The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-019. This announcement is directed at all ODP Service Providers who employed Direct Service Professionals (DSP) in 2023. The purpose of the announcement is to inform service providers of ODP’s preparation to open the 2023 NCI® State of the Workforce (SoTW) Survey portal. Please view the announcement and survey reference for information on completing the survey.
Secretary Val Arkoosh and leadership from the Department of Human Services (DHS) will host a webinar to discuss the proposed 2024/25 budget for the department. The briefing will take place at 10:00 am on Friday, February 9. If you are unable to attend, the briefing will be recorded and available for viewing afterwards.
Visit here to register for the briefing. DHS encourages individuals to submit questions ahead of the briefing so they can prepare as much information as possible. The Departments will follow up on any questions that they are unable to answer during the webinar.
(If the registration link above does not work, please try copying this link directly into your browser: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/3049c317-17f6-46ab-8396-1e5f3a370422@418e2841-0128-4dd5-9b6c-47fc5a9a1bde)
The Office of Developmental Program (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-018. The purpose of this announcement is to inform all interested parties that rolling HCSIS data fixes will be performed starting February 8, 2024, to adjust ISPs to support the transition from Palco, Inc. to the new statewide Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent (VF/EA) Financial Management Services (FMS) organization, Public Partnership LLC (PPL). Please view the communication for important details about the transition to PPL.
RCPA is happy to share highlights of Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget that recognizes the needs of the ID/A community in a way that Pennsylvanians have not seen for many years.
Governor Shapiro is prioritizing investments in home and community-based service providers so that they can pay competitive rates to attract and retain staff who provide these life-changing services to Pennsylvanians. The governor is proposing an increase in reimbursement rates by 12%, which will invest a total of over $480 million. This will be divided by state ($217 million) and federal ($266 million) funding for programs that support ID/A.
This budget will invest $34.2 million in the Community Waiver and $1.85 million in the Community Base Program, which will allow the Department of Human Services (DHS) to expand the number of individuals participating in home and community-based services programs.
The 2024/25 executive budget invests $213 million toward the Community Waiver Program, $2.1 million in the Autism Intervention Program, and $1.1 million in the Community Base program. It also leverages $266 million in total federal funding to increase resources for providers of home and community-based services.
In addition, this budget invests $934,000 to add American Sign Language and English interpreter services to programs serving those who require these services in order to experience equality in communication.
In response to this announcement, Richard Edley, PhD, President and CEO of RCPA, stated, “Governor Shapiro is really living up to his mandate to ‘get stuff done!’ The disability community has waited decades for a governor that would make systemic fixes a key budget issue, and the day has finally come. This may not solve all the issues that nearly destroyed this critical system of care and support, but it’s a start, which is more than we’ve had in quite some time.”
Read the summary of Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget plan for ID/A services. RCPA will be sharing more analysis of the budget when additional information is released.
CapGrow Partners has shared in their blog that in a recent Psychology Today article, licensed psychotherapist Jennifer Gerlach examined the statistics and stereotypes regarding people with autism, as well as people with eating disorders. She describes how research indicates a greater prevalence of eating disorders in autism than is widely recognized. Read the article here.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), is looking for a partner to deliver and manage their InVEST Project services in the eastern region of Pennsylvania. The federally funded InVEST Project (Grant # H421D220003) will assist individuals with disabilities in finding fulfilling jobs in their communities while meeting the unique workforce needs of green and transportation-related industries.
If you’re interested in applying, visit PA eMarketplace.
Visualizing the Behavioral Health Workforce Crisis
February 22, 2024, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Register Here
Featuring Charles Klinger, Chief Operating Officer, Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural PA (BHARP)
Charles has led a collaborative data project across 24 Pennsylvania counties. It paints a picture of a devastated workforce.
Agencies provide this data, and review it with government and managed care. It is being used to support recruitment and retention efforts.
Charles and his team are working together to find solutions to the BH workforce crisis.
Charles has led the Provider Workforce Staffing (PWS) report in response to the major changes in behavioral health staffing since 2020. Over 20% of available positions remain unfilled, signaling an increased divide between available workers and population need.
This report highlights the costs of adequately filling our network in a clear and comprehensive way. Average rate of pay for a multitude of mental health jobs have been reviewed in the PWS report, from psychiatrists to housekeepers.
Most BH staffing problems arise from lack of available workers. According to Charles’ research, workers are leaving jobs, and there are no candidates available to replace them. Many jobs have consistently remained vacant.
For those from Pennsylvania, the PWS is particularly illuminating, as it focuses on state-specific needs, like the loss of workers in every level from outpatient care, to intensive behavioral health services (IBHS).
RCPA is continuing to accept proposals for our 2024 Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success, which will be held September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. Our Conference Committee seeks workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:
The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share. Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals.
The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.
Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 17, 2024. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) successfully collaborated with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to revise Pennsylvania’s State Medicaid Plan for Certified Peer Specialists (CPS). The changes aim to enhance workforce opportunities, break down barriers, and establish a robust crisis system. The updated qualifications for aspiring CPS include:
Details on these changes can be found in the updated State Plan here (scroll down to 0013 Attachment 3.1A-3.1B, page 88). OMHSAS will issue a forthcoming bulletin, and inquiries can be sent electronically.
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
On January 26, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) forwarded the final Medicaid Access Rule (CMS-2442-F) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the last review step before Federal Register publication.
The proposed Medicaid Access Rule contained a number of policies, including the much-discussed 80/20 provision that would require 80 percent of all Medicaid payments to be spent on direct care workers and direct service professionals compensation for personal care services.
RCPA commented on these proposed regulations and will continue to monitor progress with our federal partners. The OMB is expected to issue its comments in April. If you have questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Fady Sahhar.
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