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Substance Use Disorder

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Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

Announcement from RCPA Member Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: 

Fran Sheedy Bost Retires From RCPA Member Devereux/TCV Community Services

After more than five decades in the behavioral healthcare industry, Devereux / TCV Community Services Executive Director Fran Sheedy Bost will retire from her position, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

While a bittersweet decision, Sheedy Bost is excited to place greater focus on her family – including her six grandchildren.

“Instead of creating business plans, I am looking forward to helping my grandchildren with their homework, volunteering in their schools and cheering them on from the sidelines during sporting events and dance recitals,” said Sheedy Bost.

She began her career in 1973 as a direct support professional. For the last 16 years at TCV, Fran has served as an unwavering beacon of hope and staunch advocate for countless individuals and families in the Mon Valley. Through her leadership, TCV is one of Allegheny County’s most-respected nonprofit organizations providing treatment, care and services to individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges.

Sheedy Bost also gave back to her profession, serving on various RCPA committees, including the RCPA Workers Compensation Trust Board.

In 2020, Sheedy Bost began having conversations with Devereux about a possible affiliation and, on Jan. 1, 2021, she and the TCV Board took a significant leap to trust Devereux, and its people, to support her organization, while sharing her expertise in various areas, including recovery-focused behavioral health services to individuals who want to lead a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle.

“On behalf of all of us at Devereux, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Fran for her incredible dedication and leadership to TCV,” said Devereux Vice President of Operations – Children’s Services Mel Beidler, M.S. “She was critical to forming the partnership between TCV and Devereux, as well as the opening of our new location in Homestead, Pennsylvania, and I cannot thank her enough for the time and effort she has put into making this a successful partnership.” A national search is currently underway for the Devereux / TCV executive director position.

Added Sheedy Bost: “The affiliation with Devereux is now entering the third year and our combined strength will ensure that the mission of TCV will continue for the next 50 years and beyond.”

Congratulations to Sheedy Bost on her well-deserved retirement – she will be missed by us all!

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Happy New Year! Now that you have turned the page to your 2025 calendars, we want to be sure that you do not miss saving the dates for the RCPA Annual Conference in 2025. We will be holding the conference earlier than we traditionally have, so we want to be sure you know the date. We will be meeting again at the Hershey Lodge, September 9 – 12, 2025! But not to worry — we will be offering the same high level of quality you have come to expect from our selection of workshops, speakers, and activities! Stay tuned to our social media and Conference website for future developments.

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Photo by Headway on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding a quarterly public meeting on January 14, 2025, for anyone interested in discussing the topic of peer support services (PSS) while working in the mental health field. These meetings will provide a regularly scheduled opportunity for OMHSAS representatives to provide PSS updates and information as well as answer questions and obtain essential insight and feedback from stakeholders.

The quarterly meeting will be held on January 14, 2025, at 10:00 am – 11:00 am. The Microsoft TEAMS Meeting link for this meeting can be found below. OMHSAS will continue to send the meeting invitation to include the meeting link and an agenda in advance. This information will continue to be sent via the OMHSAS listserv.

TEAMS MEETING INFORMATION:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 223 156 162 141
Passcode: QkkY9M
Dial in by phone
+1 267-332-8737,,482893574# United States, Philadelphia
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 482 893 574#

Please reach out to RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp with any questions.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced a joint initiative with Carlow and Waynesburg Universities to address the shortage of qualified addiction professionals within Pennsylvania’s behavioral health workforce.

Funded by DDAP, this pilot program will focus on the recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals by providing financial assistance for participating students’ educational expenses. At its core, this initiative is designed to strengthen the substance use disorder (SUD) workforce pipeline by financially supporting master’s-level students at Carlow and Waynesburg Universities. Through the DDAP funding, both universities will offer tuition assistance, a stipend during the students’ practicum/internship with a community-based treatment provider, and additional SUD-related training offered by DDAP for students who qualify under each university’s respective programs.

Read the full press release.

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

RCPA is excited to host a Membership Benefits webinar on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 1:00 pm, as an opportunity for members to orient themselves with all that RCPA membership includes. This is not just for new and future members. For current members, there may be benefits associated with our membership that you may not be aware of, including targeted meetings and groups that occur throughout the year.

Registration is required; please register here to attend the webinar. Items we will review include the below and much more:

  • Virtually meet the dedicated RCPA Policy Staff and RCPA lobbyists;
  • Discuss the 2025 Legislative and Administrative priorities;
  • Preview RCPA divisional committee and subcommittee meetings and what they offer;
  • View the RCPA member-only website;
  • Review exclusive yearly educational and networking events; and
  • Understand the value of the National Association memberships included with RCPA membership.

Visit the RCPA member benefits web page for more information, or contact Tieanna Lloyd for benefit details.

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Hands touching in a circle
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce the latest edition of the Positive Approaches Journal.

This issue of the Positive Approaches Journal takes a deep dive into the importance of community safety and wellness for individuals and families. Topics include emergency preparedness, interventions and programs for youth, justice and community supports and services, and navigating crises situations. Remember, a community that prioritizes health, safety, and well-being is one that thrives and prospers.

This issue of Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading at MyODP’s website. To print a copy of the PDF, online journal, or a specific article, you will find these options within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. A new window will open with your selected document. In your browser, you may click the Print button in the top left corner of the page, or by using the Print capability within your browser.

Please submit feedback regarding your experience with the Positive Approaches Journal on MyODP by selecting the feedback image on MyODP within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page.

The Positive Approaches Journal is published quarterly. For additional information, please contact ODP Training’s inbox.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has released the OMHSAS-24-05 Peer Support Services (PSS) Bulletin and PSS Provider Handbook, updating the requirements for Peer Support Services. OMHSAS significantly reorganized the existing language in the Handbook to better clarify which requirements apply to OMHSAS licensure and which apply to Medical Assistance payment. Along with these formatting changes, OMHSAS-24-05 includes the following updates:

  • Staff Qualifications and Requirements for Certified Peer Specialists (CPS)
    • The requirement for a CPS to have a high school diploma or GED has been removed.
    • The requirement for a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) or Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) has been replaced with a requirement to have a mental health diagnosis. Please note, to be eligible to receive PSS services, there is still a requirement for “the presence or history of an SMI or SED.”
    • The clause requiring CPSs “to attain certification through the PCB within six months of hire” has been removed, as the certification examination is now available on-demand, eliminating the need for a grace period for testing to be completed.
  • Staff Qualifications and Requirements for CPS Supervisors
    • Adding a new qualification category for individuals with an associate degree.
    • Supervisory meetings held in an audio-only format shall not be considered supervision.
    • Supervisory meetings shall be provided at a minimum of one hour each week.
  • Telehealth
    • The prior requirement that only 25% of total services provided per beneficiary per calendar year can be delivered by telephone has been removed.
    • PSS may be provided via telehealth technology, including audio-only service delivery, when it is clinically appropriate to do so.
    • PSS providers must ensure that the preference of individuals receiving services (or their legal guardian) is given a high priority when determining the appropriate service delivery modality.

Please review all other revisions to OMHSAS-24-05 here.

Comments and questions regarding this bulletin should be directed to:
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Policy, Planning and Program Development,
P.O. Box 2675,
Harrisburg, PA 17105
General Office Number: 717-772-7900
Email

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

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Capitol hill building in the morning with colorful cloud , Washington DC.

On December 21, President Biden signed into law the 2025 American Relief Act, a stopgap funding bill passed by Congress on December 20 that funds the federal government through March 14, 2025, and includes over $110 billion for disaster relief.

The bill extends certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities through March 31, 2025, under Section 3207, including the six-month in-person requirement for mental health services, the expanded originating sites, and coverage of audio-only services.

The bill also extends funding for several expiring health care programs through March 31, 2025, including the National Health Service Corps at $85 million and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program at $43 million, both under Section 3101.

In addition, the stopgap bill delays scheduled reductions to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals allotments, which are currently set to result in a total reduction of $32 billion between 2025 and 2027. Under Section 3401, the bill delays these cuts through April 1, 2025.

You can read the bill text and a summary of the health care provisions.

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