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Children's Services

Monday, March 4, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CST;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MST; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PST
Register Here

Kara Monnin, PhD
Kara Monnin, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University’s School of Medicine in Columbus, OH. Dr. Monnin provides clinical services across multiple inpatient units, including complex healthcare, inpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation, and acute care services (PICU, Trauma/Surgery/Neurosurgery), and operates on a consultative basis for Complex Care clinics. Dr. Monnin also serves as a member of the Advanced Illness Management/Palliative Care team at NCH and specializes in traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation populations, and children and adolescents with complex medical needs.

Kelsey E. Bakaletz, MSW, LISW
Kelsey E. Bakaletz, MSW, LISW, is most importantly, a mother to 2-year-old Ellis. Kelsey is a clinical medical social worker in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Kelsey received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ohio State University. Prior to working at NCH, Kelsey spent two years in rapid re-housing of homeless military veterans, and before that, she spent almost two years in therapeutic rehabilitation of adjudicated juvenile sex offenders. Kelsey is a member of the Trauma-Informed Care Work Group at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, working to provide and teach the best trauma-informed practices. Kelsey is passionate about treating every patient interaction as though the caregiver and child are part of our family, to lead with empathy, compassion, and determination that we resist re-traumatization.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:

  • Understand what secondary trauma is and who is at risk;
  • Discuss practical self-care strategies and ways to manage secondary trauma; and
  • Implement strategies to support colleagues who are experiencing secondary trauma.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all members of the rehabilitation team, including medical staff, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, licensed psychologists, mental health professionals, and other interested professionals.

Level: Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced the successful migration of data from the old registry site to the new Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Provider Registry website. All users can now log in to the new site and access all of their information. Users will still be able to log into the old site for any Early Childhood Education related activities but will now use the new site for all Early Intervention related tasks.

Please update your bookmarks with the new link. If you encounter any issues or have questions, please utilize the “Contact Us” button on the site or email directly. For all other Early Intervention related questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health, is extending the deadline for presentation submissions for the annual Symposium on Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN), which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Best Western Premier, Harrisburg, PA. This one-day, in-person event convenes public health professionals and community stakeholders involved in CYSHCN care. Individuals, entities, and self-advocates serving CYSHCN are encouraged to submit presentation proposals. The new submission deadline is Friday, February 9, 2024. For more information and workshop guidelines, consult the Symposium Speakers page. Please refer to the attached Call for Presentations form for additional details and workshop guidelines. Inquiries and submissions should be directed to Katrina Harris, Event Planner.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

In response to the recent developments on the delivery of telehealth services and its intersection with Federal Medicaid payment standards outlined in the “4 walls” requirements, RCPA has widened its efforts in addressing the barriers currently in place. It has been determined that the most effective route to address this would be through legislation. The necessary changes cannot be achieved through a revised Tele-Behavioral Health Bulletin.

RCPA has been working with a bipartisan team of legislators on an updated version of Act 76 to address our limited access to psychiatric services through utilization of our advanced practice professionals. We are working with the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), our stakeholders, and the legislative committees to introduce a bill that would address both the psychiatric office time and the “4 walls” service delivery barriers.

Our members’ feedback over the last few days and during the OMHSAS telehealth forum on Monday has provided an invaluable backdrop to our efforts. RCPA is focused on working with our legislators and stakeholders to introduce this bill, and we will look to our members for support with these efforts. Additionally, we continue our daily efforts with our partners at OMHSAS, who are jointly committed to creating this viable and sustainable effort to preserve Medicaid service access to those most vulnerable in our Commonwealth.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced $50 million in grants to enhance school-based health services for children, particularly focusing on mental health. The grants, made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), will provide up to $2.5 million each to 20 states through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS aims to connect millions of children to critical healthcare services, emphasizing the convenience of school-based care and its impact on children’s health and educational outcomes. The grants, supporting preventive, behavioral, and physical healthcare, hope to encourage more states to cover school-based health services and enhance existing programs. The application deadline for the grants is March 25, 2024. For further details, visit the grant’s information web page. The full press release is available on the CMS website.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a set of frequently asked questions (FAQ) supplementing the 2021 State Health Official (SHO) letter about extending postpartum coverage in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The FAQ offer guidance to state Medicaid programs on the new option allowing states to provide 12 months of extended postpartum coverage to pregnant individuals in Medicaid and CHIP. They clarify what constitutes full benefits during this extended eligibility period and address whether states need to submit a state plan amendment (SPA) for coverage modifications. For more details, view the FAQ here.

The Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) is continuing to offer free Trauma Intensive Courses to support individuals and teams in their professional development. These courses provide essential training in trauma awareness and healing. Options include Train-the-Trainer Sessions and sessions on processing pain as well as facilitating healing. Participants can deepen their understanding and skills in trauma-informed care, with limited seats available. To register for these courses, visit the course registration page. Additionally, various trauma-related workshops are open for registration, covering different aspects of trauma. For more information, visit the Lakeside Global Institute — Trauma Workshops 2024 page.

RCPA attended the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) telehealth webinar on Monday, January 29, alongside many provider members, regarding the Federal payment conditions related to the delivery of telehealth services and the requirement that the physicians or clinicians must present in the office, or that the client must be in the office during the telehealth session, to meet the guideline. It was explained that despite the standards outlined in the current OMHSAS Telebehavioral Health Bulletin, under the Federal “4 walls” statute, this is a required Federal Medicaid payment condition. These requirements cannot be waived.

The purpose of today’s call was twofold: explaining the “4 walls” requirements, and for providers to give vital feedback to OMHSAS on the impacts, challenges, and barriers to accessing services that this may create for consumers and families. This Medicaid standard remains in effect, and RCPA recommends provider members review their operating practices to ensure compliance.

During this time, RCPA will continue its efforts and work with OMHSAS, the HealthChoices partners, and stakeholders to ensure access to services via telehealth. You can review today’s OMHSAS telehealth webinar slide deck. We are also looking to obtain a recording of the webinar to share with our members.

If you have questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp. The next RCPA Telehealth Operations Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27; however, we will be reviewing if we need to meet sooner based on current information.

Please share this information with your stakeholder networks.

RCPA is delighted to share our 2023 Year in Review! We’re confident that this review will provide you with valuable insights, and inspire you as we highlight some of our significant achievements. This past year, we have embarked on groundbreaking initiatives and celebrated remarkable successes, all thanks to our collective efforts. As we step into 2024, we remain optimistic about reaching new heights together, and hope this review fuels your enthusiasm for what we can all accomplish in the coming year.