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Substance Use Disorder

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RCPA is pleased to announce an important change in personnel. Lynn Cooper will be leaving her current position as Drug and Alcohol (D&A) Division Director and will now be the Director of Cross Systems Development/Western Region Representative. She will specifically be further developing activities in Western PA while addressing important cross-systems projects that have been raised recently.

RCPA will be hiring a new D&A Director to take on these responsibilities, based out of the RCPA office in Harrisburg. This is obviously a big change for Lynn, given her 24 years working in this area (and others) for RCPA, as well as its predecessor, PCPA.

This change is effective immediately; however, there will be a transition period as needed until a new D&A Director is hired. Please join us in welcoming Lynn to this new and exciting role. Contact Richard Edley with any questions.

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Bucks County Democratic lawmakers are proposing legislation designed to punish drug treatment and testing companies that use vulnerable patients to help boost their profits. State Senator Steven Santarsiero, D-10, of Lower Makefield, and Representatives Tina Davis, D-141, of Bristol Township and Perry Warren, D-31, of Newtown Township, on Thursday unveiled a proposed bill that would make it a felony for health care providers, including drug and alcohol treatment centers, to give or receive money, perks, or other compensation in exchange for patient referrals. The number of licenses for drug and alcohol treatment programs issued in Pennsylvania jumped from 570 to 824 between 2012 and last year, with the biggest surge in the last three years, according to Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) data. To read the complete article, please use this link. Questions, please contact Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs.

(Source: The Intelligencer; “Legislation would make patient-brokering illegal in Pennsylvania” by Jo Ciavaglia, June 7, 2019)

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Child Welfare Resource Center to recruit for the Pennsylvania Citizen Review Panels (CRPs). The CRPs are groups of volunteer citizens who examine policies, procedures, and practices of state and local agencies and make recommendations for improvement to DHS. CRPs partner with state and local children and youth agencies, relying on maintaining respectful and positive relationships with these agencies to complete their work. To learn more about Pennsylvania’s CRPs, including their mission, vision, function, and members, visit this website. Please also see the website for our recruitment video.

They are currently working to recruit additional members to all three regional panels in the Northeast, South Central, and Southwest. Brochures for each panel as well as a general CRP flyer are below. Each brochure lists the counties within each region. Information on regions can also be found on the CRP website. The recruitment period will remain open until June 15.

It is requested that you forward this information on to your contacts and/or provide the names and contact information of individuals you feel would be a good fit for the panels and are located within one of the three regions. An online application can be accessed through the “Join” page on the CRP website. Referral information can be sent to the CAPTA Program Development Specialist, Kari Coccagna, via email or at 717-795-9048.

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Dept of Labor and Industry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2019

L&I Seeks Public Input on Proposed Changes to Pennsylvania’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services Plan

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak today encouraged Pennsylvanians to provide comments on proposed changes to the state’s vocational rehabilitation services plan. Pennsylvania expects less federal reallocation funds for the vocational rehabilitation program and must adjust the plan.

“Our primary goal throughout this process is to ensure that services continue to be provided to as many people with disabilities as possible across the commonwealth,” said Secretary Oleksiak. “I urge interested Pennsylvanians to provide us with their feedback.”

Due to the anticipated decline in federal reallocation funds, the independent Pennsylvania State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation recently voted unanimously to begin the process to close the Order of Selection, in essence creating a temporary waiting list for new OVR customers. Services would continue for current OVR customers with an Individualized Plan for Employment, as well as Pre-employment Transition Services for students with disabilities, as required by federal law.

The proposal is available in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments will be accepted for 30 days, until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, and should be emailed to OVRFeedback@pa.gov, with “OOS closing all categories” in the subject line. Written comments may also be mailed to OVR Central Office, c/o Cindy Mundis, 1521 North 6th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102.

Public meetings will be conducted in-person throughout the state in each OVR district office on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Individuals who are unable to attend in person can participate via phone. All meeting sites are accessible and interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing will be present at each public meeting.

Following the public comment period, the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) will review OVR’s request to temporarily close the order of selection. If approved, the waiting list is expected to be implemented on July 1, 2019.

For more information, visit the OVR page on the Department of Labor & Industry’s website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Penny Ickes, 717-787-7530 or dlipress@pa.gov

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2019 marks the official 18th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) — but did you know we can trace its history even further back?

Even before its official declaration, SAAM was about both awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Looking at the history of the movement to end sexual violence, it’s clear why: it’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The two work in tandem, and they always have. From the civil rights movement to the founding of the first rape crisis centers to national legislation and beyond, the roots of SAAM run deep.

Roots of the Movement
As long as there have been people who care about making the world a better place, there have been individuals advocating for sexual assault prevention. In the United States, movements for social change and equality began to gain traction in the 1940s and 50s with the civil rights era. Although open discussion of the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence were limited at these times, activists for equal rights began to challenge the status quo.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is about more than awareness — the ultimate goal is prevention. Since consent is a clear, concrete example of what it takes to end sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, this year’s theme centers on empowering all of us to put consent into practice. The campaign theme, I Ask, champions the message that asking for consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday interactions.

Sexual assault is a serious and widespread problem. Nearly one in five women in the US have experienced rape or attempted rape at some time in their lives, and one in 67 American men have experienced rape or attempted rape. When we talk about prevention, we mean stopping sexual violence before it even has a chance to happen. This means changing the social norms that allow it to exist in the first place, from individual attitudes, values, and behaviors to laws, institutions, and widespread social norms. Prevention is everyone’s responsibility: All of us can create and promote safe environments. We can intervene to stop concerning behavior, promote and model healthy attitudes and relationships, and believe survivors and assist them in finding resources.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is the leading nonprofit in providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence. NSVRC translates research and trends into best practices that help individuals, communities, and service providers achieve real and lasting change. The center also works with the media to promote informed reporting. Every April, NSVRC leads Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a campaign to educate and engage the public in addressing this widespread issue.

Be sure to share your sexual assault awareness programs and activities on social media, and feel free to share on the RCPA Facebook page and Twitter feed as well.

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Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs: Wolf administration holds regional summit on warm hand-offs for opioid overdose survivors.

Text of March 20 press release.

Summits bring together stakeholders to strengthen direct pathway to treatment for opioid overdose survivors.

Ivyland, PA – As Governor Tom Wolf today signed the sixth renewal of his opioid disaster declaration, officials from his administration kicked off a series of regional summits to address warm hand-offs for opioid overdose survivors. The event was held at Spring Hill – The Manor in Ivyland, Bucks County.

The summits bring together stakeholders from state and local governments, the drug and alcohol treatment landscape, and health systems to address best practices and implementation roadblocks in providing a warm hand-off to patients treated for an opioid overdose. Eight summits will take place at locations across the state during March and April.

“Over the past year thousands of lives have been saved through warm hand-off programs,” said Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jennifer Smith. “We know this is a key component in strengthening the drug and alcohol landscape throughout Pennsylvania. These summits are designed to fully equip counties who may be struggling to implement their programs with the tools and knowledge to have successful warm hand-off programs. In turn, helping to save our neighbors and loved ones.”

Today, warm hand-off programs at various levels of implementation exist around the commonwealth. Since January 2017, more than 5,000 individuals have been directly referred to treatment as part of the warm hand-off concept. Counties with successful implementations are seeing a success rate of 90 percent of overdose survivors directly admitted into drug and alcohol treatment following an overdose.

“Once we revive someone who has overdosed with naloxone, it is essential that we get those people into treatment,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Warm handoff programs allow our medical providers and our drug treatment providers to ensure that someone with the disease of addiction gets the help they need. Treatment works and recovery is possible for those battling substance use disorder.”

In February 2017, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Department of Health, and Pennsylvania chapter of the College of Emergency Physicians released a clinical pathway designed to create an easy transition from care for an opioid overdose to treatment for an opioid use disorder. As part of an update in the 2015–2020 grant agreement between DDAP and local Single County Authorities (SCA), SCAs are now required to establish a warm hand-off policy locally.

Representatives from the departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Health, Human Services, and Insurance will participate in each of the eight summits:

  • Philadelphia (March 21)
  • Johnstown (March 27)
  • Pittsburgh (March 28)
  • York (April 4)
  • Wilkes-Barre (April 11)
  • Williamsport (April 16)
  • Erie (April 17)

For more information about the warm hand-off summits and the clinical pathway, visit ddap.pa.gov

Media contact: Rachel Kostelac, 717.547.3314

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Further questions may be directed to Jack Phillips

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The Behavioral Health and Economics Network (BHECON) is an initiative launched by The National Council for Behavioral Health. BHECON was created to unite diverse stakeholders to identify, examine, and advance policy reform to strengthen states’ mental health delivery systems.

RCPA receives funding from BHECON to support efforts that represent and advance RCPA Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol providers’ policy reform needs. RCPA is part of a cohort of states that include Missouri, Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The BHECON team worked with RCPA staff to develop a survey to begin collecting vital information on factors and issues that impact Pennsylvania’s mental health and drug & alcohol workforce and capacity. Please take a moment to complete this survey.

Your responses will provide us with preliminary data to support our discussions and much needed focus on the challenges faced by health and human services providers across the Commonwealth.

For more information about BHECON and to catch up on Pennsylvania-specific information, please visit the website.

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