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Children's Services

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The House Education Committee held hearings over two days to gather testimony and recommendations regarding student mental health in schools. Included in the panels was RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp, who testified regarding creating viable student mental health programming, including revitalizing the Student Assistance Programs (SAP) that build upon continued relationships and expertise of the community-based mental health providers. RCPA also outlined sustainable allocation strategies to ensure funding be directed to the school districts and the development of a large-scale, statewide mental health strategy. View our testimony here.

You can also view The Keystone Newsroom’s article addressing the hearings.

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

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Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

The Shapiro-Davis Administration has announced a $155M School Safety and Security Grant for K-12 schools, with a focus on mental health support, as part of the 2023/24 state budget. The grants cover noncompetitive School Mental Health Grants, formula-based School Safety and Security Meritorious Grants, and Competitive School Safety and Security Grants. To apply and access information, including eligibility criteria, visit PCCD’s School Safety and Security web page. The application period ends on February 29, 2024. The funds aim to address basic safety needs and mental health services, as outlined in the Committee’s Revised Baseline Criteria Standards. For inquiries, please contact PCCD staff. Funding is facilitated through House Bill 301 in the 2023/24 state budget. For any other questions, contact RCPA Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Thursday, January 18, 2024
10:30 am – 11:30 am EST; 9:30 am – 10:30 am CST;
8:30 am – 9:30 am MST; 7:30 am – 8:30 am PST
Register

Jo Barta, MD
Analise Ludwig, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA
Graham Scheck, PhD, CCC-SLP

Speaker/Panelist Bios:

Jo Barta, MD

Dr. Barta is a self-proclaimed “triple gopher,” having completed her undergrad, Medical School, and residency training all at the University of Minnesota. She went on to pursue a fellowship in Craniofacial & Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Seattle Children’s Hospital & University of Washington before being recruited back to the Twin Cities. She is currently the division leader for the Craniofacial & Pediatric Plastic Surgery team at Gillette Children’s Hospital, St. Paul, MN, and a surgeon for the cleft and craniofacial team at the University of MN.

Dr. Barta is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. She holds an academic position as an adjunct and associate professor for the University of Minnesota Medical School and is actively involved with many national and international societies for cleft and craniofacial care. She enjoys running, volunteering on surgical trips, traveling, and spending time with family.

Analise Ludwig, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA

Dr. Ludwig is an Audiologist with a Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Minnesota and a Certification of Clinical Competency in Audiology. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. She participates in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, and the American Academy of Audiology, and she is a former president of the Minnesota Academy of Audiology. She has participated as a member of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Speech-Language and Audiology Advisory Council.

Dr. Ludwig’s goal is to provide comprehensive, flexible, and family-centered audiologic care. She works collaboratively with children, adults, and their caregivers to maximize hearing ability so patients can engage in and enjoy everyday life. In her free time, Dr. Ludwig enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and chihuahuas, playing the violin, cooking Italian food, and running.

Graham Schenck, PhD, CCC-SLP

Dr. Schenck is a Craniofacial Speech Scientist and Outpatient Lead SLP at Gillette Children’s in St. Paul, MN. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Graham has over eleven years of clinical and research experience in cleft palate and craniofacial differences. He specializes in the assessment and treatment of resonance disorders, speech sound disorders, and feeding/swallowing disorders across the lifespan. Graham’s current research lines include MRI and 3D imaging to evaluate the velopharyngeal complex and examining the efficacy of NMES dysphagia treatment in children with cerebral palsy.

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

  • Define, identify, and briefly describe complex medical diagnoses that require multidisciplinary care from an accredited craniofacial team;
  • Describe typical craniofacial team composition and roles of team providers (e.g., plastic-craniofacial surgery, speech-language pathology, and audiology); and
  • Describe surgical and rehabilitation pathways for medically complex patients with craniofacial differences, including functional restoration of anatomy, airway management, and principles of feeding, speech, and hearing assessment and treatment.

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.

Register

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RCPA and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing have worked together to resolve the recent concern with Medicare enrollment rejections for Marriage and Family Therapists as well as Mental Health Counselors. There have been many cases where the applications were rejected because applications did not include documentation or verification of the required 3,000 hours of supervision or the 2 years’ experience. RCPA met with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on several occasions, outlining that the applications that meet the Medicare enrollment criteria have met this standard as part of the PA State License.

Initially, CMS cited that it was a requirement to provide the documentation. After communicating with CMS leadership, however, CMS responded that RCPA was correct and clarified that if a provider is licensed and the hours are a requirement for the licensure, said provider does not require the verification.

If your agency has received a rejected application, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp, who will connect your agency to the proper department that will address the denial.

SUD Addiction Counselors Eligible for Medicare Enrollment

There have been several members who have attempted to enroll their SUD counselors who have met the enrollment qualification being told by CMS that the enrollment does not include these SUD professionals.

RCPA has confirmed with CMS leadership that if the provider is licensed as an addiction counselor or alcohol and drug counselor (ADC) by the state in which the services are performed, they can also enroll as an MHC as long as all other requirements are met.

MHCs are defined as individuals who:

  • Possess a master’s or doctor’s degree, which qualifies for licensure or certification as an MHC, clinical professional counselor, or professional counselor under the state law of the state in which such individual furnishes the services defined as mental health counselor services;
  • After obtaining such a degree, have performed at least 2 years or 3,000 hours of post-master’s degree clinical supervised experience in mental health counseling in an appropriate setting, such as a hospital, SNF, private practice, or clinic; and
  • Is licensed or certified as an MHC, clinical professional counselor, professional counselor, addiction counselor, or alcohol and drug counselor (ADC) by the state in which the services are performed.

RCPA is recommending that this language accompany any future enrollment applications to CMS for SUD Addictions Counselors enrollment documentation.

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) invites OMHSAS stakeholders to participate in the DHS 2024–2029 Housing Strategy Feedback Forums. These virtual forums aim to gather valuable insights for the development of the updated five-year Housing Strategy. For detailed information about DHS’ housing work, please visit the housing web page. The Housing Strategy team will host these one-hour feedback forums; participants can register for their preferred session:

Additionally, stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback through the DHS 2024–2029 Housing Strategy Survey. For any inquiries, please contact the DHS Housing Strategy resource account.

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The Department of Health’s (DOH) Bureau of Family Health issued a flyer about planned events across the state related to Pennsylvania’s Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant. This grant serves to improve the health and well-being of the nation’s mothers, infants, children, and youth, including children and youth with special health care needs and their families.

Parents and caregivers, families with special needs, birthing people and their partners, and youth are all welcome and invited to participate in these events. Maternal and child health care, and other professionals and organizations serving this population in Pennsylvania, are also welcome to share their thoughts! Attendees are invited to help identify the seven to ten priorities that will drive Pennsylvania’s Title V programs.

Please refer to the flyer for additional information, including the dates, times, and locations of the upcoming events.

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After the long-awaited budget resolutions for the 23/24 year, the PA General Assembly, as outlined in the Fiscal Code Bill, has allocated funds for school-based mental health and safety programs grants. We have posted this information below. RCPA recommends our provider members who have interest in providing these services or expanding current service offerings in the school contact their respective school districts to assist the planning process and hopefully contracted process. The grant funding allocation will go directly to the districts who will submit applications to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

The School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) of the PCCD announces the availability of federal COVID relief – ARPA – school mental health grants funding to support the behavioral health needs of students within this Commonwealth. This noncompetitive funding announcement is specifically for school districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, regional charter schools, and cyber charter schools to support mental health initiatives. A total of $90 million is being announced to support this initiative. Allocation amounts per eligible school entity are included in Appendix A of the solicitation.
The following grant opportunities are now open in PCCD’s Egrants System:

Funding Announcement Title: 2023–24 School Mental Health Grants
Plan Year: 2023
Release Date: 1/10/2024
Due Date: 2/29/2024
Concept Papers Required: No
Competitive/Noncompetitive: Non-Competitive
Amount Announced: $90,000,000

 

Funding Announcement Title: 2023–24 Competitive School Safety Grants
Plan Year: 2023
Release Date: 1/10/2024
Due Date: 2/29/2024
Concept Papers Required: No
Competitive/Noncompetitive: Competitive
Amount Announced: $32,179,000

 

Funding Announcement Title: 2023–24 School District Meritorious
Plan Year: 2023
Release Date: 1/10/2024
Due Date: 2/29/2024
Concept Papers Required: No
Competitive/Noncompetitive: Non-Competitive
Amount Announced: $18,655,000

You can view detailed documentation regarding these funding announcements by clicking on the funding announcement title on the screen.

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

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Thursday, February 8, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CST, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm MST, 10:00 am – 11:00 am PST

Please join us as the IPRC hosts special guests from the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. They will discuss practical strategies rehabilitation clinicians can employ to optimize care for Autistic individuals in medical settings.

Meghan Keenan, MOT, OTR/L
Meghan Keenan is a Senior Occupational Therapist and an Occupational Therapy Site Manager for the Greenspring Campus at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD. She graduated with a Masters of Occupational Therapy from Temple University in 2004 and is currently working on her post profession doctorate at the University of Montana. While she has worked in a variety of pediatric settings, for the past 14 years, she has specialized in providing care for Autistic children at Kennedy Krieger Institute through the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. Meghan is passionate about caregiver training for the families she works with and eliminating barriers to care, so patients and their families can successfully engage in meaningful occupations.

Jessica Pontius, MS, CCC-SLP
Jessica Pontius is a Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in diagnostics and treatment of Autism, particularly in toddlerhood through adolescence. She graduated with her Master of Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University in 2021. Jessica’s primary areas of interest are in early childhood diagnostics and adolescent executive functioning and literacy. She currently works in the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD.

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

  • Implement strategies to support communication needs of Autistic individuals;
  • Provide communicative support to Autistic patients to promote patient-centered care;
  • Implement interaction strategies when caring for Autistic individuals;
  • Implement environmental accommodations to support sensory and motor needs of Autistic individuals;
  • Provide support to family for self-care needs during a hospital or clinic stay; and
  • Identify the need for a safety plan.

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.

Register

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On January 8, 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced the availability of $2.8M in reemployment funds for the Direct Care Worker Job Quality (DCWJQ) Grant. The grant funding is to be used to boost PA’s direct care workforce by improving job quality and increasing career advancement opportunities. Applicants may request awards of up to $600,000 each.

Additional information about this funding is posted on the L&I grant opportunity web page. This information includes the grant itself, the application form, project summary, budget form, and the Worker Protection and Investment Certificate form.

The application deadline for the DCWJQ Grant is February 29, 2024, at 4:00 pm ET.

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