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Criminal Justice

Early bird registration for the 2022 RCPA Conference Together! ends this Friday, September 9! Be sure to register now to see our exciting workshops in person and earn continuing education credits. You won’t want to miss taking advantage of this opportunity!

Gathering in person at the Hershey Lodge October 11 – 14, 2022, attendees will see and learn from presenters from health and human services organizations all across Pennsylvania. Our full brochure is available, and some of our upcoming workshops include:

  • Value-Based Care: Provider-Payer Partnership and Prioritization of Member Experience to Get to Value-Based Contracts
    • Presented by Charlotte Chew of Pyramid Healthcare and and Monica Collins of Magellan Behavioral Health
  • Protecting Those in Our Care: Building a Devereux for the Future
    • Presented by Rhea Fernandes and Leah Yaw of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
  • Supporting Challenging Individuals: Bridging the Service Gap in an Outpatient Setting
    • Presented by Ricky Jones and Bonnie Triebig of Berks Counseling Center
  • Trauma-Informed Leadership: Critical in a Post-Pandemic World
    • Presented by Angela Chew of Dickinson Center, Inc.
  • SkillUp PA: A No-Cost Online Learning System for Rehabilitation and Community Providers
    • Presented by Barbara Vierlinck and Stephanie Perry of DOL and Kerry Twomey of Metrix Learning
  • The Five Introductions: Sharing Your Story With Everyone From Family to Lawmakers
    • Presented by Christopher Kush of Soapbox Consulting
  • Developing Recovery Supports for Young Adults With Autism and Serious Mental Illness
    • Presented by Chris Wolf, Patrick Maynard, and Jennifer Riha of I Am Boundless, Inc.

Note that sessions will be recorded to allow registered participants to view content after the event concludes.

In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!

Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.

RCPA is excited to have a diverse and well-rounded lineup of speakers at our 2022 Conference Together! Gathering in person at the Hershey Lodge October 11 – 14, 2022, presenters from organizations all across Pennsylvania’s health care systems will gather to discuss up-to-date data, new technologies, and the latest trends. Our full brochure is available, and some of our upcoming workshops include:

  • Introduction to Measurement-Based Care and Addressing Its Most Frequently Asked Questions
    • Presented by Elizabeth Connors of Yale University and Jason Frittaion of Greenspace Health
  • Implementing a County/Agency System to Improve Outcomes for Individuals, Agencies, and Systems of Care by Identifying and Modifying Treatment for Individuals With FASD
    • Presented by Dan Dubovsky, FASD Specialist, Joe Kloss of Luzerne-Wyoming Counties System of Care, and Summer Krochta and Jessica Sachs of Children’s Service Center
  • Providing Trauma-Informed Supports to DSPs During Tragic Events
    • Presented by Robin VanEerden and Michael Benjamin May of Merakey
  • Language Matters
    • Presented by Marian Baldini of KenCrest
  • Risk Management in Telehealth: Guidance to Providers
    • Presented by Cynthia Haines, Esq. of Post & Schell
  • Improving Peer Workforce Recruitment and Retention From Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives
    • Presented by Jamie Edwards and Tracy Carney of Community Care Behavioral Health Organization
  • Before I Put My Hands Behind My Back, Can We Talk About This? — Philadelphia Police Department Co-Responder Program
    • Presented by Megan Johnson and John Muehsam of Elwyn

Be sure to register now to see these workshops in person and earn continuing education credits! Note that sessions will be recorded to allow registered participants to view content after the event concludes.

In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!

Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.

PDFs, Word Documents, and Websites, Oh My!

Your professional communications and content are not automatically inclusive to everyone, but it can be – learn how on Wednesday morning, September, 14, 2022, at an in-person, free training at 399 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA. Register soon, as space is limited!

Why Be Accessible? So that someone with a disability has the same access to your information as everyone else. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s the law.

  • Section 508 and WCAG Questions and Answers
    • This Q&A session on Section 508 Standards and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is intended for intermediate to advanced developers. U.S. Access Board digital accessibility specialists will answer common (and not so common) questions on implementation of digital accessibility standards for information and communication technology (ICT). Presenters will highlight Section 508 tools and resources and development of an ICT Testing Baseline portfolio. Questions should be submitted in advance of the training via email with the subject line “Question for September 14 ICT Training.” Registration is required by September 7, 2022.
  • Making Documents Accessible
    • This hands-on workshop will review issues associated with creating accessible documents when using Microsoft Word. The session will also touch on accessibility issues when exporting to PDF and using Microsoft PowerPoint. The presenters will review best practices and resources developed by the Accessible Electronic Documents (AED) Community of Practice (CoP) that are helpful to all members of the public who are responsible for creating, posting, and distributing electronic content. Attendees are highly encouraged to bring their own laptop computer. Registration is required by September 7, 2022.

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Hungry for More? 

Stay for lunch upstairs at the Sierra-Tamman Suite. We will provide food, AT, & digital accessibility demos along with conversations about the deeper dive relationship between assistive technology accommodations and digital platform mandates. We can host up to 25 guests for lunch, first come first served.

Email to register.

Need job skills to enter today’s changing workplace? The Sierra Group Academy’s training center for adults with disabilities (HYBRID program) is now housed within the high tech, digitally-inclusive office suite at 399 Market Street in downtown Philly. Adult learners from across PA and Delaware will join us remotely. Additionally, customers in the center city region are once again able to come and go to our on-site program at their convenience. Together we all do better.

The 2022 RCPA Conference Together! is looking to be packed full of exciting and thought-provoking workshopsGathering in person at the Hershey Lodge October 11 – 14, 2022, presenters from across the state will be discussing everything from telehealth to the workforce crisis to COVID-19 and beyond. Our full brochure is available, and some of our upcoming workshops include:

  • Building a Strong School-Based Outpatient Therapy Program: Providing Quality Services and Enhancing Community Partnerships
    • Presented by Amanda Katchur of Community Services Group
  • ATLAS: A Tool for Connecting Your Community to Evidence-Based, High-Quality Addiction Treatment
    • Presented by Angad Buttar of Shatterproof and Kim Coleman of DDAP
  • Expert Panel on Recruiting and Retaining Behavioral Health Staff During Challenging Times
    • Presented by Christine Axford of Berks Counseling Center, Rosa Davis of POWER, Cassie Dundon of Achievement Center of LECOM Health, Amy Herschell of Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Elissa Nulton of Peer Star, and Kate Pompa of Wesley Family Services
  • Provider and Member Centric VBP Development in IBHS – A Success Story That Benefits All Parties
    • Presented by Debra Luther of Beacon Health Options of PA, Steven Herr of Advanced Metrics, and Kim Bowser-Murtha of Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration
  • Programs That Promote Change for Sexually Problematic Behaviors
    • Presented by Jack Berkenstock Jr. of The Bodhana Group
  • Identifying and Addressing Health Disparities Related to Tobacco Use Among Individuals With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
    • Presented by William Stauffer of the PA Recovery Organizations – Alliance and Tony Klein of PA Statewide Tobacco Free Recovery Initiative

Be sure to register now to see these workshops in person and earn continuing education credits! Note that sessions will be recorded to allow registered participants to take advantage of sessions after the event.

In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!

Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.

On August 22, 2022, the Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the availability of Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan (STP) for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Rule for a 30-day public comment period. The announcement contained plans for DHS to record a presentation providing a general overview of the HCBS Rule and Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan to prepare stakeholders for public comment. The recording of this presentation is now available on the Home and Community-Based Services Statewide Transition Plan web page.

Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan and information about how to provide public comment, including during webinars specific to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Office of Developmental Programs, and Office of Long-Term Living, are also available on the HCBS STP web page.