IPRC Clinical Work Group Kickoff Meeting: Treating Pediatric Bowel/Bladder and Related Issues
Conference to Focus on Expanding Choice & Control in Housing for Individuals With Disabilities
The Self-Determination Housing of Pennsylvania (SDHP) Conference “Housing as a Human Right: Elevating Accessible Solutions” is coming up on May 5, 2022. This one-day conference is being held at the Holiday Inn Hershey/Harrisburg and will focus on expanding choice and control in housing for people with disabilities. The conference will include both in-person and some virtual programming. The conference will bring together leaders from across the commonwealth to discuss best practices and trends in accessible housing as well as address the systemic issues that people with disabilities face every day.
PA ABLE Savings Program Webinar Planned for April 20
The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced they will be conducting a webinar about the PA Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program on April 20, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am. A PA ABLE account gives individuals with qualifying disabilities (eligible individuals) and their families and friends a tax-free way to save for disability-related expenses while maintaining government benefits. The webinar will be presented by a representative from the PA Treasury Department.
OLTL Service Coordinators (SCs), Direct Service Providers (DSPs), Community HealthChoices Managed Care Organization (CHC MCO) staff, and any individuals that work on employment are strongly encouraged to participate in this webinar, which will help you understand the PA ABLE Program and how it can benefit the OLTL participants you serve.
Please register using this registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Questions regarding this webinar should be directed to Edward M. Butler, OLTL, at (717) 214-3718 or via email.
Understanding Private Equity and Its Implications for Community Provider Organizations — April 20
March 21–27 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
Senator Robert Casey Joins RCPA Members for Open Forum Webinar
Signed Federal Appropriations Act Increases DDAP’s FY 2023 Budget by At Least $60M
With this week’s signing of the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) expects its budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 to be at least equal to the current year’s budget of $378 million. Before the signing of the act, DDAP’s budget was $317 million. The difference was the result of a $60 million gap in a state opioid response (SOR) grant that has been restored. The majority of DDAP’s funding comes from the federal government, as opposed to state dollars.
As part of the Federal Appropriations Act, $3.9 billion has been budgeted for substance use treatment, including continued funding for opioid prevention and treatment, recovery, and tribal focused treatment efforts. This includes $1.85 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SABG); $1.525 billion for SOR Grants; $34.9 million for Pregnant & Postpartum Women; $13 million for Building Communities of Recovery; and $101 million for Medication Assisted Treatment.
In its Senate Appropriations Hearing yesterday, DDAP said that, although the exact amount of Pennsylvania’s SOR grant for FY 2023 was not yet know, it expected it to be at least as much as the current year’s grant, which is $178 million.
$22.6M Available to Addiction Treatment Providers Through Federal MAT-PDOA Grant
This week, SAMHSA announced the availability of $22.6 million to public and private non-profit entities through its Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) grant. Applications are due Friday, April 29. More information about applying for the grant is available on SAMHSA’s website.
National Council to Host Overdose Prevention Webinar — March 21
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing will host Overdose Prevention Across the Continuum of Care: Strategies from the Field, the first of a two-part series, from 3:30 pm–5:00 pm on Monday, March 21. You can register for the event here.
Presenters will discuss a range of evidence-based strategies that have been successfully implemented across the continuum of care to prevent overdose and improve the health of people who use drugs and have substance use disorders, including those with co-occurring serious mental illness.
2022 Candidate Election Update
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