Harrisburg Nonprofit Helps Youth Overcome Barriers to Employment: RCPA Member Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. Featured
DHS Releases New CRC Process for Licensed Facilities
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has released a new Civil Righters Compliance (CRC) process for all facilities licensed by DHS. This process is effective Monday, August 22, 2022.
There are two changes to the Civil Rights Compliance process. First, there is a new Civil Rights Compliance form when submitting a new licensing application. There is also a new Civil Rights Compliance Attestation form when submitting a licensing renewal application. Second, the process of submitting the form has changed.
| If your license is issued by… | Submit your application AND your CRC form (if new license) or CRC Attestation (if license renewal) to: |
| The Bureau of Adult Residential Licensing | RA-PWLICADBHSLPRO@pa.gov |
| The Office of Children, Youth, and Families | RA-PWLICADOCYFPRO@pa.gov |
| The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services | RA-PWLICADOMHSASPRO@pa.gov |
| The Office of Developmental Programs* | RA-odplicensing@pa.gov |
| The Office of Child Development and Early Learning*
*Licensees who use CLS or PELICAN to submit renewal applications must submit the attestations by email. The attestations are not part of the electronic CLS/PELICAN renewal application process. |
Child care providers should include their MPI number in the subject line and email the appropriate regional office:
Central Region Counties: Snyder, Perry, Juniata, Centre, Mifflin, Tioga, Lycoming, Northumberland, Union and Clinton |
| The Office of Child Development and Early Learning*
*Licensees who use CLS or PELICAN to submit renewal applications must submit the attestations by email. The attestations are not part of the electronic CLS/PELICAN renewal application process. |
Western Region Counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, Warren, Washington and WestmorelandCounties: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset |
Entities seeking a new license will utilize a Civil Rights Compliance (CRC) form (HS 2126). This form must be included in the packet submitted as part of any new license request. The new application, supporting documents, and CRC form must be emailed to the DHS office that issues your license; the email address can be found in the chart above. Entities licensed by OCDEL or ODP who use CLS or PELICAN to submit new applications must submit the form by email. The CRC forms are not part of the electronic CLS/PELICAN new application process. The CRC form for new applications can be found at here.
For licensing renewals, a licensee will now submit a CRC Attestation form (HS 2125). The Attestation form must be submitted as part of a renewal licensing application. The renewal notice will still be sent out 130 days prior to expiration. The renewal application and attestation must be emailed to the DHS office that issues your license; the email address can be found in the chart above. Entities licensed by OCDEL or ODP who use CLS or PELICAN to submit renewal applications must submit the attestations by email. The attestations are not part of the electronic CLS/PELICAN renewal application process. The CRC form for new applications can be found at here.
The DHS Bureau of Equal Opportunity currently issues you a letter verifying that a facility is in compliance with applicable civil rights laws. With the new process, a letter from BEO will no longer be sent out to licensed entities. Instead, the issuance of the new license or renewal license will indicate that your CRC form or Attestation form submission was approved. If there are issues and/or questions on the submitted CRC or Attestation form, a staff member from DHS will contact you.
The new process is effective on Monday, August 22, 2022. Existing licensees and applicants must begin following the new process on or before that date.
If you have any questions about the new process, please contact the applicable DHS office using the emails shown above or your respective RCPA Policy Director.
Be Sure to Register for the RCPA Golf Outing October 10
RCPA will be hosting a golf outing to support the RCPA PAC on Monday, October 10, 2022, at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, 650 S Harrisburg St., Harrisburg, PA 17113. Register now to participate in this event, which includes lunch at 11:30 am, a putting contest, prizes, and much more. Don’t miss the fun! Shotgun start begins at 1:00 pm.
We would like to thank our tournament sponsor Erie County Care Management, Inc. for their support. Sponsorships are still available for this worthwhile cause. Many thanks to the beverage, hole, and prize sponsors to date:
- Brier Dlugolecki Strategies;
- Novak Strategic Advisors;
- Morgan Stanley Wealth Management;
- Comprehensive Financial Associates, Inc. and PA Pension Planners, Inc.;
- Threshold Rehabilitation Services, Inc.;
- Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy;
- Hearten Workers’ Compensation Program;
- Fulton Bank;
- RHA Health Services (previously Salisbury Behavioral Health); and
- Qualifacts.
If you are unable to attend the golf outing or not a golfer but would still like to support the RCPA PAC, you can make a personal online contribution, which will provide financial support for our legislative priorities. This outing will be held in conjunction with the RCPA Annual Conference. We hope to see you there!
Register Now for the 2022 RCPA Annual Conference Together!
Registration for the RCPA Conference 2022 Together! is now open! Together! will be held October 11 – 14, 2022, at the Hershey Lodge in person this year. Be sure to register, as early bird rate is available now until September 9, 2022.
We are excited for the line-up of speakers who will be presenting at this year’s conference, as there will be pertinent information available and discussed for all service areas. Workshop sessions include:
- Leading Through Crisis
- Presented by Stacey Nybeck of Serve, Inc.
- How Measurement-Based Care Informs Health Reform and Value-Based Reimbursement Advocacy
- Presented by Shannon Hall of Community Behavioral Health Association of Maryland and Simon Weisz of Greenspace Health
- Provider and Member Centric VBP Development in IBHS: A Success Story That Benefits All Parties
- Presented by Debra Luther of Beacon Health Options, Steven Herr of Advanced Metrics, and Kim Bowser-Murtha of Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration
- Building an IDD System of Care Through Mergers and Acquisitions
- Presented by Tine Hansen-Turton of Woods Services, Inc., Roy Leitstein of Legacy Treatment Services, Inc., Karen Coleman of Tabor Services, Inc., and Lori Plunkett of Woods Community at Brian’s House
- Supporting the Middle Manager
- Presented by Andrea Brown, Katie Clauss, and Juliette Ballough of UPMC Western Behavioral Health
- How to Transform ID/A Service Delivery Though Technology: A Provider’s Journey
- Presented by Craig Douglass, Kim Sonafelt, and Heather Lewis of Mainstay Life Services, Christina Romel of SafeinHome, and Maddie O’Rourke of Wellbridge Health, Inc.
- Innovations in Long-Term Services and Support Managed Care
- Presented by Blair Boroch of United Healthcare and Tammy Palmgren of Highmark Wholecare
You also won’t want to miss our keynote speakers:
- Dick Finnegan, a respected speaker, author, and CEO of C-Suite Analytics, who will provide his insight on “The Great Resignation;”
- Deborah Riddick, a public policy expert, who will discuss how intentional collaboration centered in curiosity, authenticity, and integrity, can help to address health disparities;
- Dan Hilferty, a respected authority on health care, business, and civic engagement; and
- Michael Cohen, who has updated stories of uncommon HR situations and strategies to resolve them.
Be sure to check out the entire line-up of sessions in our brochure, and note that sessions will be recorded to allow participants to take advantage of sessions after the event.
Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.
OMHSAS Releases Updated Telehealth FAQ
Financial Management Services Stakeholder Meeting Planned for September 2
The next Financial Management Services (FMS) stakeholder meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 2, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the upcoming changes for the administration of FMS under the Community HealthChoices (CHC), OBRA Waiver, and Act 150 programs. Representatives from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) and CHC Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) will be in attendance to discuss upcoming changes.
Please register using this registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation containing information about joining the webinar.
If you choose to use your phone to call in, please use the numbers below:
Dial in: 562-247-8422
Access Code: 834499387#
Audio PIN: shown after joining the webinar
RCPA Member Venango Training and Developmental Center Introduces New Production Operations Director Tom Scott
RCPA member Venango Training & Development Center, Inc. would like to introduce their new Production Operations Director, Tom Scott. Tom comes to the company with over 30 years of experience in industry. Tom lives with his wife and family in New Bethlehem. He’s already hit the ground running, reaching out to area employers to assist them with their contract packaging, assembly, quality inspection, document imaging and destruction, CASS certified mailing, fulfillment, and commercial janitorial and lawncare needs. He’s also excited to connect with RCPA member organizations. Please welcome him. You can contact Tom at 814-676-5755 or via email.
RCPA Member Mainstay Life Services Appoints Willette Walker as New CHCO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Miranda Brazinski
570-709-4655
August 1, 2022 (PITTSBURGH, PA) — Mainstay Life Services, a nonprofit organization that provides life-long, high-quality support services to people with developmental disabilities, is pleased to welcome Willette Walker as its first-ever Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO).
“I’m honored to begin this new chapter of my career with Mainstay,” said Walker. “To ensure Mainstay’s services continue to exceed the needs of those supported, I hope to cultivate an even stronger work environment for our employees so that they are inspired to continue our mission as their best selves.” In her role, Walker will support the organization’s strategic human capital initiatives as a multifaceted leader through organizational development, employee relations, talent strategy, and strategic business partnering.
Walker comes to Mainstay with over 25 years of leadership experience in human resources and organizational development. Most recently, Walker served as EVP of Human Resources at A Second Chance, Inc., where she provided leadership and oversight over the full spectrum of the organization’s human resource functions. In addition to Walker’s previous experience, she spent six years as an educator with Pittsburgh Public Schools where she developed and implemented lesson plans designed to facilitate student learning.
“Willette’s experience will prove a strong asset for our organization’s growth,” said Kim Sonafelt, Mainstay Life Services Chief Executive Officer. “She has a heart for leading and educating others, which seamlessly supports Mainstay’s mission to ensure those we support live fulfilling lives.”
Walker received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wilberforce University, her JD degree from Duquesne University School of Law, and her master’s degree in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh.
# # #
About Mainstay Life Services
Mainstay Life Services is a nonprofit organization providing residential services, community services, and other supports to people with developmental disabilities and their families. We are committed to assisting the people we support to reach their fullest potential within their community.
REMINDER: Consumers Must Select a HealthChoices Plan by Aug 16
REMINDER
Message from the Department of Human Services (DHS)**
Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) is changing which Physical Health Managed Care Organizations (PH Plans) are available for Medical Assistance (MA) consumers. This is an opportunity for DHS to be sure that the program and our partners are continuing to strive towards improved access to care and superior quality of care and support provided by the PH Plans to MA consumers.
The PH plans available in your county may change. In some counties, your current MCO will no longer be available, and in others, you may have new options to pick from. If you have to select a new plan, DHS is committed to helping you find a plan that meets your individual needs, while also allowing you to keep your current health care providers. It’s important for you to consider what doctors, hospitals, or other health care providers are in a PH plan’s network.
This enrollment period is your opportunity to compare the health plan options in your region and choose the best plan for you.
Please note that the above information means that your agency needs to alert your consumers to the change so they can make an informed decision. Otherwise, they will be auto-assigned. Visit here for more details regarding which plans are available by county.
**Does NOT affect current Behavioral HealthChoices or
Community HealthChoices participants.**
RCPA 2022 Annual Conference Together! — Schedule Now Available
Registration for the RCPA Conference 2022 Together! is now open! Together! will be held October 11 – 14, 2022, at the Hershey Lodge in person this year. After two long years, we are looking forward to seeing everyone!
The 2022 event features more than 60 workshops, most of which will be recorded to allow participants to take advantage of viewing sessions after the event. We will have over 90 continuing education credit options. Participants will also be able to visit Beacon Health Options Connections Hall and networking events.
You will not want to miss keynote speakers, including:
- Dick Finnegan, a respected speaker, author, and CEO of C-Suite Analytics, who will provide his insight on “The Great Resignation;”
- Deborah Riddick, a public policy expert, who will discuss how intentional collaboration, centered in curiosity, authenticity, and integrity, can help to address health disparities;
- Dan Hilferty, a respected authority on health care, business, and civic engagement; and
- Michael Cohen, who has updated stories of uncommon HR situations and strategies to resolve them.
We will also have two plenary sessions available for all attendees. The first will provide national updates from our partners Chuck Ingoglia of National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Gabrielle Sedor of ANCOR. Later on in the week, Meg Snead, Acting Secretary of the Department of Human Services, and Jennifer Smith, Secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, will highlight key accomplishments from DHS and DDAP respectively.
Several sessions will focus on workforce development, workforce recruitment and retention, value-based payments, telehealth, and trauma-informed support. Learn how to effectively share your story with legislators. Join us to hear from respected colleagues regarding state-of-the-art practices and new thoughts on service provisions. You can view the full schedule at the RCPA Conference website.
Early bird registration is available now until September 9, 2022! Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.
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