Pennsylvania Primary Results
Jack Phillips
Mr. Phillips is responsible to assist the association with health policy, which primarily includes member communication and advocacy with the Governor’s office, General Assembly, and state regulatory agencies. Mr. Phillips was most recently at the Pennsylvania Department of State as Director of Legislative Affairs.
RCPA Capitol Day Information
RCPA will be hosting our 2022 Capitol Day on Tuesday, May 24. We will have a press conference/rally on the steps of the Capitol outside the Main Rotunda between 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. RCPA requests members schedule appointments with their Senate and House legislators to discuss the state budget, legislation, and regulations, and we have created a one-pager with talking points for members to utilize in their meetings.
Parking and maps can be found on the Pennsylvania Capitol website. If you have questions regarding our 2022 Capitol Day, please contact Jack Phillips.
RCPA Capitol Day is Back — May 24!
RCPA will be hosting our 2022 Capitol Day on Tuesday, May 24. We will have a press conference and rally on the steps of the Capitol outside the Main Rotunda between 12:30 pm–1:30 pm. Please register here to indicate you will be attending the event.
State government impacts every RCPA member’s business and services; therefore, RCPA encourages all members to schedule as many appointments as possible with their Senate and House legislators to discuss the state budget, legislation, and regulations. During legislative meetings, members should highlight how the state budget, legislation, and regulations affect the day-to-day operations of your business and how government overreach affects services you provide to consumers. Please notify Jack Phillips of the appointments you have scheduled. RCPA staff will be available on-site to assist.
If you have questions or need assistance regarding our 2022 Capitol Day, please contact Jack Phillips. We look forward to seeing you there!
Legislative Co-Sponsorship Memo Circulating to End Prudent Pay
RCPA Lobbyist Meeting to be Held on Thursday, March 31, 2022
2022 Candidate Election Update
DHS Proposes Controversial Contract Language in Managed Care Contracts
RCPA PAC – Help Us Help You
Interested in learning about some creative ideas to raise money for RCPA PAC or interested in donating now? Download the PAC FAQ Card, Donation Card, or email Jack Phillips, Director of Government Affairs.
The PAC Fundraising Challenge
Now, more than ever, health and human service providers need to be proactive in helping elected officials work towards common sense solutions in the areas of workforce, tax, regulation, health care, and human services.
The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association Political Action Committee (RCPA PAC) is asking members to help us raise funds — specifically, we are looking for member organizations to raise $1,000 each. Members can raise the $1,000 by doing a number of fun activities and including staff. We need you and your staff to help us reach this goal, because it provides an avenue for our members and staff to make a meaningful impact on the political process. Our goal is to reach this amount by the end of this fiscal year, June 30.
Interested in learning about more fun ideas to raise money for RCPA-PAC or interested in donating now? Please visit our website, download the PAC FAQ Card, Donation Card, or email Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs.
Your participation in the RCPA PAC is completely voluntary and you may contribute as much or as little as you choose. Donations are not tax-deductible and will be used for political purposes. You may choose not to participate without fear of reprisal. You will not be favored or disadvantaged by reason of the amount of your contribution or decision not to contribute.
Wolf Budget Proposal Spurs Debate on MH Funding — Coalition for the MH Safety Net’s Letter Referenced
Capitolwire: Wolf Budget Proposal Spurs Debate on Mental Health Funding
By Robert Swift
HARRISBURG (Feb. 14) — A budget proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf is spurring a new debate about providing more state mental health services during this time of pandemic-related stress.
The governor proposes spending $36.6 million from the taxpayer-supported General Fund in Fiscal Year 2022-23 to restore much of a decade-old cut in state aid to county-run mental health programs.
He would also direct $75 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for support payments to help keep and hire new employees for qualifying home and community service providers.
A 21-member Mental Health Safety Net Coalition sent a letter Monday to lawmakers asking them to consider the proposed $36.6 million increase as a starting point in budget negotiations.
“The governor’s proposed increase will help offset the loss in purchasing power due to a decade of level funding,” wrote the coalition that includes service providers, hospitals, treatment centers and professional groups. “This money is critical to help counties get back to the effective level of resources they had 10 years ago, but it does not even begin to address all the gaps in our mental health system or surging demand for mental health services as we enter the third year of the global pandemic.”
Not only has the pandemic increased demand for services, it has also led to significant health staff shortages and increases in suicides and opioid deaths, the coalition said.
Also the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania issued a statement Monday calling on lawmakers to support Wolf’s proposal. It would restore two-thirds of a 10 percent cut to the budget line item in 2012 if enacted.
“If the funding continues to be uneven with the growing demand, counties will continue to struggle to in meeting the needs of their residents,” said CCAP President and Bradford County Commissioner Daryl Miller.
A key feature of county mental health programs is they are available to the entire community regardless of income, said Brinda Penyak, CCAP deputy executive director.
CCAP made rebuilding a “crumbling” mental health system its top priority this year. For the past six decades, counties have carried the responsibility to provide and contract for a range of community-based mental health services, including crisis intervention, treatment, education and prevention.
“We would strongly support advance planning and (mental health funding) increases that are practical and sustainable to ensure increased system availability for the long term,” said Dr. Kathy Quick, executive director of the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumer Association while voicing concern that the proposed funding hikes for this year can’t be sustained in the future.
The issue of pandemic-related mental health challenges facing the general population and students as well has been the subject of several legislative hearings during the past two years.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee held a hearing last month focusing on mental health issues facing agricultural workers. Pennsylvania has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide more resources to support mental health programs in rural areas by linking to national hotline networks and providing education and training, said state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding at that hearing.
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