RCPA Shares Updates on DHS H.R. 1 Committee, Eligibility, and SNAP Requirements
SCA Rate-Setting Process to Be Waived for FY 2026/27; Providers May Still Request an Increase
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is waiving the rate-setting requirements (i.e., XYZ package) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026/27, reasoning that rates established as a result of last year’s rate-setting process only became effective on January 1, 2026. Even with the waiver, DDAP has asked the single county authorities (SCA) to allow any providers with special circumstances or considerations to be allowed to request a rate change.
Communication, including the 2026/27 XYZ package, from SCAs to their provider networks is expected next week. Providers seeking a rate change will likely have 30 days to complete the package, with an anticipated two- to three-week SCA review process, though these details could change. As new details emerge, RCPA will update the membership.
The XYZ package is a financial reporting and rate-setting process used by DDAP and SCAs to establish residential SUD treatment rates for SCA-funded clients.
DHS to Host PA Rural Health Transformation Plan Public Webinar March 31
IPRC Webinar “Family-Centered Care” to Be Held April 20
Family-Centered Care: One Organization’s Revolutionary Approach to Include Families in All Aspects of Care
Monday, April 20, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT; 10:00 am – 11:00 am CDT;
9:00 am – 10:00 am MDT; 8:00 am – 9:00 am PDT
Register Here
Donna Provenzano, Director of Family-Centered Care
Donna Provenzano is the Director of Family-Centered Care at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has thirty-nine years of experience in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families at Children’s Specialized. Donna serves on several hospital leadership committees and councils and provides administrative and operational management of Family-Centered Care and Volunteers. She supervises and partners with Family Faculty staff and coordinates with the Family Advisory Council. Donna has presented both nationally and internationally on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. Under Donna’s leadership, her department received the IPFCC Family-Centered Care Partnership Award for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in 2022. Donna has received additional leadership certifications from the Harvard Business School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ithaca College.
Linda Waddell, Family Faculty Manager
Linda Waddell is the Family Faculty Manager at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She has been employed at the hospital as a Family Faculty since June of 2008 and a member of the Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Family Advisory Council since 2014. On behalf of the hospital, Linda has presented with her team on Patient- and Family-Centered Care at regional, national, and international conferences. Most recently, Linda was a member of a panel that presented at the 2024 RISE Summit “Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): A Look into Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Program in NJ and Beyond.” Linda participates in various hospital committees and is also a member of the IPRC Steering Committee, where she provides a family member’s perspective for discussions and decision-making.
Linda was the 2019 recipient of the Lester Z. Lieberman Humanism in Healthcare Award and received the IPFCC 30th Anniversary 2022 Partnership Award on Social Determinants of Health. Linda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Kean University. Linda’s first experience with Children’s Specialized Hospital began in 1999, receiving multiple services for her newborn, medically fragile baby. She became an expert in the experience of pediatric rehabilitation through caring for her daughter with medical complications.
Family Faculty at Children’s Specialized Hospital are paid positions held by parents and family members whose children have received or are still receiving services at Children’s Specialized Hospital Inpatient, Outpatient, or Long-Term Care sites. Their own day-to-day experiences provide a unique perspective, understanding, and empathy for families going through similar situations. Family Faculty partner with staff and families to build a respectful and understanding relationship by listening, providing insights, and encouraging positive communication between staff and families.
Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will identify strategies to:
- Embed Patient- and Family-Centered Care into your organization;
- Cultivate respectful partnerships and collaboration with leadership, staff, and families;
- Include families in education and training of staff at all levels; and
- Engage families and staff in creating valuable resources.
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.
CMS Final Rule Implements Requirements for Administrative Simplification of HIPAA, ACA
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the final rule that implements requirements of the Administrative Simplification subtitle of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, enacted on March 30, 2010.
Specifically, this final rule adopts standards for health care claims attachments transactions, which will support health care claims transactions and a standard for electronic signatures to be used in conjunction with health care claims attachments transactions.
The final rule will slash wasteful spending and antiquated paperwork by swapping out faxing and mailing for streamlined electronic transactions. This action lets providers spend less time on administrative hassle and more time caring for patients and is projected to save the healthcare industry approximately $781 million on an annual basis.
The final rule will be published in tomorrow’s (March 24, 2026) Federal Register and will become effective on May 19, 2026. Covered entities must comply by May 19, 2028.
MHSN Coalition Urges General Assembly for Funding
The Mental Health Safety Net (MHSN) Coalition is a group of stakeholders participating in a joint advocacy effort to protect and preserve our mental health service delivery system. The Coalition’s first advocacy bulletin discusses the critical areas of funding for the FY 2026/27 budget, including community mental health, school-based services, crisis intervention services, Behavioral HealthChoices programs, and impacts associated with the implementation of H.R. 1.
The full letter can be read here.
RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meetings that will be occurring throughout the budget season. These meetings will serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities.
Also note that the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition will also be participating in the RCPA Capitol Day on Wednesday March 25, 2026, with the event starting at 10:00 am in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.
Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions or if you would like to join the Coalition.
2026 CMS Burden Reduction Conference: Recordings and Key Takeaways
Senate Health and Human Services Committee Holds Hearing On Medication to Treat OUD; RCPA Testifies
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, March 17, to discuss the role of medication to treat opioid use disorder. RCPA SUD Treatment Services Policy Director Jason Snyder was one of six to testify at the hearing.
RCPA testified that although its SUD treatment provider members advocate for medication and behavioral therapies as the most effective pathway for patients to stop their use of illicit opioids and begin making the many difficult changes necessary to sustain their recovery, any policy that creates barriers to accessing medication puts lives at risk.
Video of the hearing is also available online (Jason’s testimony begins at the 24:19 mark).
From Questions to Confidence: Connecting Students and Families to Benefits Counseling — Webinar on April 28
The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, is pleased to announce the following training opportunity: From Questions to Confidence: Connecting Students and Families to Benefits Counseling. As students with disabilities plan for life after high school, questions about how employment impacts public benefits can create uncertainty and hesitation for students and their families. Benefits counseling plays a critical role in helping individuals understand how work, earnings, and career advancement interact with benefits such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and related programs, supporting informed decision-making and reducing fear around employment. This session will combine a brief foundational presentation with a panel discussion featuring educators and partners who have implemented strategies to connect students and families to benefits counseling in their schools and communities.
Audience:
Special Educators, Transition Coordinators, School Counselors, School Psychologists, Related Service Providers, Administrators, Rehabilitation counselors or professionals working in vocational rehabilitation/transition
Registration Information:
You may register online at PaTTAN’s website.
For content-related information and questions, please contact Hillary Mangis via email or at 412-826-6878.
For general registration information and questions, please contact Roanne Bush via email or at 412-826-6829.
Free Webinar from Drexel: Where Did All the Meth Come From? Strategies and Tactics for Managing the Next Drug Epidemic
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
WOL855 – Where Did All the Meth Come From? Strategies and Tactics for Managing the Next Drug Epidemic
Training fee: Free to attend, $25 for attendance and CEs/certificate
Instructor: Mark G. Fuller, MD, FACP, FASAM
Along with the alarming number of annual drug overdose deaths, methamphetamine – related ones have increased by 300%. The recent penetration of methamphetamines into all sectors of the population has resulted in an unprecedented number of overdoses and demand for treatment. Methamphetamine is an addictive and potent central nervous system stimulant with powerful effects on the human mind. Unlike opioids and alcohol, methamphetamine use disorder has no FDA approved pharmacologic treatment. And, as individuals suffering from this disorder flood into treatment settings, many clinicians find themselves unprepared to implement effective treatment strategies. This workshop will address the factors behind the current epidemic while identifying the most effective treatment and policy strategies for addressing this crisis.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Define the key contributors to the current wave of methamphetamine use in the U.S.
- Compare and contrast the various clinical interventions for effectively addressing stimulant use disorder.
- Assess the effectiveness of current drug policy for this epidemic.
CE Credits:
CPRP-2; LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT-2; NBCC-2; PA Act48-2; IACET-.2
