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Children's Services

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Message from the Department of Health (PA DOH):

With the recent rise in COVID-19 case counts across the Commonwealth and the country, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) wants long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to be aware of the multiple ways to access lifesaving COVID-19 treatment and preventive products.

We distribute the following outpatient therapeutics directly to LTCFs that enroll in the PA DOH network:

  • Treatment: Oral antivirals (Paxlovid & Lagevrio);
  • Treatment: Monoclonal antibodies (Bebtelovimab); and
  • Preventive: Monoclonal antibodies for pre-exposure prophylaxis (Evusheld).

Stocking therapeutics on-site can help eligible patients access preventive protection and receive timely treatment, which must be initiated within a matter of days from symptom onset. Most patients who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for treatment.

The one-page guide for LTCFs covers how to enroll in the PA DOH therapeutics network. The first step is to complete our therapeutics enrollment form. You will receive additional instructions after form submission. To enroll, your facility will need a pharmacy license and/or a licensed medical director to take responsibility. If you do not have either of these, please reference the guide for alternative options to access COVID-19 therapeutics.

In addition to reviewing the guide, we appreciate you sharing it with other relevant LTCF stakeholders.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via email. Thank you for all that you do to protect vulnerable residents across the Commonwealth. We appreciate your partnership in the fight against COVID-19.

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Gun Violence and Mental Illness
June 6, 2022

Our organizations write to express our deep concerns about false and harmful attempts to link mental illness and gun violence. The horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two adults on May 24 is just one in a long series of mass shootings throughout our country. These shootings have one thing in common – easy access to weapons that can kill with terrifying efficiency on a massive scale. Attempts to connect mental illness to mass shootings are a distraction that inflicts enormous damage by taking attention from solutions that could actually prevent such events. This perpetuates a false narrative that encourages stigmatization of and discrimination against the millions of Americans living with mental health conditions who are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it (i). In fact, persons with mental illness account for a very small portion of gun violence (ii).

While mental health conditions are common in countries across the globe (iii), the United States is the only country where mass shootings have become disturbingly commonplace. In fact, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States (iv). Not coincidentally, the U.S. is also alone in making firearms widely available with few restrictions.

Gun violence is a public health crisis, and the trauma and fear caused by mass shootings significantly worsen Americans’ mental health. A large majority of adults in the United States experience stress associated with mass shootings, and a third of U.S. adults say that fear of mass shootings stops them from going to certain places and events (v). Moreover, research has shown that victims and members of affected communities experience increases in posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and other signs of psychological concerns. Other studies have found that, after previous mass shootings, youth felt less safe and more fearful (vi). These findings, many of which are unsurprising, make it all the more important to take urgent action to prevent these shootings, particularly in light of our nation’s ongoing youth mental health crisis.

Our organizations welcome continued bipartisan efforts to improve our country’s mental health and substance use systems. These should be pursued because they will enhance our collective well-being, improve and save countless lives, and lead to a more vibrant and resilient country.

However, what these reforms alone will not do is address the epidemic of mass shootings. To prevent more carnage, policymakers must act now to address the national crisis of gun violence and work on a bipartisan basis to pass meaningful solutions that promote gun safety in all of our communities.

2020 Mom
A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing)
All4Ed
Alliance for Quality Education
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (previously known as CPNP)
American Council for School Social Work
American Counseling Association
American Federation of Teachers
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Group Psychotherapy Association
American Nurses Association
American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American School Counselor Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
Autism Society of America
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Clinical Social Work Association
Council of Administrators of Special Education
Crisis Residential Association
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
EDGE Consulting Partners
Global Alliance on Behavioral Health and Social Justice
Inseparable
International OCD Foundation
Learning Heroes
Mental Health America
MENTOR National
N.A.P.S.
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Association for Rural Mental Health
National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Learning Disabilities
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Eating Disorders Association
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Health Law Program
National League for Nursing
National Register of Health Service Psychologists
Partnership to End Addiction
Psychotherapy Action Network
RI International
School Social Work Association of America
The Advocacy Institute
The Jed Foundation
The Kennedy Forum
Well Being Trust

  • (i) Brekke JS, Prindle C, Bae SW, Long JD. Risks for individuals with schizophrenia who are living in the community. Psychiatr Serv. 2001 Oct;52(10):1358-66. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.52.10.1358. PMID: 11585953.
  • (ii) Baumann ML, Teasdale B. Severe mental illness and firearm access: Is violence really the danger? Int J Law Psychiatry. 2018 Jan-Feb;56:44-49. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2017.11.003. Epub 2017 Dec 7. PMID: 29701598.
  • (iii) Steel Z, Marnane C, Iranpour C, et al. The global prevalence of common mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis 1980-2013. Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(2):476-493. doi:10.1093/ije/dyu038
  • (iv) Goldstick, Jason E., Cunningham, Rebecca M., Carter, Patrick M. Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States. 2022/04/20. New England Journal of Medicine, 386: 1955-1956. 10.1056/NEJMc220176. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201761.
  • (v)American Psychological Association (APA) (2019). One-Third of US Adults Say Fear of Mass Shootings Prevents Them from Going to Certain Places or Events. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/08/fear-mass-shooting
  • (vi) For a description of relevant research see: Lowe SR, Galea S. The Mental Health Consequences of Mass Shootings. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2017 Jan;18(1):62-82. doi: 10.1177/1524838015591572. Epub 2015 Jun 17. PMID: 26084284

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RCPA staff and the Conference Committee are gearing up for our long-awaited in-person conference to be held in Hershey, PA, October 11 – 14, 2022! We have a great lineup of speakers underway to cover a wide range of topics, including:

  • Strategies to help organizations attract and keep quality staff;
  • Value-based care and reimbursement;
  • The importance of data to inform service provisions;
  • Use of technology to improve services and increase independence; and
  • Telehealth and the legal considerations when utilizing this model.

There will be sessions covering leadership, supervision, trauma-informed leadership, “how to” effectively advocate for legislation, and many sessions focusing on our members’ specialties — Intellectual Disabilities and Autism, Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol, Children’s Services, Physical Disabilities and Aging, and more.

Registration will be opening in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for the Early Bird rates!

We would also like to thank some of our early sponsors. Thank you for showing your support of our 2022 Conference!

 

 

We have additional sponsorship opportunities available and invite you to contact Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster for more information. You can also see our brochure for contract details.

We look forward to seeing you all Together this October!

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The documents from the June 1, 2022, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting are available for review. The documents include:

  • The agenda;
  • A “Money Follows the Person and Nursing Home Transition” update;
  • A Value-Based Purchasing update from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Community HealthChoices Managed Care Organizations (CHC MCOs); and
  • A CHC Financial Management Services (FMS) Transition update.

The next MLTSS Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for July 6, 2022, and will be held in person (and also via remote streaming).

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on the nineteenth day of June to commemorate the emancipation of African-Americans who were enslaved in the United States. It memorializes the end of slavery and has been observed annually since 1865. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed into law Senate Bill 475, making Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday.

Juneteenth may be celebrated under several names, including National Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.

Background and History
In early 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the freedom of more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states. More than two years later, on June 19, 1865, this news finally reached people living in Texas with the arrival of Union soldiers. When African-Americans living in Texas learned that slavery had been abolished, they immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance – the foundation of Juneteenth.

The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. Original observances included prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals. Celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their newfound freedom. Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and several other states followed suit. Within a few years, African Americans in many other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition.

Ways to Celebrate
Today, many Juneteenth celebrations include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing. In some places, demonstrations and parades commemorate the day. These celebrations often include ways to honor aspects of African-American culture.

Is Celebrating Juneteenth Only for African-Americans?
While Juneteenth has immense meaning for the African-American community, there is value for every person — regardless of race, culture or background — to observe this holiday. A celebration of freedom for any group is a celebration of the ideals that we value as a nation.

Juneteenth is a day for African-Americans to celebrate liberty, resilience, and strength. While participating and commemorating, all should pause to acknowledge the historical and somber importance of the day.

Why Should We Celebrate Juneteenth in the Workplace?
Celebrating Juneteenth in the workplace sends a strong message to African-American employees, clients, and community members that the black experience, black history, and the struggles endured are worth acknowledging.

Ideas for planning a Juneteenth celebration:

  • Offer a paid holiday for all to celebrate with their loved ones.
  • Encourage or organize a day of service or service event.
  • Provide a floating cultural holiday, which can be used on this day.
  • Host a barbecue or traditional block party.
  • Provide educational materials.
  • Host a discussion.
  • Decorate with traditional Juneteenth colors and African-American art.
  • Invite a guest speaker.
  • Donate to a charity.
  • Support black-owned venders for items purchased.

Learn More

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As the PA General Assembly reviews the State 2022/23 Budget, RCPA would like to provide some guidance and feedback on the intersection of future school district funding and student mental health services. The need for student mental health services has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the trauma experienced over the last few years in our schools.

Please read the full RCPA position paper here.

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Source: The Center Square, June 1, 2022
By Anthony Hennen

After a months-long controversy over unionization language in Medicaid contracts that sparked a lawsuit, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has removed the provision in question, citing concerns about “misinformation” and “confusion.” …The language prompted the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania to file a lawsuit against DHS in early May, alleging that DHS overstepped its authority and didn’t follow proper procedure for adding the unionization language.

On May 26, DHS confirmed that the work stoppage provision would be dropped from the Medicaid contracts.

View the full article here. If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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