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Substance Use Disorder

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The Juvenile Justice Week proclamation, signed by Governor Shapiro, designates October 1–7, 2023, as Juvenile Justice Week, calling on Pennsylvanians, government agencies, institutions, and schools to raise awareness and understanding of juvenile justice. The proclamation highlights the mission and principles of Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system. It emphasizes the importance of providing balanced attention to community protection, offender accountability, and the rehabilitation of juveniles within the system. The proclamation also underscores the principles of restorative justice, with a focus on repairing harm to crime victims and communities and ensuring that all parties involved, including victims and offenders, receive tangible benefits from their interactions with the juvenile justice system. Lastly, it emphasizes fair and unbiased treatment in all aspects within the system.

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On behalf of the RCPA Community Residential Rehabilitation (CRR) service providers and the individuals of Pennsylvania that they serve, RCPA submits our CRR Regulatory Reform Recommendations to the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). The current lack of access to care is a result of the workforce crisis and operational requirements of implementing the regulations. We feel these access issues and individuals waiting for services are compelling reasons, in the interest of the public, to merit a review of the regulations based on section 8.1 of the Regulatory Review Act (71 P.S. § 745.8a).

The COVID-19 DHS regulatory flexibilities provided relief for providers, and OMHSAS continues to offer waivers to agencies experiencing critical staffing shortages. Providers are grateful for these temporary solutions; however, these waivers do not address the long-term impacts of the current regulatory requirements. Providers continue to struggle to hire qualified staff and contend with burdensome operational requirements, many of which negatively contribute to the efficiency of care delivery. Therefore, many of the guidelines that were allowed under the suspension of regulations and frequent waiver requests are incorporated into recommendations for permanent improvements to the regulations.

Our recommendations place focus on the care of the individuals and address the challenges and barriers CRR service providers have faced in creating the staffing infrastructures and meeting the burdensome operational protocols for regulatory compliance. The overreaching nature of the regulations, coupled with the impact of the pandemic, has caused great strain on an already depleted behavioral health workforce. These system stressors limit the ability to provide vital, quality services to individuals. Under current regulations, programs are forced to focus on administrative details that do not have a meaningful effect on the actual care of the individual.

These CRR Regulatory Recommendations will also be directed to the Governor’s Policy Office, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Arkoosh, and members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

RCPA would like to thank the members of the CRR Regulatory Review team for their focused and diligent efforts to make this submission possible. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) recently conducted a comprehensive survey and listening session to assess the state’s substance use disorder (SUD) workforce. The Workforce Climate Survey results reveal a substantial workforce shortage, with 84% of the nearly 500 respondents citing it as a significant problem. The vacancy rate for SUD positions averaged 18%, with notable variations based on organization size and location. Larger, well-established non-profit organizations in metropolitan areas reported higher vacancy rates, and critical positions, such as counselors, nurses, entry-level professionals, and peer specialists, were particularly challenging to fill. Recruitment and retention issues were attributed to limited applicant pools and difficulties in offering competitive compensation.

The survey participants offered recommendations for both short and long-term solutions. These recommendations included increasing reimbursement rates, reducing education and experience requirements, alleviating paperwork burdens, and expanding student loan forgiveness and tuition reimbursement programs. In response to these findings, DDAP plans to use the survey data to inform its state plan, regulatory reform, and the allocation of opioid settlement funding. The department’s future efforts will focus on increasing the supply of addiction professionals, leveraging technology, addressing workforce distribution across the state, and enhancing workforce resilience to support Pennsylvania’s SUD workforce better and mitigate the ongoing overdose crisis.

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March to Promote Increased Funding for Mental Health Initiatives

We are just a few weeks away from the March on Harrisburg, and we cannot wait to advocate alongside you and our partner stakeholders on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, on the Capitol steps at 10:30 am.

Please review the agenda for the day as well as march logistics regarding getting to Harrisburg, parking, and the march route. We have some amazing and inspirational speakers joining us as we all come together and raise our voices for a united message.

The flyer includes information for registering. Registration is for planning purposes (i.e., there will be limited number of t-shirts) as well as to help us understand how we can better support our CSPs and individuals who may need assistance with transportation. Everyone is encouraged to join us on the day of the event, even if you do not register. We encourage you to register here. You can also follow the Facebook event page for more information.

Stay tuned for more details about the speakers and comment cards that will be available for you to share with your legislators. We look forward to seeing you at the March on Harrisburg on Wednesday, September 27 at 10:30 am.

If you have any questions or need to arrange to attend, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Center for First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) programs is partnering with the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTCC) for a one-day training on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 9:00 am – 4:00pm. The session is titled, “Recognizing and Responding to Emerging Psychosis in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Training Workshop for Community Mental Health Providers.”

This free event will take place in Philadelphia and may be attended virtually or in person. Visit here to register. If you have any questions, please contact Crystal Vatza, HeadsUp Education and Telehealth Manager, via email.

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Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

The PA Department of Human Services and PA Care Partnership are excited to announce the 21st Children’s Interagency Conference is scheduled for April 22 – April 25, 2024, at the Penn Stater Hotel, State College, PA. The conference theme is “Shine The Light on Mental Health – Building Youth Wellness & Resilience.”

Hosted by the PA Department of Human Services, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the PA Care Partnership, the conference brings together Pennsylvania’s Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) and System of Care (SOC) partners providing behavioral health services. The conference will provide an excellent opportunity for providers, county administrators, youth, family members, practitioners, and educators to learn about changing trends, promising and best practices, resources, and various system of care activities across Pennsylvania. The conference will also add a national perspective on a variety of issues, including government, family peer, early childhood, youth leadership, and school-based mental health.

See the Save the Date flyer, and please share it with your contacts and invite them to attend. Visit the conference website for additional information. For questions or more information, contact our contract meeting planner Katrina Harris at 610-494-8044 or via email.

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It’s your last chance to claim early bird registration for the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity, as early bird rates end this Friday, September 8! Be sure to take a look at our registration brochure, where you’ll see our full lineup of speakers, sessions, and workshops as well as information on reserving your hotel room and more! You won’t want to miss earning CEs with workshops such as:

  • What We Know About the Effectiveness of FBMHS: Implications for Service Delivery
    • Discover how FBMHS improved functionality for adolescents with SED as well as how to use the ESFT Logic Model as a framework for discussing clinical implications.
  • Don’t Forget the Pharmacist! Impact of the Innovative Collaboration Between Woods Services and Synergy Pharmacy on Patients With ID/A
    • Learn about strategies that enhance quality of care and improve safety for a complex population through a dynamic panel discussion highlighting the work of Woods’ clinical teams and its partnership with Synergy.
  • Independence and Wellness Through Employment
    • Identify strategies of person-centered employment readiness and seeking, and deconstruct the complex process of identifying jobs beyond the “usual entry level” positions for a whole-person approach to employment.
  • Building the Framework: The Interactions of Ethics, Bias, & Cultural Humility
    • Create a foundation for client-centered care by taking an introspective exploration of ethical principles, bias, and cultural humility.
  • Sustainable Development Preventive Planning in Mental and Behavioral Health
    • Experience participatory planning by being grouped into simulated communities and analyzing risk factor data to inform decisions to protect children and youth from developing mental and behavioral disorders.
  • Moving From Great Resignation to Great Retention
    • Develop policies and procedures that support employee wellbeing while using behavioral assessments to improve talent management.
  • Adapting Interventions for Neurodiversity Effectiveness
    • Learn about interventions, modifications, and adaptations for family-based, PCIT, and education systems to improve outcomes for children affected by FASD, their families, and the support providers who work with them.
  • Suicide in a Chaotic World
    • Examine strategies and possible solutions to prevent suicide in the workplace as well as the general community, with an emphasis on the importance of conversation, language, and listening to help those who are having thoughts of suicide by connecting through hope.
Register today!

In addition to an impressive roster of speakers, our 2023 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have signed on thus far! **NOTE: EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE SOLD OUT.** If you are interested in sponsoring, visit here for more details or contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, with any questions you may have. Keep up-to-date and register today for #rcpaconf!

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