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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver renewal. The renewal will be effective on January 1, 2025.

The current approved CHC Waiver document is available here. Additional information about the CHC Waiver is located here.

Changes in the approved renewal include:

  1. Amend the following service definitions:
    1. Benefits Counseling
    2. Employment Skills Development Home Adaptations
    3. Telecare
  2. Add teleservices to the following services (details regarding teleservices can be found within each service definition as well as in the Main Module):
    1. Cognitive Rehabilitation
    2. Counseling Services
    3. Nutritional Consultation
  3. Add Chore Services as a new waiver service.
  4. Add language to reinforce that if a participant’s rights in a setting need to be modified due to an assessed need, it must be documented in the Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP), and if a provider creates a treatment or service plan, that plan must be incorporated into the PCSP.
  5. Remove references to the Organized Health Care Delivery System (OHCDS) and the Participant Review Tool.
  6. Reduce timeframes for developing and implementing Person-Centered Service Plans from 30 days to 15 business days.
  7. Reduce the years of experience needed for Structured Day Habilitation Support Staff from five years to two years.
  8. Update Appendix C-5 to include information about the Home and Community-Based Settings Rule.
  9. Update Appendix E: Participant Direction of Services that Service Coordinators are responsible to inform the participant of the availability of the direct care worker referral and matching system.
  10. Update Appendix G: Participant Safeguards to the current process.
  11. Update the Quality Strategy to current process.
  12. Modify language throughout for better readability.

Questions about the 2025 CHC renewal can be submitted electronically.

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The Department of Human Services (Department) issued bulletin OMHSAS-16-03, “Revised Procedure for Waiver of Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Program Regulations and Standards,” on April 19, 2016, to update and clarify the procedure for submitting and processing of waiver requests to OMHSAS. OMHSAS has issued OMHSAS-24-04 to further update regulatory waiver language and the process to appeal a waiver determination. The issued bulletin can be found here. OMHSAS-16-03 is obsoleted by this bulletin.

OMHSAS licenses or approves community mental health facilities and agencies and other service providers operating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In accordance with this responsibility, the Department’s authorized agents periodically inspect mental health facilities and agencies. If regulatory requirements are met, certificates of compliance or approvals are granted under Article IX of the Human Services Code (62 P.S. §§ 901 – 922) or under Article X of the Human Services Code (62 P.S. §§ 1001 – 1080).

Pursuant to applicable regulations, a facility or agency may request a time limited waiver of regulations or program standards, or a portion of regulations or program standards. All regulatory waiver requests are subject to applicable waiver of standard requirements as outlined by each chapter or bulletin. In reviewing any such waiver request, OMHSAS will consider whether the facility or agency has demonstrated that substitute measures assure the health, safety, and welfare of all individuals who reside in the facility or who receive services from the agency.

Please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp with any questions.

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In order to accommodate guest speakers Deputy Secretary Ahrens and Jenn Newell from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), RCPA is adjusting the start time of the IDD Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2025, to 12:00 pm (instead of 12:30 pm). The meeting will conclude by 3:00 pm.

Our agenda for the meeting will include updates from ODP, RCPA updates, and Provider members sharing their use of technology in delivery of services.

If you have already registered for this meeting, you do not need to re-register. If you have not yet registered, please register here.

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

RCPA is excited to host a Membership Benefits webinar on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 1:00 pm, as an opportunity for members to orient themselves with all that RCPA membership includes. This is not just for new and future members. For current members, there may be benefits associated with our membership that you may not be aware of, including targeted meetings and groups that occur throughout the year.

Registration is required; please register here to attend the webinar. Items we will review include the below and much more:

  • Virtually meet the dedicated RCPA Policy Staff and RCPA lobbyists;
  • Discuss the 2025 Legislative and Administrative priorities;
  • Preview RCPA divisional committee and subcommittee meetings and what they offer;
  • View the RCPA member-only website;
  • Review exclusive yearly educational and networking events; and
  • Understand the value of the National Association memberships included with RCPA membership.

Visit the RCPA member benefits web page for more information, or contact Tieanna Lloyd for benefit details.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced the availability of $2.5 million in grant funding for community-based organizations and public health programs to help improve Pennsylvanians’ access to existing substance use disorder (SUD) recovery houses that are licensed through DDAP.

Funding for these grants is provided from opioid settlement funding that was appropriated to DDAP by the General Assembly, which was the result of a multistate investigation of opioid manufacturers and distributors spearheaded by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro that led to settlement agreements worth billions of dollars. That money is to be invested in opioid remediation programs and initiatives.

Read the full press release here.

Please reach out to RCPA SUD Policy Director Jason Snyder with any questions.

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PITTSBURGH (December 17, 2024) – Pittsburgh Mercy, one of the region’s largest social service nonprofit organizations serving more than 18,000 vulnerable individuals annually, a member of Trinity Health, and serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, today announced two appointments to its 2025 Board of Directors: Denise R. Hughes, director of Public Relations at UPMC Health Plan, and Paul K. Rudoy, a tax partner at H2R CPA.

Each will serve a three-year term, effective January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027.

Rudoy served for over 20 years and Hughes served for three years on the Bethlehem Haven Board of Directors. Bethlehem Haven became part of Pittsburgh Mercy and its award-winning homeless services continuum of care in 2016.

“We are thrilled to have Denise and Paul join the Pittsburgh Mercy Board. Having a strong, deeply committed, and diverse group of trustees who have hearts for our Sisters of Mercy legacy and tradition of service to the most vulnerable is core to our mission and who we are as an organization,” stated Tony Beltran, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Mercy. “In addition to bringing their own unique talents and expertise, as legacy members of the Bethlehem Haven Board of Directors, Denise and Paul also will bring valuable perspectives to help our Board ensure the continued growth and success of our health ministry, our revered mission, and our renowned tradition of service to the most vulnerable in our community.”

Hughes brings to the Pittsburgh Mercy Board more than 20 years of experience and expertise as an award-winning, senior-level marketing and public relations professional in nonprofit and for-profit corporate communications. She currently leads all facets of public relations strategy for UPMC Health Plan, one of the nation’s fastest growing health plans, including public and media relations, content creation, and crisis communications. Before joining UPMC Health Plan, Hughes previously held management-level marketing-communications positions at Westinghouse Electric Company and Peoples Natural Gas and served as a communications consultant to The McCreary Group.

In addition to her service to the Pittsburgh Mercy Board and her former service on the Bethlehem Haven Board, Hughes is a board member and treasurer of the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania and a member of the Public Relations Society of America.

Hughes is the recipient of numerous business and health care marketing communications industry awards, including PR Daily’s Nonprofit PR Awards (2021, 2024), a Ragan’s PR Daily’s Social Media & Digital Awardee (2023), and a graduate of The Advanced Leadership Institute’s Emerging Leaders Program (2023).

Hughes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications at Carlow University, founded by the Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy, and a Master of Science degree in leadership with a concentration in business ethics at Duquesne University.

Hughes resides in Cranberry Township, Pa.

Rudoy, who is a certified public accountant (CPA), a personal financial specialist (PFS), and a licensed life insurance and annuities agent, has more than 30 years of experience in tax, strategic consulting, and estate and succession planning for individuals and closely held businesses. He spends most of his professional time devoted to growth strategies, succession planning, tax and investment matters, and business consulting services.

Rudoy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting at Pennsylvania State University.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), where he served as past president and a member of the State Taxation Committee.

In addition to his past service as treasurer and a board member on the Bethlehem Haven Board of Directors, Rudoy is also past president of the Pittsburgh Glass Center Board of Directors.

He also serves as treasurer of the Jewish Residential Foundation Board and a board member of the North American Board – MGI Association.

Rudoy and his family reside in Mt. Lebanon, Pa.

With the appointments of Hughes and Rudoy, the 2025 Pittsburgh Mercy Board of Directors and officers are:

Mark D. Gibbons, CPA (Chairperson)
Audit Partner, Assurance Service Practice Leader
Urish Popeck & Co., LLC

Tony Beltran, MBA (Secretary)
President & CEO
Pittsburgh Mercy

Rhonda N. Curry
Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Gateway Health Plan

Jaime C. Dircksen
Vice President, Community Health & Well-Being
Trinity Health

Denise R. Hughes
Director of Public Relations
UPMC Health Plan

Robert A. James, JD, MBA, MHA
Chief Diversity & Strategic Growth Officer
CGT Staffing

Sister Diane Matje, RSM, RN, MSN
Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy

Manzoor Mohideen, PhD
Director of Clinical Trial Operations, Academic Research Center for Hematology, Section of Benign Hematology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Visala S. Muluk, MD
Director of Medicine
Pittsburgh Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center

Suresh C. Ramanathan
President & CEO
KORYAK

Paul K. Rudoy, CPA/PFS
Partner
H2R CPA

Jared S. Weiner
Chief Financial Officer, Western PA Hospital Division
UPMC

Olga Ziegler
Vice President, Revenue Program Management
Highmark Health Inc.

Editor’s note: Color headshots of Denise R. Hughes and Paul K. Rudoy accompany this release. Kindly credit: Photos courtesy of Pittsburgh Mercy.

About Pittsburgh Mercy

Pittsburgh Mercy is one of the largest community health and social service providers and employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We offer help – and hope – to 18,000 of our community’s most vulnerable in 60+ locations:

  • People who have complex behavioral and physical health challenges.
  • People who have intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • People who are experiencing homelessness
  • People who need wrap-around services to live safe, healthy, and well in the community.

We are the largest Integrated Community Wellness Center (ICWC) in Pennsylvania and the only one in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We are a five-time awardee of Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) expansion grants. Pittsburgh Mercy is a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. Our mission is to be a compassionate and transforming, healing presence within our communities. To learn more about Pittsburgh Mercy or to donate in support of its important work in the community, please visit www.pittsburghmercy.org. Follow Pittsburgh Mercy on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared communication ODPANN 24-125. This announcement notifies stakeholders of an upcoming change to the Communication Specialist procedure code. Effective January 1, 2025, the current procedure code T1013 (Communication Specialist) will be replaced with W1748. The new code will retain the same provider types, specialties, and edits.

Please view the announcement for information and details.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has issued ODPANN 24-124 to provide notice that the Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment will be increasing.

Effective January 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) increased the SSI allotment by 2.5 percent to reflect an increase in the cost of living. This raises the maximum monthly income to $967 for an eligible individual, $1,450 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $484 for an essential person.

There is no anticipated increase in the State Supplementary Payment (SSP) for 2025.

Please see the announcement for further information. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Regional Office.

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