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On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus elected its legislative leaders for the 2021-2022 Legislative Session.
The Republican Leadership Team Consists of:
When the House reconvenes for the 2021-2022 legislative session, the Republicans will hold at least a 113-90 majority.
The State Senate will be convening today to elect their leadership for the 2021-2022 Legislative Session. In the State Senate, one state senate race is still to be determined.
By Robert Swift, Staff Writer, Capitolwire
HARRISBURG (Nov. 11) – Closed or downsized state hospitals, prisons, and centers for the intellectually disabled could potentially find new use as drug treatment centers according to a recent state legislative study.
The study by the Joint State Government Commission identifies more than 40 vacant state-owned sites across Pennsylvania.
The study was conducted amidst the backdrop of an ongoing opioid epidemic that led to 4,415 drug overdose deaths in 2018 and counts more than 287,000 Pennsylvanians struggling with a substance abuse (including alcohol) disorder.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for drug treatment providers who are trying to secure protective equipment, provide quarantine space, and practice social distancing in crowded shelters.
The places considered the “most suitable for use as drug treatment facilities are on the campuses of recently closed or unused buildings at still operational state hospitals, “ the commission study said.
Six state hospitals fall into this category. They are located at Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County; Wernersville, Berks County; Danville, Montour County; Torrance, Westmoreland County; Warren in Warren County; and Norristown in Montgomery County.
Clarks Summit has two vacant structures; Wernersville has three; Danville has eleven; Torrance has four; Warren has one, which is an unused greenhouse; and Norristown has eight.
“The primary advantage of repurposing state hospitals is that they are already located in areas ideally suited to provide medical care,” the study said.
Norristown State Hospital is cited as an example where a number of human service agencies already lease buildings on the grounds.
The state Department of General Services (DGS) leases space at Norristown to nine county-based providers for a combined rent of nearly $1.8 million annually. These include Carol’s Place, a short-term residential place for adults experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis; and Elwyn/New Beginnings, a residential treatment facility for adults.
A half-dozen non-profit and community organizations use space at Norristown rent- free.
Meanwhile, the study identified Summit Hall at Clarks Summit Hospital and the closed Hamburg Center in Berks County as suitable for conversion into drug treatment centers.
The closed Retreat State Correctional Institution in Luzerne County is also mentioned as a potential treatment center.
Retreat has a long history. It started out as a state hospital and then was converted into a state prison in the 1980s. Retreat’s closing was delayed for a number of months earlier this year while it was used as a COVID-19 quarantine center for new state inmates.
The corrections department is keeping minimal operations at Retreat in case it’s needed again during the pandemic.
The study also cautions that many factors are involved in determining whether a vacant state-owned building is suitable for a drug treatment center.
“There are no easy means to determine whether unused state property will be suitable for conversion into a drug treatment center,” it said.
The factors to be weighed include location relating to higher overdose rates, local zoning, a building’s physical condition, the capacity of existing utilities, level of community support, and an analysis of whether it’s more efficient to build a new facility than restore an older one.
The study offers several recommendations, including that the General Assembly consider selling, gifting, or renting state property for use as drug treatment centers on a case-by-case basis, that the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs be the contact point for treatment providers interested in using vacant state land, and that DGS continues efforts to upgrade the state property inventory.
“While the report revealed the state lacks information about some of its properties, including their general condition and specific repairs, I’m heartened to learn there are former state hospitals, prisons, and centers for the intellectually disabled that could be repurposed to help those with substance abuse disorders,” said Rep. Jim Gregory, R-Blair, who sponsored the House resolution authorizing the study.
Recently, a bi-partisan group of members from the House of Representatives introduced a bill that addresses the tentative cuts in reimbursement for services paid for through the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule. This bill was published in the Federal Register on August 17, 2020 (comments were due by October 5, 2020). These cuts impact outpatient therapy in addition to inpatient physician services. This bill, “Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020”, would create a separate, dedicated fund that would pay providers the difference in their reimbursement and 2020 payment rates for two years. The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA) will continue to update members on the progression of this bill.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has an open enrollment for the Autism Navigator Course. This free training for Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) and Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) providers who serve young children and their families will end on Wednesday, December 30, 2020. Once enrolled, trainees will be able to complete the course for free in 2021.
Approximately 200 people have already taken advantage of this opportunity that OMHSAS, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) have partnered to offer.
For further information and to enroll, please see the this letter, guide, and agreement. Then email your completed enrollment agreement along with any questions here.
If you have any further questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director Jim Sharp.
Wednesday, November 18
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) gives families and individuals an opportunity to talk about money issues and set goals. The creation of the ABLE savings program in 2014 was a monumental win for people with disabilities. For the first time ever, people with disabilities had a safe way to save without jeopardizing their benefits. Diana Fishlock of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department will discuss some of the details of Pennsylvania’s ABLE program, and Dr. Josie Badger and Susan Tachau will share their first-hand experiences with using ABLE accounts.
Join us to learn about:
Learn more and register here.
For questions or help with registration, please contact Megan Bolin at 888-744-1938.
Join us and gain the tools you need to have an impact.
Each Money Talks webinar hosted by the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation will provide information and resources to handle the unique financial issues that impact individuals with disabilities, including new challenges that have arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are a person with a disability, a family member of someone with a disability, an advocate, an educator, or a service provider, this series is for you. Each session will be fully accessible, and recordings, transcripts, and slides will be made available.
Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
Toll Free Voice: 888.744.1938
Voice: 484.674.0506
Fax: 484.674.0510
Email: patf@patf.us