';
Featured
Featured posts

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared an update to communication ODPANN 25-093. The purpose of this announcement is to provide updated guidance related to the ODP Incident Management (IM) Rebalancing Initiative. Updates have been made to the “Clarifying the Definition of Serious Injury” section of this announcement. Updates appear in red text. The guidelines are organized into seven separate topics covering the following:

  • Finalizing Incident Reports
  • Reducing Duplicative and Multiple Incident Reports
  • Clarifying the Definition of Serious Injury
  • Clarifying the Definition for Discovery Date
  • Managing Events Occurring Prior to Enrollment
  • Discontinuing the Use of Optionally Reportable Events (OREs)
  • Discontinuing the Use of Illness/Other and Illness/COVID Incident Categories.

Please view the announcement for additional information and details.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Drexel University’s Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education has announced its 33rd Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference to held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, December 10–11, 2025. The conference theme is “Contemporary Issues Impacting Forensic Services.” The conference will feature live and pre-recorded presentations addressing a wide variety of forensic topics pertinent to behavioral health. The virtual format allows participants to earn additional continuing education credits by accessing session recordings after the conference. More information is available online or by downloading the conference flyer.

The Office of Children, Youth and Families is offering no-cost continuing education opportunities for service professionals. The Department’s First Responder Addiction and Connection to Treatment program (FR-ACT) is a training program within the Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention that was established to ensure first responders and public safety professionals, including CYS professionals, have the tools necessary to respond to the overdose epidemic. Training is offered at no cost and is available in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania. The Department works with an expert training vendor, St. Joseph’s University, to deliver live trainings.

FR-ACT trains and provides skills to first responders and public safety professionals on opioid use disorder, overdose response, and related information, including:

  • Substance use disorder as a chronic disease;
  • Stigma reduction;
  • Providing resources to overdose survivors and families;
  • Naloxone use and leave-behind practices; and
  • Warm hand-offs and connection to treatment.

Continuing education credits are now available for Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors licensees who complete FR-ACT training. There are two ways to participate:

  1. Complete the online, self-study training on TRAIN PA and earn 1 credit hour. Self-study training is available here.
  2. Schedule a training for yourself or your agency by contacting St. Joseph’s University Center for Addiction and Recover Education. OR, you can email the Department. Credit hours available to participants of live training will depend on the length of live training.

More information about FR-ACT may be found here. Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

The Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee is scheduled to vote on HB1939 on Tuesday, October 29, 2025.

HB1939, along with its companion bill in the Senate (SB617), would establish annual rate increases for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) services based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). This bi-partisan legislation, supported in both chambers, would help ensure that provider reimbursement rates keep pace with inflation, supporting workforce stability and maintaining high-quality services across the system.

RCPA supports HB1939 and encourages members to contact the House Human Services Committee to express support and request a “Yes” vote on the bill.

Please direct any questions to Tim Sohosky.

Transforming Suicide Prevention: A Data-Driven Framework
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Time: 3:00pm EST / 2:00pm CST
Featuring: Qualifacts, CenterPointe & Zero Overdose

Register Here

Every life lost to suicide is one too many. Behavioral health organizations have the unique opportunity to transform suicide prevention from a reactive approach into a proactive, system-wide commitment. Achieving this level of transformation requires vision, leadership, and the ability to harness data to drive meaningful action. The Zero Suicide framework offers a revolutionary pathway to make this vision a reality.

Join Qualifacts for this webinar, “Transforming Suicide Prevention: A Data-Driven Framework,” on November 13 at 3:00 pm ET. You’ll hear from the leaders of the Zero Suicide initiative about the efficacy and evidence-based results of the framework and discover how organizations like CenterPointe are leveraging data-driven strategies and Business Intelligence (BI) tools to deliver measurable change and improve care quality.

Featured Speakers

  • Mary Givens
    Manager, Solutions Consulting & CCBHC Program, Qualifacts
    With 18 years at Qualifacts, Mary specializes in supporting behavioral health providers through CCBHC transformation and data-driven care delivery.
  • Ryan Carruthers, Ph.D., LMHP, LADC, CPSS
    Chief Clinical Officer, CenterPointe
    Carruthers leads CenterPointe’s clinical strategy and innovation efforts, driving outcomes through data-informed programming and suicide prevention initiatives.
  • Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW-r, CCM, SAP
    Chief Operating Officer, Zero Overdose
    A national expert in suicide and overdose prevention, Dr. Little advances evidence-based frameworks like Zero Suicide and integrated behavioral health care models.

Register Here

A Request for Applications (RFA) regarding Fairweather Lodge Initiative Services (25-RFA-13798) has been issued and is available for review at PA-eMarketplace.

The Department’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is seeking a non-profit (501(c)(3)) registered Pennsylvania-based organization to manage and implement the Fairweather Lodge (FWL) model across the Commonwealth. The FWL model is a structured, community-based program that supports individuals with serious mental illness in their recovery while fostering independence. FWL will expand home- and community-based services by developing two to five new Lodges, which will create permanent housing opportunities for up to eighteen individuals.

If you are interested in this or other RFAs, please sign up for PA State Procurement eAlerts here.

Please submit your questions via email.

Information provided by The Arc Alliance: 

Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP (food stamp) benefits will not be paid starting November 1, 2025.

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1) FEDERAL SHUTDOWN
SNAP benefits will be temporarily stopped beginning November 1, 2025. Payments will resume once the shutdown is over and funding is restored. Visit here to read more.

2) EBT CARDS
Starting November 1, EBT networks may be shut off at grocery stores and retailers. This means you may not be able to use any remaining balance on your EBT card after October 31.

3) FOOD RESOURCES
The Arc Alliance has created a Food Resource Page with local Food Banks and Food Pantries by county. These are separate from SNAP, but please note — they may become very busy as many Pennsylvanians seek help. Visit for the Food Resource Page.

4) LOCAL CHURCH PANTRIES
Church food pantries often have more flexibility than larger food banks because they don’t rely on government funds. We recommend contacting your local church or parish to ask about their food support options. (Some are listed on our Food Resource Page.)

5) QUESTIONS ABOUT SNAP BENEFITS
If you have questions about your benefits, contact your County Assistance Office (CAO) and speak with your caseworker. Find your CAO’s contact information here.

The Arc Alliance is here to support you and your family during this difficult time. Please share this information with others who may be affected.