinar, led by Deputy Secretary Kristen Houser. The updates included overviews from OMHSAS Bureau Heads of certain issues as they relate to OMHSAS operational guidance during the COVID-19 crisis.

Additional expanded guidance is forthcoming from OMHSAS that covers telehealth, the BHRS/IBHS operations, and Pre Authorization changes. OMHSAS is also seeking feedback from providers on the utilization of telehealth and the experience and successes providers are having in this mode of service delivery. RCPA is currently working with members to gather this data and information to present to DHS.

Please follow this link to the PowerPoint slides that provide an overview as well as links to guidelines and FAQs from DHS during the pandemic.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding a stakeholder webinar this Thursday, April 30, from 11:00 am –  11:30 am to provide updates on the work OMHSAS has been performing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Please register here to participate. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you have questions or feedback, please contact RCPA Policy Directors Jim Sharp or Sarah Eyster.

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Folders with the label Applications and Grants
Opportunity Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Drexel University
Youth Suicide Prevention: Treatment & Health Services Research

Project Overview
Continuity of care for youth at risk for suicide remains a challenge to health systems. To address this problem Pennsylvania’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was awarded a SAMHSA Garret Lee Smith (GLS) youth suicide prevention grant to improve these transitions between youth-serving systems. Looking at organizational factors, the GLS program uses the Zero Suicide framework to examine suicide risk management procedure within organization (e.g., schools, crisis, EDs, hospitals and outpatient care). Looking between organizations, we are using a network analysis to understand how relationships between organizations impact care. A community transformation intervention will then be deployed to help counties incorporate this new information into their strategic planning for youth suicide prevention. Assistance with training, screening and intervention will also be provided.

Essential Functions
The Research Fellow will be expected to assist with data collection, qualitative interviews, county wide strategic planning meetings, clinical training in suicide risk management and family engagement, data analysis, paper and grant writing. The fellow will be an active member of the research team and will be encouraged to initiate independent research related to the project, or other activities going on at the center (e.g., school based suicide screening, dissemination of family therapy into community mental health centers, etc.).

Qualifications
A competitive applicant will have a PhD, advanced data management and analytic skills, clinical training, and interest in youth suicide prevention, health services research and/or family intervention. Start date is summer of 2020. Training in family therapy and collecting licensing hours is available. Salary is in line with NIMH guild lines. Please send CV and letter of interest to Guy Diamond, PhD. References will be requested.

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In the fall, RCPA notified member providers of implementation of a statewide time study process for all placement services that are eligible for Title IV-E reimbursement. As part of that initial plan providers were slated to attend training on the standardized time study process during the early months of 2020. Initial time study periods were planned for April/May 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts to stop the spread of this virus, trainings for the standardized time study process scheduled for late March/early April were cancelled.

With stress and operational challenges that providers are facing and are expected to continue facing in the upcoming months, OCYF is suspending the training and implementation of time study reporting periods for Title IV-E eligible placement services until 2021.

While the official standardized time study training and implementation of time study reporting periods is delayed until 2021, OCYF will continue to prepare for launch of the standardized statewide time study process. This includes working with individual Title IV-E eligible providers that have been identified as needing to participate in the identification and coordination of time study needs, and revising the instructions for the upcoming budget packet submissions to incorporate the statewide time study process.

See this letter from OCYF Deputy Secretary Jon Rubin for full details. For further information, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director Jim Sharp.

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In light of the extraordinary circumstances related to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and nationwide public health emergency, The Association for Children and Families (ACF) has received requests for flexibility in meeting two specific federal requirements that are addressed in this correspondence issued today from ACF.

The waiving of the actions on a state level will require an amendment to current regulatory standards. DHS has begun mobilizing discussions with policy, legal, and legislative affairs in response to the guidance from ACF.

The changes provide relief measures in the areas of fingerprint requirements for those individuals working with children, caseworker visitation in children’s homes, and the use of teleconferencing with children in their residences. These address the two major acts below.

* The fingerprint-based criminal record check requirements of §471(a)(20)(A), (C), and (D) of the Social Security Act (the Act).

* The requirement that 50 percent of monthly caseworker visits be in the child’s residence pursuant to §424(f)(2)(A) of the Act (for states only).

Amended standards

Thus, during the major disaster period, a title IV-E agency that wishes to exercise this flexibility must:

* Conduct all available name-based criminal background checks for prospective foster parents, adoptive parents, legal guardians, and adults working in child care institutions, and

* Complete the fingerprint-based checks of NCID pursuant to §471(a)(20)(A), (C), and (D) of the Act as soon as it can safely do so, in situations where only name-based checks were completed.

Also, ACF has revised the Caseworker Visits in the Child’s Residence Section 424(f)(2)(A) of the Act which requires that each state must ensure that not less than 50 percent of the total number of monthly caseworker visits during a federal fiscal year occur in the residence of the child. The Children’s Bureau identified this requirement as an administrative condition that it may modify under the Stafford Act authority.

Thus, during the major disaster period, the title IV-E agency may include the monthly caseworker visits that occur by means of video conferencing as “in the child’s residence” for meeting the requirement in §424(f)(2)(A) of the Act.

We will continue to update members on the process. If you have questions, concerns, or feedback, please contact RCPA Children’s Director Jim Sharp.

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Yesterday during the DHS weekly briefing, DHS Secretary Teresa Miller provided a progress update to where the Department is with fingerprinting.

DHS explained that many of the IdentGO locations are beginning to reopen and/or expand hours of operation; we encourage anyone needing fingerprints to call the closest locations to verify whether they are operating, as this may begin to change. See the Pennsylvania Statewide interactive MAP of IdentGO locations.

DHS is not able to broadly waive this requirement from the state level because it is contained in numerous federal laws like the Family First Prevention Services Act, the Adam Walsh Act, and the Child Care Development Block Grant Act.

DHS has released guidance on waiving licensing requirements in Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences – but understand that this guidance does not align with information just issued by the Department of Aging. DHS is working with the Department of Aging to address the discrepancies and will provide clarification.

For those who first obtained clearances in 2015 following changes to the Child Protective Services Law who will need to renew these clearances this year, DHS is open to temporarily delaying the five-year requirement, but this would need to happen through legislative action. DHS and the Governor’s Office are working with the legislature to try to accomplish this; however, this cannot be the only option. DHS is also pursuing potentially opening additional, temporary fingerprinting sites that can help us meet this need.

RCPA will continue to update members on any further developments. If you have questions or feedback, please contact RCPA Children’s Director Jim Sharp.

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Description
The goal of this program is to prevent/reduce victimization of girls who are vulnerable to sex trafficking. The objectives and deliverables of this program include:

Category 1: Project Sites

  • Replicate and scale-up prevention and early intervention programs (including mentoring programs) for girls who are at risk of or are victims of sex trafficking that have undergone rigorous evaluation and/or have a track record of success. Program models should include a plan to develop services and interventions for high-risk girls, including those with a history of trauma caused by physical and sexual abuse, commercial sexual exploitation, and domestic minor sex trafficking.
  • Implement or enhance efforts to identify and provide services to girls who are at risk of or are victims of sexual exploitation or sex trafficking. This may include street outreach efforts, partnerships with organizations that serve the youth community, and/or collaboration with key stakeholders in the community.
  • Participate in an annual peer-to-peer learning (cluster meeting) opportunity hosted by the OJJDP-funded training and technical assistance provider under Category 2 of this solicitation. (See Budget Information and Associated Documentation under Section D. Application and Submission Information for details).

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) expects these programs to be based upon best practices, and they may include a variety of services (i.e., mentoring, educational, counseling, etc.).  OJJDP expects successful applicants to work closely with the selected training and technical assistance provider.

Category 2: Training and Technical Assistance
This category will expand the skills of program providers and other stakeholders working to prevent trafficking of girls.  This includes the development and provision of training and technical assistance to the OJJDP funded programs under Category 1 of this solicitation.  Training can also be developed for non-OJJDP grantees working with girl victims of sex trafficking, including training for probation, detention center staff, law enforcement, judges and education professionals.  The successful applicant is expected to develop and host an annual meeting for the grantees funded under Category 1 of this solicitation.

Access Solicitation Specific FAQs

Solicitation Webinar
The webinar will provide a general overview of the OJJDP FY 2020 Preventing Trafficking of Girls solicitation. It will highlight key eligibility and solicitation requirements. It will also identify tools and resources for applicants that will facilitate the application process. Lastly, it will provide an opportunity for applicants to ask questions.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
All times are Eastern Time unless noted otherwise.
Location
Online
Register

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