Child Welfare Legislative Bills: Member Review & Feedback Requested
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RCPA Update: National Council’s Hill Day at Home 2022
RCPA hopes that you found the National Council on Mental Wellbeing’s Hill Day at Home 2022 a valuable experience. This year’s focus supported the initiatives that are affecting our organizations and delivery of services to vulnerable consumers across Pennsylvania and our nation.
Be sure to check out the overview from Hill Day at Home 2022 that outlines the issues, impacts, strategies, and “The Ask” from our legislators and stakeholders. These include:
- Fulfilling the Promise of 988;
- Support for the Expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs);
- Curbing the Nation’s Substance Use Crisis; and
- Addressing the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Treatment Workforce in America.
RCPA will continue to collaborate with the National Council and our members to advocate for these and other critical initiatives.
If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.
OMHSAS Stakeholder Meeting — June 24
The next OMHSAS Stakeholder Webinar will take place this Friday, June 24, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. You can register for the webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Call-in Number: (631) 992-3221
Access Code: 933633245#
In the meantime, if you have suggestions for agenda topics for June’s webinar, please submit them via email by COB this Thursday, June 23, 2022. OMHSAS will monitor the account and will reply to the sender if more information is needed.
If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.
NAMI Keystone PA 2022 Child, Adolescent, Transition Age Youth MH Conference
NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania’s 2022 Child, Adolescent, and Transition Age Youth Mental Health Conference, Youth in Crisis: A Call for Action will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. This will also feature the panel discussion “Answering the Cry for Help: The Role Adults Play in Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis,” which includes panelist Jim Sharp, RCPA Children’s Division Director.
10th Annual Lifesharing Conference: November 7–8
November 7–8, 2022
The Pennsylvania Lifesharing Coalition will be holding its 10th Annual Lifesharing Conference on November 7 and 8, 2022. The conference will take place in-person at Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, PA. Registration is $200 through June 30 and $250 thereafter. See the flyer for more information on hotel accommodations and instructions on how to register.
Sessions
The keynote speaker on Monday will be Rachel Simon, author of several books, including Riding the
Bus With My Sister. Sessions also include updates from the PA Office of Developmental Programs, mental health and wellness topics, and lifesharing best practices from families and providers. The Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services will be offering the 8-hour Mental Health First Aid course; 4 hours will be completed virtually in advance of the conference, and 4 hours will be completed on Tuesday, November 8, at the conference.
Visit here to register for the conference.
See the flyer for more information.
Summer Heat Safety: ODP Health Alert
REMINDER: RCPA Member Use of Electronic Systems Survey
RCPA is looking to gather information regarding your organization’s experience with electronic data systems and is requesting your assistance. This short survey asks questions regarding systems used for Time, Attendance, and Payroll; Electronic Health Records; Service Data Collection; Medication Management; and Billing services.
If you haven’t completed this survey yet and are willing to do so, please complete it by close of business Friday, June 24, 2022. We will be closing the survey at that time.
Thank you to those who have participated already.
Our goal is that, with your responses, we will be able to provide your colleagues with this helpful information! Please note that RCPA will only share de-identified, aggregate data with members. We will not release any individual data unless given explicit permission to do so.
ODP Services Overview Quick Guide Now Available
ODP Announcement 22-071 serves to inform readers that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Services Overview is now available. This quick guide gives an overview of ODP, program eligibility, who to contact to establish eligibility, and what happens after.
Printable versions in English and Spanish are available. The quick guide is also available on the MyODP and Department of Human Services (DHS) websites.
How a Title IX Lawsuit Against Temple Changed the Game
Budget Talks Enter Final Days; Your Help is Needed
Only a few days remain before the end of the fiscal year, and lawmakers are close to finalizing the state’s 2022/23 General Fund budget. Because of your direct outreach over the last few months, our workforce issues remain among their top priorities.
According to reporting by The Associated Press: “… difficulty in finding workers to care for children, the elderly and disabled has budget-makers eyeing more subsidies for those professions.”
You have been tireless advocates for this issue, making lawmakers understand how this workforce crisis is affecting our most vulnerable individuals and families, as well as the providers and professionals who serve them. Let us build on this momentum.
With budget negotiations about to end, if you haven’t done so already, please contact your state senator and representative TODAY and tell them to increase funding to support human services professionals. And please ask your networks to do the same.
Time is of the essence right now. What happens over the next few days will determine the level of care individuals and families in need receive over the next year, and whether providers and professionals can continue to support them.
USE THIS LINK to learn how you can help. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay informed of our progress. Most importantly, TAKE ACTION TODAY. Tell lawmakers to increase funding to address the workforce crisis facing Pennsylvania’s health and human services. Thank you for your continued efforts and support.
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