The 2023 Pennsylvania Government Relations Power 100: RCPA Members UPMC and Woods Services Listed
RCPA ICWC/CCBHC Meeting Highlights
Former DDAP Secretary Named OMHSAS Deputy Secretary
Former Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Jennifer Smith has been named Deputy Secretary for the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). As DDAP Secretary, Smith led DDAP’s efforts to fulfill its mission of engaging and coordinating the commonwealth’s efforts to prevent and reduce substance use disorder and problem gambling and to promote recovery. Smith was integral in the formation and implementation of Pennsylvania’s first licensure program for recovery houses as well as leading Pennsylvania’s treatment system transition away from the Pennsylvania Client Placement Criteria to ASAM Criteria.
Dr. Dale Adair, who has served as Acting Deputy Secretary for OMHSAS, will continue to serve as the Chief Psychiatric Officer for OMHSAS.
OMB Releases Unified Regulatory Agenda & Plan
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released the Unified Regulatory Agenda and Regulatory Plan, which outlines regulatory actions federal agencies are considering in the coming months. Regulations can be searched by specific agency, such as Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
OMHSAS Confirms RCPA Telehealth Extension Notice
DDAP Makes $4 Million in Grant Funding Available to Serve BIPOC Communities
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is making available $4 million in grant funding for organizations to establish or expand substance use disorder (SUD) services, community outreach and education to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
In 2020, overdose death rates increased 39 percent for black Pennsylvanians, compared to 2019. In 2021, black Pennsylvanians died from an overdose at a rate that was nearly two times higher than white Pennsylvanians.
Grants up to $400,000 each will be awarded for a 12-month period beginning July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Funds can be applied toward a range of activities, including construction and building infrastructure, staffing, and evidence-based programming.
Eligible applicants include organizations that provide services, outreach, and/or education to BIPOC communities in any of the following areas:
- Harm reduction;
- Access to low-barrier medications for opioid use disorder and SUD treatment;
- Recovery and peer supports; and
- Reentry supports.
Funding for these grants is provided from the opioid settlement funding that the General Assembly appropriated to DDAP.
Download the Grant Initiative Funding Application.
Upcoming Webinars From National Council: Free With Your RCPA Membership
US Health and Human Services Renewal Of Determination That A Public Health Emergency Exists
RCPA Joins PA Providers in Supporting Funding for BH Commission Recommendations
DDAP Makes $4 Million in Grant Funding Available for Regional Recovery Hubs
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today announced the availability of more than $4 million in grant funding for the establishment of regional recovery hubs to enhance recovery supports and promote recovery within communities across Pennsylvania.
The nine regional recovery hubs throughout Pennsylvania will be designed to work to embed, expand, and promote a recovery-oriented system of care in each region using a hub and spoke model. Each regional “hub” will support community-driven services that will serve as spokes. Each hub will provide technical assistance and collaborate with a variety of community entities, sectors, and systems to enhance a recovery-supportive community and facilitate recovery support service delivery.
For more information, read the Grant Initiative Funding Application or visit DDAP’s Funding and Grants Process web page.
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