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As a proud member of The Coalition of Critical Services Providers, RCPA has joined providers from across the Commonwealth in appealing to Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, urging legislators to pass a final state budget that invests appropriately in health and human services, before there are no providers left to care for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable. The Coalition of Critical Services Providers is a group of advocates made up of associations representing for-profit, nonprofit, and county-based organizations dedicated to delivering critical services throughout the Commonwealth.

To support this effort, The Coalition will be holding a press conference on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 9:00 am in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. The event will feature speakers calling for an immediate budget resolution, to ensure vital services for residents can continue across the Commonwealth as the Pennsylvania budget impasse enters its fourth month. Among the speakers will be RCPA staff and members, along with other Coalition members and organizations.

The Coalition recently surveyed organizations representing all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The survey found the ongoing Pennsylvania state budget impasse is having profound, real-world impacts on children, families, older adults, and service provider employees, as counties and organizations struggle to provide services due to lack of funding. The prolonged budget standoff further threatens the security and well-being of Pennsylvanians as we enter October. The Coalition will share the survey findings and impact information shortly.

RCPA urges our members to be a part of the event next Thursday in Harrisburg. If you plan on attending, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Services Director Jim Sharp. Additional details and information will be communicated to members.

WHO:      The Coalition of Critical Services Providers, RCPA Members, Advocates, and Stakeholders

WHEN:    Thursday, October 2, 2025, 9:00 am – 10:00 am

WHERE: Harrisburg State Capitol Rotunda, 501 N 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120

About the Coalition
The Coalition includes providers from for-profit, nonprofit, and county agencies dedicated to delivering critical services throughout the Commonwealth. The members include: Community Action Association of Pennsylvania; Feeding PA; Hunger-Free PA; Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging; Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Associations; Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services; Pennsylvania State Alliance of YMCAs; Pennsylvania Head Start Association; Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children; Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect; and Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 25-089. This announcement is:

  • To share a reminder on Medication Administration Training Requirements
  • To announce the Face-to-Face training schedule for October through December 2025.

Please view the information in the announcement for details, including training dates and registration information.

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Pennsylvania will receive more than $83 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding, which provides critical resources to states and Tribal communities to address the overdose crisis through prevention, opioid overdose reversal medications, treatment (including medications for opioid use disorder [MOUD]) and recovery support. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through SAMHSA, announced a total allocation of more than $1.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 continuation funding for SOR and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grants, with $1.48 billion committed to SOR and nearly $63 million committed to TOR.

This most recent round of funding is the second year of the three-year SOR IV grant cycle, which began October 1, 2024, and runs through September 30, 2027. The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) manages and distributes SOR funding, which comprises a significant percentage of DDAP’s annual budget.

Since the SOR program began in 2018, states report that nearly 1.3 million people have received treatment services, including more than 650,000 who received MOUD. Through the SOR program, nearly 1.5 million people have received recovery support services. SAMHSA grantees reported distributing more than 10 million opioid overdose reversal kits, with opioid overdose reversal medications being used to reverse more than 550,000 overdoses. Since the TOR program began in 2018, Tribes report that approximately 16,500 patients have received treatment services, and SAMHSA grantees reported distributing more than 116,500 naloxone kits, with opioid reversal medications being used to reverse more than 1,750 overdoses.

Read SAMHA’s press release.

The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) is hosting a free webinar from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Wednesday, September 24, on states’ and treatment providers’ response to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s updated regulations governing opioid treatment programs (OTP). The updated regulations, in place since October 2024, are intended to increase accessibility to and flexibility within OTPs, including methadone treatment for opioid use disorder.

Registration for the webinar is required.

The webinar builds on the July 2025 presentation that provided guidance to OTPs on the updated regulations. Presenters will share how states and treatment providers are complying with the regulations and how patients have benefited through increased access, retention, and treatment flexibility.

The discussion will serve as a prelude to AATOD’s policy discussions at the upcoming national conference in Philadelphia, October 4 – 8, 2025.

The webinar will also be available on-demand via the AATOD website. Certificates of Attendance will be provided upon request. For questions, email AATOD.

This forum will be held to support provider preparedness. The Office of Development Programs (ODP) will review the quarterly forums and discuss data presented to the Information Sharing and Advisory Committee (ISAC) Provider Performance Review Subcommittee. ODP will also review the emerging themes or trends developing with the implementation of performance-based contracting.

Audience: Residential Providers

Date: December 22, 2025, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Register Here

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is providing the opportunity for public comment on the Pennsylvania Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant application. This application will occur in three parts:

  • Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Assessment and Plan
  • SUPTRS Report (available in November)
  • Annual Synar Report (available in December)

The application documents can be accessed through SAMHSA’s Web Block Grant Application System (WebBGAS) using the login “citizenpa” and password “citizen.”

Please submit your comments by Tuesday, September 30.

The agenda for the October 1, 2025, virtual Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting has been released. The meeting will be held from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Information specific to this meeting is below:

Comments and questions should be sent electronically.

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On September 24, 2025, WellSky will be conducting a webinar on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (IRF PPS) final rule that was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in early August. The webinar will begin at 12:00 pm. There is no cost to participate in this webinar.

Topics will include:

  • The key changes in the 2026 IRF Final Rule impacting reimbursement;
  • The technical changes and their indirect effects on your program;
  • The amendments to the QRP and the appeal process; and
  • The latest concerns about potential IRF reimbursement denials.

To participate in the webinar, register here.