';
CLOSE
Brain Injury

0 1977

The status of the PA state budget continues to impact every provider, insurer, and health care organization. With funding in limbo and federal Medicaid cuts already causing disruptions in services, providers are having to work together and create unique solutions to funding and providing patients with quality care.

At the 2025 RCPA Conference Strive to Thrive, RCPA is hosting an Agency Leadership Discussion Panel comprised of experts who have been following the status of Pennsylvania’s budget. The panel will include professional input from:

Paul Dlugolecki
Brier Dlugolecki Strategies
Jack Phillips
Novak Strategies
Jenn Tyler
Wojdak Government Relations

Join this panel on Wednesday, September 10, in the Crystal A room, from 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm, where they will:

  • Discuss the current status of the budget and potential timelines;
  • Analyze the impacts of the budget impasse and the budget itself on providers and health care organizations;
  • Share strategies that providers are using to continue providing care to their patients; and
  • Host a Q&A with attendees for an open, honest discussion on what is happening and what providers can do to support themselves and others.
Register today for the 2025 Conference and reserve your seat. View the Registration Brochure for complete details regarding our schedule, booking a hotel room, and more!

0 1270

The 2025 RCPA Conference Strive to Thrive is packed with more than just engaging workshops led by informative speakers. RCPA will host a wide variety of events throughout the week at the Hershey Lodge, granting attendees access to networking events, receptions, and more! By registering today, not only will you reserve your spot to interact with local and national leaders in health and human services, but you will gain access to:

  • Our Welcome Reception, which offers a great chance to network with RCPA staff and your colleagues.
  • Gentle Yoga and Breathwork, which will be hosted Wednesday morning for those who enjoy an early morning workout routine.
  • Our Association Awards Luncheon, where we recognize those who stand above the rest and lead those in the industry.
  • Carelon Connections Hall’s Opening Reception and Connections Hall Luncheon, which will include food, the chance to see and learn about the latest products and services in health care, and our event game, with a possibility to win a multitude of prizes.
  • An Agency Leadership Discussion Panel on Wednesday in the Crystal A room with Jack Phillips, Novak Strategies; Paul Dlugolecki, Brier Dlugolecki Strategies; and Jenn Tyler, Wojdak Government Relations. Come discuss, ask questions, and get the latest information on PA state budget developments, including the impact of the budget on providers and strategies providers are utilizing.
  • The RCPA PAC Silent Auction, for those interested in donating to a good cause!
Registration will end before we know it — the deadline to register is Friday, August 29, 2025. View the Registration Brochure for complete details, or register here and reserve your spot today!

Opportunities for sponsorships and advertising are still available to organizations that are interested, but EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT! We are grateful to all our sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who help make the conference happen. Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for more details.

View our sponsors and exhibitors at our Conference website!

0 1389

With a little less than a month before kick-off, RCPA is excited to announce a new keynote speaker in our lineup at the 2025 Annual Conference Strive to Thrive! We will now be kicking off our conference with Al Guida, JD, Owner of Guide Consulting Services, Inc., to discuss Impacts of Federal Issues on the Human Services System. Guida is a nationally recognized advocate and strategist who has provided valuable federal policy and regulatory solutions for Guide Consulting Service’s health care clients in the provider, technology, and public health sectors. He has helped clients realize measurable goals in mental health parity, biomedical research, child poverty, and child welfare, and his legislative portfolio includes successful collaborations with major Congressional committees, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Working together, the Guide Consulting Services team have established and secured funding for Mental Health First Aid, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and the 988 National Suicide Prevention Coordinating Office. In 2024, Guida was recognized as one of DC’s 500 Most Influential People.

With the current confusion and chaos surrounding federal policies, Medicaid, future funding, and their effects on the health and human services landscape, you won’t want to miss this informative opener!

Following Al Guida will be Pennsylvania’s DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh. Attendees will shift their focus from the federal level to the state, with the DHS Secretary highlighting key issues facing PA providers, including trends, impacts of federal policy at the local level, and current initiatives related to Performance-Based Contracting and value-based purchasing.

All this and more on the very first day of the Conference! Register today to reserve your seat, and view the Registration Brochure for complete details regarding our schedule, booking a hotel room, and more!

0 4208

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared this important announcement from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA MedWatch — DermaKleen, Dermasarra, Kleenfoam, and Perigiene Products by DermaRite Industries

DermaRite Industries is recalling the below products due to microbial contamination identified as Burkholderia cepacia.

Risk Statement:

Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) in these products may result in serious and life-threatening infections. The contaminated products may be used by immunosuppressed individuals or by people attending to immunosuppressed individuals. In healthy individuals with minor skin lesions, the use of the product will more likely result in local infections, whereas in immunocompromised individuals the infection is more likely to spread into blood stream leading to life-threatening sepsis.

The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States and in Puerto Rico.

To date, DermaRite has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

Background:

  • DermaKleen is an OTC Healthcare antiseptic lotion soap with Vitamin E indicated for handwashing to decrease bacteria on the skin.
  • DermaSarra is an OTC External analgesic indicated for temporary relief of itching associated with minor skin irritations due to dry skin, insect bites, detergents, sunburn.
  • KleenFoam is an OTC Antimicrobial foam soap with aloe vera indicated for handwashing to decrease bacteria on the skin after changing diapers, after assisting ill people, or before contact with a person under medical care or treatment.
  • PeriGiene is an OTC Antiseptic cleanser indicated for use in the perineal area.

Recommendations:

  • Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this product.
  • Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Mary Goldberg at 973-569-9000 x104 or via email.
  • DermaRite has notified its distributors and customers by email to immediately examine available inventory and destroy all affected products in accordance with each facility’s process.

For more information about this recall and specific product number, visit the FDA’s website.

0 1077

RCPA is proud to be at the forefront of developments in health and human services, and we strive to present information covering a wide variety of aspects within the industry. At our 2025 Annual Conference Strive to Thrive, attendees will expand their knowledge of topics impacting their consumers, providers, insurance, IT teams, compliance, and more! Register today to reserve your seat, and view the Registration Brochure for complete details.

For your convenience, we have compiled the list of workshops by topic, highlighting just how much we plan to cover during our stay at the Hershey Lodge! Please note that some workshops may discuss more than one set of topics. Use this as a guide, see what interests you, and make sure you register today!

AI, Data, and Technology:

  • W16 | Organizational and Individual Benefits of Becoming Technology First
  • W24 | AI in Action: Empowering Better Care and Financial Health
  • W32 | Technology First: A Journey, Not Just a Destination
  • W38 | Using Video Monitoring Effectively to Promote Safety
  • W48 | Technology, Human Capacity, and an “Everyday Life” in Employment
  • W51 | Best Practices in Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Behavioral Healthcare
  • W56 | Beyond Metrics: Leading With Connection in a Data-Driven World
  •  W63 | Empowering Independence: Transforming Lives With Remote Support — A Provider’s Journey Through Person-Centered and Agency Perspectives

Autism and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities:

  • W18 | Growing Through Connection: Managers Leading With Heart, Building Relationship-Driven I/DD Services
  • W26 | Solving the DSP Hiring Crisis: Strategies for Recruitment and Retention Success
  • W29 | Life Sharing for Children With Medically Complex Conditions
  • W35 | Dual Diagnosis Treatment Team: An Integrated Community Treatment Model for Dually Diagnosed Individuals
  • W37 | Innovations in Family Engagement to Improve Experience and Outcomes
  • W47 | Health Equity for People With IDD in the Community
  • W54 | From Recognition to Intervention: Addressing Anxiety-Related Challenges in Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities
  • W59 | Independence and Wellness Through Employment

Behavioral, Children’s, and School-Based Health:

  • W05 | Research to Practice: Using an Evidence-Based Digital Tool to Improve Executive Function Among Students
  • W07 | Care Navigator: Helping the Community Transition Home After Inpatient Hospitalization
  • W08 | The Final Rule on 42 CFR Part 8: One Opioid Treatment Program’s Adjustments to the New Regulations and Q&A
  • W12 | Whether We Realize It or Not, FASD Affects Us All
  • W14 | The Power of Peers and Partnership: Response to Substance Use Crisis
  • W20 | Enhancing CCBHC Effectiveness: Four Essential Tools for Success
  • W22 | Quality Improvement Strategies to Adopt State-Wide Policy Change in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
  • W28 | Staff Experience of Safety in a Civilian Crisis Response Program
  • W40 | Janus: A Reimagining of Mental Health Housing and Support
  • W55 | Where Did All the Meth Come From? Strategies and Tactics for Dealing With the Next Epidemic
  • W61 | Understanding Peer Support From a Clinical Perspective
  • W62 | Transformative Triage: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Crisis Intervention and Client-Centered Care
  • W64 | Moving Beyond Training: Strategy-Based Approaches to Decreasing Behavior Incidents

Brain Injury:

  • W44 | The Cutting Edge of the Neuroscience of Music: Clinical Applications in Neurorehabilitation
  • W52 | A Review and Discussion About the Funding Available for Brain Injury Services in PA
  • W60 | Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT): Developing Tools to Empower Individuals With TBI Throughout the Rehabilitation Process

DHS Offices and Items:

  • W01 | Office Of Developmental Programs Policy Updates and Forecast for 2026
  • W23 | PA Navigate: Connecting Pennsylvanians to Needed Social Services
  • W31 | Updates and Discussion With the Office of Long-Term Living
  • W42 | Behavioral Health Treatment in Pennsylvania: Where We Are, Where We Are Going
  • P01 | State of the State

Ethics:

  • W50 and W58 | Imposter! Ethical Practice, Competence, and Being a “Good Enough” Practitioner Parts I Part II

Financial Management, Medicaid, and Value-Based Purchasing:

  • W02 | How To Survive a Payer Billing Audit — Straight From an Auditor’s Mouth
  • W27 | The Benefits of Measurement-Based Care and Its Economic Impact on Return on Investment
  • W34 | Expanding Revenue Beyond Medicaid: New Funding Strategies for I/DD Providers
  • W46 | Building Centralized Procurement for Decentralized Behavioral Health Organizations

Government and Advocacy:

  • W39 | Building Sustainable Community Advisory Councils for Impactful Legislative Advocacy
  • P02 | National Outlook: The Turbulent Landscape of 2025/26

Suicide Prevention:

  • W10 | A Systemic Focus for Treating Homicide-Suicide Behaviors

Trauma-Informed Care and Wellness:

  • W13 | Addressing Healthcare and Transportation Barriers for Vulnerable Populations
  • W19 | Creating a Trauma-Informed Workplace in a Tri-Pillared Organization
  • W43 | Trauma-Informed Care Works: Striving and Thriving in a Forensic Program

Workplace Culture, Leadership, and Management:

  • W03 and W11 | Leadership and Emotional Intelligence Parts I and II
  • W04 | Thriving Through Performance Development
  • W06 | Building a Team-Based Culture: Not Your Average Team Approach
  • W09 | The Role of Culture in Merger & Acquisition Strategy and Success
  • W15 | Promoting Staff Engagement and Growth Culture
  • W17 | Empowering Change Through Leadership, Workforce Development, and Innovation
  • W21 | Turning Internal Communications Objectives Into Action
  • W25 | The Shift of Trust: Reduce Turnover and Create a Culture of Collaboration
  • W30 | Leveraging a Multidisciplinary Team in the Development and Delivery of Treatment Outcomes
  • W33 | Whole Brain Living: Reflective Reacting as a Means of Achieving a Wiser Result
  • W36 | Generative Listening: A Transformative Approach to Developing Inclusive Leadership
  • W41 | Leadership Gold – How to Be a Leader Worth Following
  • W45 | Use of Self: Integrating Awareness, Recognition, and Mindfulness Into Everyday Practices at Your Organization or Agency
  • W49 | Mastering Difficult Conversations to Build Thriving Cultures
  • W53 | Empowering Neurodivergent Professionals: Supporting Disability Disclosure and Workplace Success
  • W57 | Future-Proofing Leadership: Succession Planning for Health & Human Services
  • K01 | Building Organizational Culture and High Performing Healthy Teams
  • K02 | Applying Resilience and Mindfulness to Enhance Leadership
  • K03 | The EEOC is NOT Messing Around: Harassment Prevention in 2025 and Beyond
  • K04 | Rediscovering You: How to Reconnect, Recharge, and Rise
View the Registration Brochure for a full listing of each day’s workshops and events as well as how to register!

0 731

The Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting was recently held on August 6, 2025. During the meeting, a number of presentations were given. Included in this package is a critical update on revalidation with specific dates associated with your agency. ALL communications will be done electronically and could end up in your spam folders. Please review that segment of the presentation and consider reading the transcript for that segment.

Other important updates relate to the CHC procurement stay and an analysis of the impact of OBBB Act on Pennsylvania Medicaid.

Materials Include:

If you have any questions, contact Fady Sahhar.

0 1133
Today is your last chance to take advantage of early bird registration rates for the RCPA 2025 Annual Conference Strive to Thrive! Register today to reserve your seat and guarantee your access to:
  • Over sixty workshops that tackle the latest in technology, workplace culture, and health care initiatives;
  • National keynote and plenary speakers who will discuss issues ranging from the federal landscape to personal well-being;
  • Networking opportunities in Connections Hall, featuring over 90 exhibitors with the latest industry products and services (as well as some exciting game prizes!); and
  • Opportunities to connect with RCPA staff and other industry leaders to discuss all that is happening in health and human services.
View the Registration Brochure to see a full listing of events, workshops, and activities. Additionally, by registering today, you will be able to access the mobile app prior to the conference, gaining the ability to view webinar recordings, create your personalized schedule, and make early connections with sponsors and exhibitors.
Early bird registration ends TODAY! Register here!
Opportunities for sponsorships and advertising are still available to organizations that are interested, but EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT! We are grateful to all our sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who help make the conference happen. Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for more details.
View our sponsors and exhibitors at our Conference website!

0 1545
Businessman and team work using a Laptop Computer with Webinar E-business Browsing Connection and cloud online technology webcast concept, business concept

From Data to Decisions: Optimizing EHR Success Through Data Governance and Change Management
Free RCPA Members-Only Webinar

Thursday, August 21, 2025
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Register Here

Effective data governance and organizational change management (OCM) are critical for the long-term success and maintenance of your EHR system. These processes ensure data integrity, streamline system changes, and enhance overall project outcomes. In this session, we will detail how agencies can leverage OCM to assure these positive outcomes for your agency as well as overall effectiveness of your EHR initiative.

Presenters:

  • Theresa Yera, BA, MA, Senior Director of EHR, Strategy and Customer Success
  • Tina Kirkpatrick, BA, Senior Director of EHR, Strategy and Customer Success
  • Aaron Rogers, MRT, ATP, Electronic Health Record Administrator, Partners for Quality

Objectives: Following this course, the learner will:

  • Explain the importance of data governance and organizational change management;
  • Discover the phases of EHR maintenance required for effective data governance; and
  • Examine data accuracy for funding success.

Certificates of attendance are available to RCPA members who attend this webinar; anyone interested in a certificate should contact Cathy Barrick. To apply for CEs, you will need to register for the RCPA Annual Conference Strive to Thrive and indicate you attended the webinar in your CE packet, which will be made available on the mobile app.

Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for details, or visit the RCPA Conference website for information on workshops, sponsors, exhibitors, and more!

0 1588

The field of health and human services is shifting at a rapid pace, and it is vital for providers, advocates, and legal experts to remain up-to-date on policy as well as involved in the advocacy process. Among the over sixty workshops available, the RCPA 2025 Annual Conference Strive to Thrive will be holding several workshops tackling the federal landscape. Register today and join us at the Hershey Lodge September 9 – 12, 2025, to gain access to these informative workshops, which include:

  • National Outlook: The Turbulent Landscape of 2025/26
  • How To Survive a Payer Billing Audit — Straight From an Auditor’s Mouth
  • Expanding Revenue Beyond Medicaid: New Funding Strategies for I/DD Providers
  • Building Sustainable Community Advisory Councils for Impactful Legislative Advocacy

At a local level, the RCPA Conference is working with the Department of Human Services to bring information straight to attendees, with workshops such as:

  • State of the State
  • Office of Developmental Programs Policy Updates and Forecast for 2026
  • PA Navigate: Connecting Pennsylvanians to Needed Social Services
  • Updates and Discussion With the Office of Long-Term Living
  • Behavioral Health Treatment in Pennsylvania: Where We Are, Where We Are Going

Early bird registration rates end this Friday, August 8, so don’t delay in reserving your spot for these workshops and more! View our Registration Brochure for complete details of the conference schedule and speakers, and be sure to check the RCPA Conference website regularly for details and updates to the schedule, registration, and sponsors/exhibitors. Register today!

Opportunities for sponsorships and advertising are still available, but EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT! We are grateful to all our sponsors and exhibitors who help make the conference happen. If your organization is interested in sponsoring or advertising at our conference, all information is available in our Sponsor, Exhibit, and Advertise Brochure. Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for more details.

Thank you to our Sponsors and Exhibitors! We are grateful for your support!
Prev1...678...119Next Page 7 of 119
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association