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Substance Use Disorder

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The team at Greenspace Health are hosting a timely and insightful panel to explore the evolving role of Measurement-Based Care (MBC) in accreditation and clinical practice. The session, Measurement-Based Care & CARF Accreditation: Driving Quality Through Measurable Outcomes, brings together an exceptional group of experts to discuss how organizations can leverage MBC to improve outcomes, align with accreditation standards, and elevate care quality across their services. The webinar will be held May 15 at 1:00 pm EDT. Register here.

Speakers include:

  • Michael Johnson, Senior Managing Director of Behavioral Health at CARF;
  • Dr. Kimberly Gordon-Achebe, Medical Director of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services at iMind Behavioral Health, a CARF accredited organization leveraging MBC;
  • Dr. James Boswell, Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training at the University at Albany; and
  • Host: Jeremy Weisz, CEO and Co-Founder at Greenspace Health.

Whether you’re preparing for CARF accreditation, already using MBC, or exploring how to integrate it into your practice, this webinar will offer actionable insights, real-world strategies, and guidance on meeting CARF’s updated 2025 standards which now require ongoing progress measurement.

If you are unable to participate live, you can still register to receive the recording and resources after the session.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) April 2025 Stakeholder webinar is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. You can register for the webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

For those that want to join via phone:
Call-in Number: (562) 247-8422
Access Code: 757-198-515

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) notified single county authorities (SCA) that it will continue to distribute federal COVID-related grant funding to SCAs while the US District Court considers a 23-state lawsuit seeking an emergency temporary restraining order against US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for abruptly terminating COVID-grant funds that were appropriated for use for states until September 30, 2025. Those grant funds include a supplemental to the Substance Use Disorder Block Grant. The lawsuit was filed on April 1.

Though not confirmed, media reports suggest the termination of grants could cost the Pennsylvania Department of Health $301 million, along with an additional $28 million or more hit against DDAP.

DDAP had been using these grant funds to expand testing and provide resources for COVID; support providers and help meet local needs during the pandemic; and expand the substance use disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services continuum, including various evidence-based services and supports for individuals, families, and communities.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding a quarterly public meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 10:00 am to 11:00 am, for anyone interested in discussing the topic of peer support services (PSS) while working in the mental health field. In particular, OMHSAS will be providing updates on staffing and the release of frequently asked questions.

The Microsoft TEAMS link for this meeting can be found below.

Please send any discussion topics, questions, or agenda items via email by April 7. The email account will be monitored, and the sender will receive a reply only if more information is needed.

If you or your colleagues would like to be added to an OMHSAS Listserv to receive the quarterly invitations, please visit this website and then click on the “join or leave the list” link.

Meeting Date/Time:                 Agenda Topics Due By:
Tuesday, 1/14/25, 10:00 am     December 30, 2024
Tuesday, 4/8/25, 10:00 am       April 7, 2025
Tuesday, 7/8/25, 10:00 am       June 24, 2025
Tuesday, 10/14/25,10:00 am    September 30, 2025

OMHSAS is open to ideas and suggestions on maximizing the effectiveness of these meetings.

These quarterly meetings are not a replacement for the Mental Health Planning Council quarterly meetings; those will continue in addition to these newly established meetings.

Questions pertaining to these meetings should be submitted via email.

TEAMS MEETING INFORMATION:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 223 156 162 141
Passcode: QkkY9M

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions or concerns.

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Governor Shapiro and Pennsylvania are listed along with 22 other plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in US District Court in Rhode Island, requesting an emergency temporary restraining order against US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for abruptly terminating COVID-grant funds, including a supplemental to the Substance Use Disorder Block Grant, that were appropriated for use for states until September 30, 2025.

Though not confirmed, media reports suggest the termination of grants could cost the Pennsylvania Department of Health $301 million, along with an additional $28 million or more hit against the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP).

DDAP had been using these grant funds to expand testing and provide resources for COVID; support providers and help meet local needs during the pandemic; and expand the substance use disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services continuum, including various evidence-based services and supports for individuals, families, and communities.

DDAP is examining its options to maintain the full array of services offered by single county authorities and their providers to ensure Pennsylvanians continue to receive the lifesaving supports they need.

The factual allegations and legal background in the lawsuit state that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress appropriated substantial funds to strengthen public health programs that were not tied to the duration of the public health emergency. HHS and Congress continued to make these public health funds available after the end of the pandemic.

On Monday, March 24, with no advance notice, HHS abruptly terminated $11 billion in grants and cooperation agreements funded by appropriations from COVID-related laws. States were notified through letters from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). The letters indicated the grants were issued for a limited purpose: to ameliorate the effects of the pandemic. The end of the pandemic provides cause to terminate COVID-related grants. Now that the pandemic is over, the grants are no longer necessary.

The lawsuit goes on to state the terminations have caused and will continue to cause irreparable harm and asks the court to vacate and set aside the termination of the funding and any other further actions taken by US HHS to implement or enforce them, among other requests.

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