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Substance Use Disorder

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A drug and alcohol treatment provider member has asked whether regulations requiring clients to sign releases of information (ROIs) are suspended during the Covid pandemic disaster.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has not suspended these regulations. In instances where a client’s signature is missing, the provider will be cited.

DDAP has suggested that providers can use a drop box, socially distance or mail releases to obtain signed consent. Some providers are also using document managements systems, including Docushare, to obtain client signatures.

In March 2020, DDAP issued a clarification on 42 CFR that explained that, under both federal and state law, Pennsylvania’s providers can only release client information in a medical emergency, even during the covid pandemic. The two-page clarification can be found here.

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Title: What’s the Big Deal About Trauma? presented by Diane Wagenhals, Program Director for the Lakeside Global Institute, and Dr. Sandra Bloom, Author of Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies

Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021, 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm EST

Registration is required for this FREE event.

Many organizations today are under a lot of pressure to become trauma-informed. Both professionals and parents are hearing about the importance of recognizing as well as preventing trauma from happening to the children in their lives. These demands can be a source of confusion: what does being trauma-informed mean? Why is it so important? What is trauma about, anyway?

You are invited to attend this webinar that will feature Dr. Sandra Bloom and Diane Wagenhals. Together they will describe what history and science have taught us about the nature of trauma, what becoming trauma-informed and trauma-responsive means, and why it is such a big deal.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define trauma and its impact, and why it is such a big deal;
  • Describe the causes and neurobiological underpinnings of trauma; and
  • Explain what being trauma-informed means for organizations and individuals.

Visit this web page for more information.

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CDC Guidelines were updated March 8, 2021:

How to Protect Yourself and Others

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions in public places like wearing a mask, staying six feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces until we know more.

To read all of the guidance visit the CDC: When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated web page.

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The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is seeking members for the Medication Death and Incident Review (MDAIR) Team. This team will review circumstances surrounding medication-related deaths and incidents for medications approved by the FDA for the treatment of opioid use disorder. These reviews will lead to recommendations that promote safety, reduce deaths and incidents, as well as improve treatment. The MDAIR Team is established by Act 126 of 2020.

DDAP is seeking representation from:
• Narcotic treatment programs;
• Licensed drug and alcohol treatment providers;
• Law enforcement;
• The medical community;
• District attorneys;
• Coroners and medical examiners;
• Community members;
• Individuals with a substance use disorder or family advocates;
• Individuals from recovery organizations;
• Individuals who prescribe buprenorphine with a DEA number related to prescribing; and
• Toxicologists.

If you are interested in sharing your knowledge, positively affecting the drug and alcohol treatment system, and can dedicate approximately 30 hours per year, please complete the application via SurveyMonkey by March 19, 2021.

DDAP will review applications and select members within 3 weeks of the application closing date. Questions can be submitted to Derrick Pelletier.

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The Dennis Marion Impact Award recognizes local and state government employees whose initiatives, processes, and projects have led to significant improvements in Pennsylvania’s behavioral health service delivery system.

Background
The Dennis Marion Impact Award was established in 2017 in honor of Dennis Marion’s commitment to public service throughout his distinguished career, which spanned over three decades. Dennis served as Deputy Secretary for Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services from 2013 to 2017. Prior to his state employment, Dennis served Cumberland County, Pennsylvania for 31 years in various positions, such as County Administrator, Director of the Drug and Alcohol Commission, and Director of the Office of Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities.

Just like Dennis Marion, whose strong leadership, passion for public service, and commitment to the people he served did not stop at the boundaries of his work in any single county or agency, the Dennis Marion Impact Award recognizes strong performers who bridge disparate missions and drive towards a single goal of excellence in public service.

Purpose
The purpose of the Dennis Marion Impact Award is to recognize outstanding and meritorious achievement in working for state or local government, encourage the highest standards of performance in Pennsylvania’s public sector, attract outstanding individuals to a career in public service, and highlight public awareness of the value of public service and its impact on the behavioral health and quality of life of individuals and communities.

Eligibility Criteria
Any current state and/or local government employee in Pennsylvania that has made an outstanding contribution in the area of behavioral health (mental health and/or substance use disorders) in Pennsylvania is eligible for nomination for the Dennis Marion Impact Award. Individuals that have built effective, collaborative partnerships across different organizations, agencies, and/or other stakeholders to define and solve problems, or reach agreements on a course of action, will be given priority consideration for this award. Nominees’ contributions may be on a sustained basis or through a single, exceptional accomplishment. Nominations will be judged on three measurements: innovation, implementation, and outcomes.

Instructions
The nomination form is available here. The nomination period is open from March 5, 2021 to April 5, 2021. Completed nominations must be submitted electronically to Dwaneen Hicks by 5:00 pm EST on April 5, 2021. Nominations will not be accepted before or after the nomination period. Note, individuals may not self-nominate. The award will be announced during Pennsylvania’s May 2021 Mental Health Awareness Month events. Questions regarding this award may be directed to Dwaneen Hicks.

Sponsoring Organizations
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services – Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association of County MH/DS Administrators
Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association
Pennsylvania Association of County Drug and Alcohol Administrators
Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers’ Association

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DHS has released a set of responses to questions presented by stakeholders during DHS Secretary Teresa Miller’s 2021–2022 budget review.

The responses have been formatted by agency and has a link to the DHS Blue Budget book that will provide line item budgetary information. RCPA will be reviewing these responses, and if you have questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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Image by Tom und Nicki Löschner from Pixabay

On Monday, March 1, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith was joined virtually by the Pennsylvania Lottery, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania to kick off March as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The recording is available here (password: 8xJTCw3p).

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Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released a new/updated COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on Medicare Fee-for-Service billing. The document covers a wide range of topics and questions specific to many provider types. Some of these include hospitals, partial hospitalization program services, Medicare telehealth, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, opioid treatment programs, skilled nursing facility services, outpatient therapy services, and many more. The FAQs in this document supplement the previously released FAQs, 1135 Waiver FAQs.

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