Life Goes On: Why Pennsylvania Lawmakers Are in No Hurry to Make a Budget Deal Nearly Two Months After the Deadline
Jim Sharp
Advocate for Yourself at the National Council Hill Day; RCPA to Lead Pennsylvania Delegation
National Council’s Hill Day event will span two days, with a Public Policy Institute Program on October 7 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, and meetings on Capitol Hill slated for October 8. This is a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the country and share your important stories directly with the people who represent you in Washington, D.C.
Last year, RCPA members received the opportunity to learn and develop their lobbying skills through the Public Policy Institute sessions and put them to work meeting with Pennsylvania legislators in a series of meetings and roundtables. The experience was invaluable and created a pathway to advocating in their home districts and events like the RCPA Capital Day.
While Hill visits are open to all, space will limit the Public Policy Institute to 400 registrants.
As RCPA will once more serve as Team Captains for the Pennsylvania delegation, we ask that, when you register, you also contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp. RCPA will be coordinating and communicating with members as the event proceeds.
Register Here
Attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging; however, hotel rooms can be booked through the Omni Shoreham Hotel at a discounted group rate once you have registered. Group transportation between the hotel and Capitol Hill will be offered at set times.
Note on potential shutdown: If Congress does not reach a spending agreement by September 30, there may be a government shutdown starting October 1. D.C. offices will remain open, however, and staff meetings can still occur. More updates will be provided if a shutdown appears likely.
More details will be forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you there!
Questions:
- Hill Day 2025 Website
- Public Policy Institute, Hill Meetings, or Legislative Asks: Email
- Logistics or Other Inquiries: Email
RCPA Member Staunton Farm Foundation to Host 2025 Rural Behavioral Health Conference Sept. 25; RCPA COO Jim Sharp to Serve as Keynote Speaker
More Pennsylvania Counties Step Up to Keep Social Services Afloat During Budget Impasse: RCPA Honorary Board Member Susan Blue, CEO, President, and Owner of Community Services Group (CSG), Quoted
Registration Now Open for National Council Hill Day; RCPA to Lead Pennsylvania Delegation
We are excited to announce Hill Day 2025!
Hill Day will span two days, with a Public Policy Institute Program on October 7 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, and meetings on Capitol Hill slated for October 8.
This is a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the country and share your important stories directly with the people who represent you in Washington, D.C.
Last year, RCPA members received the opportunity to learn and develop their lobbying skills through the Public Policy Institute sessions and put them to work meeting with Pennsylvania legislators in a series of meetings and roundtables. The experience was invaluable and created a pathway to advocating in their home districts and events like the RCPA Capital Day.
While Hill visits are open to all, space will limit the Public Policy Institute to 400 registrants.
As RCPA will once more serve as Team Captains for the Pennsylvania delegation, we ask that, when you register, you also contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp. RCPA will be coordinating and communicating with members as the event proceeds.
Register Here
Attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging; however, hotel rooms can be booked through the Omni Shoreham Hotel at a discounted group rate once you have registered. Group transportation between the hotel and Capitol Hill will be offered at set times.
Note on potential shutdown: If Congress does not reach a spending agreement by September 30, there may be a government shutdown starting October 1. D.C. offices will remain open, however, and staff meetings can still occur. More updates will be provided if a shutdown appears likely.
More details will be forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you there!
Questions:
- Hill Day 2025 Website
- Public Policy Institute, Hill Meetings, or Legislative Asks: Email
- Logistics or Other Inquiries: Email
DHS Enters Settlement Ensuring MH Policy and Services for Children Adjudicated Dependent
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) has entered into a Settlement Agreement to resolve a federal class action lawsuit concerning mental health and child welfare services for Pennsylvania youth who are adjudicated dependent and have mental health disabilities. This case affects all Pennsylvania youth under the age of 21 who now, or in the future, are adjudicated dependent and have diagnosed mental health disabilities. The settlement will involve additional requirements from county children and youth agencies, county mental health systems, as well as requirements on the Primary Contractors and Behavior Health Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (BH-MCO). BH-MCOs, Primary Contractors, and County Mental Health Administrators have been separately notified.
The settlement will impact community-based as well as residential children’s services for this population of youth, and it has not been determined fully how these services will be funded in the County or Health choices system, though DHS is charged with requesting CMS to cover these or a portion through Federal funding.
The proposed settlement agreement can be read here. The settlement agreement will not be finalized until objections have been heard and the agreement receives approval by the judge. PA DHS will communicate more details and timelines in the coming weeks as the settlement is finalized.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp.
AOPC’s Office of Behavioral Health: PCCD’s Byrne SCIP Grant Announcement
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.
The Tragic Consequences of PA’s Failed Mental Health System
OCYF Announces ACF Title IV-E Federal Review for PA
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.
Pennsylvania Nears Finish to Enter Counseling Interstate Compact
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