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Substance Use Disorder

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RCPA is excited to once again host the RCPA PAC silent auction, which is to be held in conjunction with the RCPA conference. The silent auction will take place outside Connections Hall during the conference, and we are looking to attract the attention of over 700 attendees, including registrants, presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors. The money raised helps to support the RCPA PAC, which provides financial support to state legislators who have demonstrated a strong, consistent, and positive interest in our issues and priorities.

We are requesting your consideration in assisting us by providing a donation of an auction item. We are hoping to secure a variety of auction items that will be enticing to all members. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be something as simple as a gift certificate for a restaurant to a basket of sorts (candy, movie night, grilling items, cooking theme, etc.). We are also accepting items such as jewelry, designer handbags, tickets to college or professional sporting events, golf items, and sports memorabilia.

We would like to thank our donors to date, including the following:

  • Kate Spade Bag — Gretchen Kelly
  • PUPS Basket — Willetts Tech
  • Basket of Sorts — Pyramid Healthcare
  • Hershey Lodge Stay — Hershey Resorts
  • Basket of Sorts — Venango Training & Development Center, Inc.
  • 2 Steelers/Cowboys Football Tickets — Corporate Benefits Consultants, Inc.
  • Basket of Sorts — Chartiers Center
  • 6 Penn State Tickets vs. Maryland — ZMark Health
  • Basket of Sorts — Hope Enterprises
  • 2 Branded Sweaters & 2 Yeti Coffee Mugs — Greenspace Health
  • Round of Golf for 4 People — Center for Community Resources
  • Basket of Sorts — Firetree, Ltd.
  • Cavalcanti Italian Leather Handbag — The Cambria County Association for the Blind and Handicapped
  • Lottery Ticket Tree — Cori’s Place
  • Basket of Sorts — Consulting for Human Services
  • Family Movie Night Basket — Wesley Family Services
  • IPad — Altruix
  • Family Game Night Basket — UCP of Central PA
  • Handmade Charcuterie Board — Progressive Workshop of Armstrong County
  • Outdoor Fun Basket — Corporation for Independent Living
  • Wine Basket — Consulting for Human Services

Please contact Christine Tartaglione before September 6, 2024, if you would like to donate any items. Thank you for your consideration of our request. We hope we can count on your support, and we look forward to seeing you at the conference.

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RCPA was honored to have Stacy DiStephano of Consulting for Human Services, LLC and Ross Harper of Limbic AI join us for a discussion regarding the use of clinical AI in behavioral health care. The recording is now available on RCPA’s website; you will need to log in to your RCPA member account to access. If you have any questions regarding the content or recording, please contact Carol Ferenz. You can find more information below on the speakers and their respective organizations.

Speaker Bios:

Stacy DiStefano, Founder and CEO of Consulting for Human Services, LLC, is a passionate and dynamic healthcare and human services executive advisor, strategist, and retained leader. She has worked on high level strategic initiatives for behavioral health provider organizations, private equity firms, state departments, and tech vendors. Stacy is a visionary with a clinical background, enabling growth and mission achievement. She also works as a trusted advisor who easily builds rapport and works in collaboration with key stakeholders. A resilient and creative problem-solver with an eye on efficiency and a track record of improving financial performance, Stacy always strives to solve complex challenges.

Ross Harper, PhD, CEO of Limbic AI, is a distinguished computational neuroscientist with a rich academic background. Holding a PhD in Computational Neuroscience and a Master’s in Mathematical Modeling from University College London as well as a Master’s in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, Ross possesses an intricate understanding of the overlap between mathematics, technology, and the human mind. He launched Limbic AI in 2020 to enable large language models and generative AI to aid and assist processes in the mental health space, supporting clinicians and their patients within the NHS during the pandemic. Used by over 230,000 patients and mental health professionals within the NHS, Ross is leading a company that is improving patient access to mental health resources, speeding up diagnosis, and supporting mental health professionals to avoid burnout as the company prepares to expand into the US.

Limbic AI:

Limbic is a clinically-validated AI copilot to drive quality and efficiency in behavioral healthcare, drastically improving service operating margins while demonstrably improving patient outcomes. Limbic has been proven at scale in the UK, currently working with 40% of the National Health Service, which now implements Limbic as part of routine care (used by 320,000 patients already). In 2024, Limbic has published 3 large-scale clinical studies, showing improved patient outcomes, lower cost-per-recovery, expanded provider capacity, enhanced access for underserved communities, reduced patient wait times, and elevated satisfaction for patients and clinicians (Nature Medicine, JMIR, British Medical Journal). The company is now working with community health providers in the United States to deliver economic and clinical ROI.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has issued Licensing Alert 06-2024 to notify licensed treatment facilities and recovery houses of the new process for submitting licensing regulations exceptions and facility requests to DDAP. This licensing alert replaces Licensing Alert 23-03 and is a result of DDAP streamlining its internal processes. The licensing alert explains how to submit exception requests and facility requests electronically.

Questions about the alert or the new process should be directed to DDAP.

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Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The Department of Human Services has released a new Request for Information (RFI) to assist in determining possible implementation needs for the Commonwealth’s proposed 1115 Demonstration Waiver titled, Bridges to Success: Keystones of Health for Pennsylvania. This RFI will help inform a potential scope of work for private, public, and nonprofit organizations that could serve in the future as a program administrator for the program. If approved and implemented, Keystones of Health would bring new resources to Pennsylvaniaʼs Medicaid program to address health-related social needs (HRSN) that have a direct impact on health care spending and health outcomes. Responses to the RFI are due August 19, 2024 by 12:00 pm.

The proposed Keystones of Health program seeks to expand tools available to address critical health care needs of Pennsylvanians in four main areas: reentry supports, housing resources, food and nutrition services, and continuous health coverage for children under the age of six. This RFI seeks information to assist DHS in implementing the proposed housing, food, and nutrition services for beneficiaries. Through this RFI, the department is seeking knowledge about potential program administrator responsibilities and capabilities for administering these HRSN services. The RFI will also inform aspects of the DHS implementation plan that is currently in development, while the Commonwealth collaborates with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to secure approval. The department encourages respondents and other interested parties to provide feedback by responding to the RFI.

Section 1115 of the Social Security Act gives the federal government the ability to waive certain federal rules that govern Medicaid to allow states to design and evaluate new state pilot projects that promote the general goals of the Medicaid program, helping people live healthier lives. Section 1115 waivers are a major pathway for state innovation in the Medicaid program that many states have leveraged. If approved, and the necessary state funds are appropriated, it would allow DHS to introduce innovative programs and services that address health-related social needs that can improve health and quality of life for Pennsylvanians who access health care through Medicaid.

Submit feedback to DHSʼ Request for Information. The full application, including information on feedback received through public comment, is available on the Keystones of Health web page.

RCPA is reviewing the RFI internally and will meet with interested members on the RFI in the coming week. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Due to the Microsoft technology outages that have been reported as of Friday, July 19, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) would like to assess the impacts to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) licensing. DHS is asking that DHS-licensed entities complete a short survey as it pertains to any of their licensed facilities to determine the impact at the facility level.

Please note that if the outage has affected your facility, you are advised to contact your regional program office. If the disruption is critical, please also contact your local emergency management agency. DHS asks that the survey be completed as soon as possible.

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Drexel University Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education has announced a Call for Proposals for the Virtual 32nd Annual Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference on December 4 – 5, 2024. Complete the Proposal Application, which includes an Award Nomination Referral Form, to submit your proposal. Applications must be received no later than August 31, 2024. If you have any questions regarding this email, please feel free to contact Anna Auch.

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The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announces that registration is now open for the 2024 Statewide Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Symposium. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at the Wyndham Garden State College. PCCD, in partnership with Center County CIT, has developed an agenda for a day of training and networking opportunities. For more information, including registration, agenda details, and session descriptions, visit the CIT Symposium web page.

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

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Deputy Secretary Jen Smith recently provided an update on the federal four walls rule. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule, or Notice of Public Rulemaking, that could create exceptions to the existing four walls requirement for IHS/Tribal clinics, behavioral health clinics, and clinics located in rural areas.

The official language posted to the federal register can be found on page 15 of the Federal Register, which is scheduled to be published on July 22, and is copied below.

“This proposed rule includes a proposal to create exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement, to authorize Medicaid payment for services provided outside the four walls of the clinic for IHS/Tribal clinics, behavioral health clinics, and clinics located in rural areas. Our current regulation at 42 CFR § 440.90(b) includes an exception to the four walls requirement under the Medicaid clinic services benefit only for certain clinic services furnished to individuals who are unhoused. We believe these proposed exceptions would help maintain and improve access for the populations served by IHS/Tribal clinics, behavioral health clinics, and clinics located in rural areas.”

As a reminder, this is a proposed rule intended to announce and explain CMS’s plan to address the problem. As such, all proposed rules must be published in the Federal Register to notify the public and give them an opportunity to submit comments. The proposed rule and the public comments received on it form the basis of a final rule. More information on the final rulemaking process is available here. Interested parties should provide public comments on this proposed rule to the addresses listed in the federal register by September 9, 2024.

While CMS works through this process, OMHSAS, RCPA, and the PA General Assembly continue efforts to address this through the recently released HCO 3450 legislation that will address the psychiatric outpatient in-office requirements and the Medicaid “4 walls” standards. RCPA will work with our members and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on developing public comments for submission regarding this proposed rule. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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On July 11, 2024, Governor Shapiro signed a bipartisan 2024/25 budget that invests in a range of fields, from health care to public transportation to education. The details of the budget are available in the Governor’s Press Release, which highlights each field and dollar amounts signed. In particular, the budget addresses:

  • Supporting PA’s ID/A community and Direct Support Professionals (DSP);
  • Investing in gun violence prevention;
  • Increased funding for nursing homes and the Aging Our Way plan;
  • Combatting maternal mortality; and
  • Further investments in mental health.

RCPA Policy Staff will be reviewing the budget in great detail over the next few days. We plan to reach out to our members with updates and key information as more becomes available and analyzed. If you have any questions regarding the budget, please reach out to your Policy Director.

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