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Children's Services

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Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

Message from Representative Dan Miller’s Office: 

Supporting and defending Medicaid funding to our Commonwealth has always been a top priority of mine, and this week we’re having a press conference to discuss the potential impact that Federal cuts to Medicaid may have on our most vulnerable populations.

Joining me will be U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee, other state lawmakers, and Allegheny County officials to highlight why defending Medicaid is imperative. We will also hear from self-advocates who would be directly impacted by Medicaid changes.

The loss of Federal funding to states would be devasting for the more than 3 million Pennsylvanians who are enrolled in Medicaid. Medicaid also pays for 30% of Medicare. Those that depend on its supports and services, include:

  • Seniors
  • Low-income families and individuals
  • People with disabilities
  • Pregnant women and children, and many more.

The news conference will be held at 10:15 am Friday, February 28, at the Portico of the City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh.

We’ll also be joined by state Reps. Dan Frankel, Emily Kinkead, Jess Benham, Lindsay Powell, Aerion Abney, La’Tasha D. Mayes and Arvind Venkat; state Sens. Jay Costa, Wayne Fontana, Lindsey Williams and Nick Pisciottano; Mayor Ed Gainey; Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor; Pittsburgh Councilwoman Erika Strassburger; and the offices of County Executive Sara Innamorato and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.

There is a lot to be discussed, and everyone is welcome to join us this Friday at 10:15 am at the Portico of the City-County Building located at 414 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh.

As always, if you have questions about this event or any state-related matter, please contact our office at 412-343-3870 or [email protected].

Pennsylvania State Capitol
109 Irvis Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 783-1850
District Office
650 Washington Rd., Suite 102
Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228
(412) 343-3870

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Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is holding a post-award forum to afford the public with an opportunity to provide comments on the progress of the federal Section 1115 Demonstration titled “Medicaid Coverage for FFCY from a Different State and SUD Demonstration.” The FFCY component of the demonstration was approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) effective October 1, 2017, and enables the Commonwealth to provide Medicaid coverage to out‑of‑state former foster care youth under the age of 26 years who were in foster care under the responsibility of another state or tribe when they turned 18. The SUD component of the demonstration was approved by CMS effective July 1, 2018, and provides necessary funding that is critical to continue supporting the provision of a full continuum of medically necessary SUD services, including residential services. In September 2022, CMS approved the Commonwealth’s application to renew the Demonstration through September 30, 2027.

The forum will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm via WebEx. Please register for the Post Award Forum prior to the meeting date here.

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

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Monday, March 3, 2025
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

Tiffany Prince-Kandrakota, PT, DPT, MSHQS

Presenter Bio:

Tiffany Prince-Kandrakota is a physical therapist with more than 20 years of experience. Her career has included clinical work as well as progressive leadership responsibilities in multiple large health systems in the Philadelphia area. In this time, she found a passion for the quality of the care that was being provided, which drove her to return to school for a Masters in Healthcare Quality and Safety. She currently works as the Rehabilitation Quality Improvement Coordinator at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

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

  • Define quality improvement in healthcare.
  • Why quality? And how do we achieve it?
  • Understand the steps in the Model for Improvement.
  • Understand the tools available for quality improvement work.
  • Discuss using data to drive quality improvement.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

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

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

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This Drexel University training will be held March 20, 2025, from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, and will take place at the Holiday Inn Grantville. The training fee is $15 to attend and $45 for CEs/attendance. The course will be led by Chris Owens, MA, LPC, CCTP.

This course focuses on specific interventions of use to the professional helper when providing therapeutic services in behavioral healthcare. The aim of this workshop is to add to the helper’s “bag of tricks” or “toolkit” pertaining to assisting people with histories of trauma. Participants engage in didactic and experiential learning related to several specific interventions geared toward managing and moving beyond trauma. Participants also dialogue in small groups to share creative and effective interventions they have used in their various practice settings.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Summarize the general purposes of interventions;
  • Discuss having a sound rationale for using various techniques;
  • Describe the benefits associated with each strategy;
  • Outline the drawbacks and barriers to using selected interventions; and
  • Implement each intervention as relevant to one’s own professional practice.

CE Credits:

  • APA — 5
  • CPRP — 5
  • LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT — 5
  • NBCC — 5
  • PA Act48 — 5
  • PCB — 5
  • PSNA — 5
  • IACET —.5

Please visit here for additional information.

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This is a reminder that the Call for Proposals for the 2025 RCPA Annual Conference Striving to Thrive will be closing Friday, March 14. Striving to Thrive will be held September 9 – 12 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience, and the Conference Committee is seeking 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:

  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field;
  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence and use of 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;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models; and
  • Discuss organization strategies to adapt to performance-based contracting.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism.

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 Friday, March 14, 2025, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on 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 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically two weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 9, 2025. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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Young Girl Talking With Counselor At Home

The University of Pittsburgh’s Youth and Family Training Institute (YFTI) is working with the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services and Bureau of Policy, Planning & Program Development to develop and implement a two-year innovative pilot that will define, develop, implement, and evaluate the role of the Family Navigator in up to six sites within the Commonwealth. The goal of the pilot will be to assist in defining Pennsylvania’s Family Navigator Model by testing the effectiveness and implementation strategies of pilot family navigator models for children, youth, and young adults (CYYA) with serious emotional disturbance (SED). The pilot is designed to promote early access, engagement, coordination, and optimization of mental health treatment and services for CYYA aged 5–21 who are experiencing symptoms of mental health problems along with their family caregiver (defined as family members or other caregivers with a primary responsibility of caring for the individual).

A Family Navigator plays a critical role in guiding and supporting family caregivers through the array of mental health services and other systems of care that may be needed to support CYYA. They help them navigate the often confusing, overwhelming, and fragmented services available, ensuring that family caregivers have the resources, information, and support needed to access the appropriate care for their CYYA. Family Navigators who are also Family Peers are able to share their own lived experience related to connecting their loved ones to mental health services. This approach offers a safe and comfortable means of educating family caregivers that may be overwhelmed in the midst of accessing care for their children.

Request for Proposals — Call for Applications:  

  • Up to six sites across the Commonwealth will receive up to $250,000 each year of the 2-year pilot to design and implement a model within the parameters of the Family Navigator definition. This will include varying recruitment strategies, referral sources, and strategies to connect to families.
  • Sites are expected to participate in the evaluation process, training, coaching, and skill-based technical assistance throughout the implementation of their approved pilot with guidance and oversight from The University of Pittsburgh/YFTI to ensure sites are meeting minimum implementation standards in order to continue to receive funding.
  • Counties, provider organizations, health facilities, or other public, private, or non-profit entities within Pennsylvania that serve children, youth, and young adults aged 5–21 are eligible to apply.
  • A diversity of sites is being sought in various contexts such as setting (urban, suburban, rural) and target population.

Submission/Review: Applications are due on or before March 28, 2025. For more information, please contact Bryon Luke, Director of Program Implementation.

Applications will be reviewed by a team of OMHSAS and YFTI staff who will be responsible for selecting the pilot sites.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is available as part of the RFP document. Additional questions can be submitted until March 15, 2025 to Bryon Luke, Director of Program Implementation and will be added to the FAQ on the YFTI website.

If there are follow-up questions from YFTI/OMHSAS regarding the submissions, a member of the review team may contact the project coordinator on the application for clarification.

*NOTE: Current participants in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded System of Care (SOC) grants or interested applicants for an upcoming SAMHSA-funded PA CARE SOC grant are not excluded from applying to this RFP and are encouraged to apply. Please indicate any relevant SAMHSA-funded grants in which your agency is participating in your application and describe how they would be connected to this pilot.
Selected sites will be notified in writing by YFTI by April 25, 2025. The projected start date for implementation will be July 1, 2025.

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

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The Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) is supporting a specialized training effort addressing child abuse recognition as well as reporting training for residential facilities through a contract with the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA). This training is for child residential staff, their related purchasing entities, and local law enforcement agencies.

Register for an upcoming training:

Training Summary:

This training is for providers and other child serving entities. It will cover clarification on what allegations must be reported to ChildLine as suspected child abuse and/or HCSIS as a reportable incident, and further clarifies when an alternative plan of supervision must be put into place. This training also teaches minimal facts interviewing skills to better determine when to make a report and explains how those reports of suspected child abuse are categorized and handled at ChildLine. Lastly, internal follow-up recommendations and communication are discussed. Other entities that interact with these 3800 facilities are also welcome to attend, including OCYF Regional Office Reps, law enforcement, and MCOs.

This training mirrors the information outlined in the OCYF Bulletin # 3800-21-01 issued January 19, 2021, and is meant as additional training (not a replacement for the mandated reporter training).

Please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp or RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with further questions.

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