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Image by David Mark from Pixabay

On January 29, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order to create the White House Great American Recovery Initiative in an effort to coordinate a federal response to addiction across America and prevent fatal overdoses. This new initiative serves as part of Trump’s commitment to ending the addiction crisis and ensuring Americans have access to the support and care they need.

The Great American Recovery Initiative will be led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., along with Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery Kathryn Burgum, and will also include the Attorney General, Interior, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs Secretaries.

Primary goals of the initiative include increasing addiction awareness, advising agencies on program implementation, advising agencies on directing appropriate grants to support addiction recovery, and consulting with states and other entities to ensure Americans have access to addiction treatment. The White House also released a fact sheet to detail the goals of the initiative and their current progress in addiction treatment.

Secretary Kennedy is scheduled to appear Monday, February 2, 2026, to discuss more details and announce another initiative related to mental health and addiction. RCPA will continue to update members as information becomes available.

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) is making available for public review and comments the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) proposed amendment for the Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver and the proposed renewal of the OBRA waiver. The proposed amendment of the CHC waiver and renewal of the OBRA waiver will be effective July 1, 2026.

DHS is proposing the following changes to the CHC waiver:

  • Add a teleservice option to the following waiver services:
    • Behavior therapy.
    • Benefits counseling.
  • Add language to specifically address teleservice delivery of waiver services and the Home and Community- Based Settings (HCBS) rule based on sections added to the waiver application.
  • Remove and modify outdated language throughout waiver.

The proposed CHC waiver amendment and a summary of all revisions are available for review here.

Written comments regarding the proposed renewal to OBRA should be sent to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, Attention: Keeley Anglin—CHC Waiver Amendment, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments can also be sent via email. Use ”CHC Waiver Amendment” as the subject line. Comments received within 30 days will be considered in subsequent revisions to the proposed amendment.

DHS is proposing the following changes to the OBRA waiver:

  • Add a teleservice option to the following waiver services:
    • Behavior therapy.
    • Benefits counseling.
  • Revise outdated language regarding the OLTL quality improvement strategy and quality monitoring processes.
  • Add language regarding the need for a Service Coordinator to reassess a participant due to a trigger event.
  • Add language to specifically address teleservice delivery of waiver services and the Home and Community-Based Settings (HCBS) rule based on new sections in the waiver application.
  • Add language to comply with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Final Rule (Access Rule) to update the complaint process for the fee-for-service waiver and update the timeframe to resolve a complaint from 45 to 60 days due to the additional requirements of the Access Rule.
  • Update OLTL’s goals for unduplicated number of waiver participants who are expected to elect participant direction.
  • Modify performance measures AA-2 and QP-2 and divide SP-5 into three separate performance measures: SP-5 (amount, frequency and duration), SP-9 (type) and SP-10 (scope).
  • Remove and modify outdated language throughout waiver.

The proposed OBRA waiver renewal and a summary of all revisions are available for review here.

Written comments regarding the proposed renewal to OBRA waiver should be sent to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, Attention: Keeley Anglin—OBRA Waiver Renewal, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments can also be sent via email. Use ”OBRA Waiver Renewal” as the subject line. Comments received within 30 days will be considered.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to obtain public feedback on potential approaches to strengthen the American-made supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE) and essential medicines. Building on lessons learned during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), CMS is exploring ways to reduce reliance on foreign-made medical supplies and enhance the nation’s readiness for future emergencies while supporting American workers and manufacturers.

The proposed rule requests comments on new avenues CMS may consider promoting domestic purchasing by hospitals that participate in the Medicare program, including the potential creation of a new “Secure American Medical Supplies” designation for hospitals committed to American-made purchasing and streamlined payment approaches to help offset the resource costs of domestic procurement.

Comments on the ANPRM are due by March 30, 2026.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the release of the Quality Assessment and Improvement (QA&I) and Home & Community-Based Settings Rule Licensing Inspection Statewide Report, which includes QA&I Cycle 2 and licensing inspection data from fiscal years (FY) 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. This report is located online at MyODP’s website in the QA&I Reports section or directly here.

Please view communication ODPANN 26-014 for more details.

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African Woman Filling Survey Poll Or Form On Laptop Computer

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 26-015. This communication is to inform providers that the 2024 National Core Indicators® Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI®-IDD) State of the Workforce survey portal expects to open on February 9, 2026.

Attachment:

Please view the announcement for more details.

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Talking About Sexuality: A Workshop for Parents of Youth and Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Session 1: Wednesday, February 11, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Session 2: Monday, May 11, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register Here

Talking about sexuality with your loved ones with disabilities can be difficult. As parents and family members, we often worry whether they can be safe from harm in relationships. This workshop from Elevatus Training, LLC will help you become more comfortable and prepared for these conversations. Topics include:

  • What is Sexual Health?
  • Barriers to Communicating
  • Human Sexual Development
  • Tips for Talking

This training is free, provided virtually, and features small and large group discussions. Registration is required.

Sessions are capped at 40 participants. Automatic closed captioning and image descriptions will be provided. Contact Temple University via email to request additional access needs or questions.

This workshop is hosted and facilitated by the Healthy Sexuality Project at the Institute on Disabilities. This workshop is written and designed by Elevatus Training, LLC. The Healthy Sexuality Project is a program of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University.

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RCPA continues to seek proposals for the 2026 Annual Conference Power in Purpose: Promoting Possibilities, which will be held September 29 – October 2 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. RCPA’s Conference Committee is looking for workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Discuss strategies for C-Suite leadership to advance their organization with adapting to challenges and opportunities;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence and technology in service provision;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention; and/or
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to brain injury, medical rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, autism, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities. Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is COB Monday, March 23, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically with the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 minutes in length. If the topic requires an in-depth presentation, a double session can be scheduled for a total of 180 minutes. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be asked to confirm the ability to submit workshop slides and handouts electronically two weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation may not have their materials available to participants during the conference.

Individuals are welcome to submit more than one proposal; however, we ask that you submit no more than three total. Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Monday, May 11, 2026. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

As an update, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) continues to work closely with the Treasury as they conduct their reviews of payments related to the Supports Coordination Organization (SCO) Pay-for-Performance initiative. While they cannot provide a timeframe for completion of the reviews, it should be noted that payment is generally seen by providers within 2–3 days of approval versus waiting for the next payment cycle. All Pay-for-Performance payments are under review; however, there is nothing specifically required from any SCOs at this point in time.

ODP will continue to monitor payment status and will send updates as they receive new information.

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