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Medical Rehab

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Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Today, the Legislative, Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) released a study on community mental health services. Last year, the General Assembly adopted House Resolution 515 of 2019, which directed LBFC to conduct a broad-based study of Pennsylvania’s county administered, community-based mental health (MH) services. The resolution directed LBFC to collect and present information on 10 comprehensive and complex data points.

In response to HR 515, LBFC modified the objectives and scope and focused on creating observational summaries of data, which were collected from various state agencies, including the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Corrections (DOC), and the Health Care Cost Containment Council PHC4). LBFC also surveyed all county MH Administrators. The report can be found on the LBFC’s website.

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The Department of Health (DOH) today shared its weekly update on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing data and encouraged Pennsylvanians to download the COVID Alert PA app, as more than 790,000 have already done to aid in contact tracing efforts. There are 40 counties in the substantial level of COVID-19 transmission rate.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable, and efficient.

Frequently asked questions can be found here.

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The Commonwealth recently announced (access the press release here) the selection of a vendor for the Resource Information and Services Enterprise – or RISE PA – the upcoming statewide resource and referral tool. When fully implemented, anyone in Pennsylvania will be able to access this tool from their personal computers, tablets, and mobile devices to find information about services and resources and self-refer to participating social services agencies.

RISE PA will also allow service providers to assess the needs of individuals during a physician’s office or emergency department visit, when receiving case management services, or seeking assistance from a community organization, among others. Providers may refer their clients to agencies and be notified of the outcome of their referrals through the system.

RISE PA Stakeholder Webinars:

Lehigh/Capital Zone – Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Perry, and York counties
Please register for RISE PA Stakeholder Webinar on Mar 12, 2021 – 10:00 AM EST at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Southeast Zone – Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties
Please register for RISE PA Stakeholder Webinar on Mar 16, 2021 – 1:00 PM EST at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Southwest Zone – Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Green, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties
Please register for RISE PA Stakeholder Webinar on Mar 19, 2021 – 10:00 AM EST at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

New West Zone – Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, and Warren counties
Please register for RISE PA Stakeholder Webinar on Mar 23, 2021 – 10:00 AM EST at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

New East Zone – Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne and Wyoming counties
Please register for RISE PA Stakeholder Webinar on Mar 30, 2021 – 10:00 AM EST at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), with support from the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), is happy to release the OMHSAS Telehealth Survey Report. This telehealth survey was conducted in the Spring of 2020, during the initial onset of COVID-19. The results of the Telehealth Survey have allowed OMHSAS to hear directly from stakeholders and to better understand their experiences with – and access to – telehealth during these tumultuous and difficult times. The report is also available on OMHSAS’s Telehealth web page.

If you would like to contact OMHSAS about this report, please feel free to email them directly or contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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“President Joe Biden will nominate seasoned Democratic health policy broker Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to helm the trillion-dollar Medicare and Medicaid agency. Brooks-LaSure, an Obama administration veteran who oversaw implementation of Obamacare, if confirmed will play a leading role in crafting Biden’s plans to expand on the health care law…”

During the Obama administration, Brooks-LaSure was deputy director at a top CMS office overseeing the health insurance markets. She had previously helped enforce Obamacare insurance reforms at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and worked on parts of Obamacare during the law’s drafting as a health staffer on the House Ways and Means Committee. Read Politico’s article.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is announcing the temporary suspension of provisions in certain bulletins and other non-regulatory guidance documents. The temporary suspension of the specified provisions in these bulletins and other non-regulatory guidance documents is intended to support the health and safety efforts of the agencies and facilities by affording them the flexibility needed to focus on patient care in the most effective way possible. The suspension supports the continued and uninterrupted delivery of behavioral health services in the face of the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspensions will remain in place while the Governor’s Disaster Proclamation remains in effect or such other time as the Department of Human Services or OMHSAS directs.

This document outlines the various provisions being suspended, scope of the suspensions, and any binding conditions for the suspensions. Highlights of the suspensions are noted below:

  • Suspension of requirements for face-to-face contacts with beneficiaries if it is clinically appropriate to utilize telehealth/telephone to provide those Services.
  • Suspension of training and certification requirements for staff for certain Services.
  • Suspension of timeframes for assessments, treatment/service plan development
  • and revisions.
  • Suspension of requirements around signatures.
  • Suspension of staff to beneficiary ratio in certain Services.
  • Suspension of fidelity assessments.

The memorandum announcing the suspension, along with a detailed list of the specified provisions suspended, can be read here. Any comments or questions regarding these suspensions should be directed to your OMHSAS Field Offices or your RCPA Policy Director.

  • Central Field Office:          717-705-8395
  • Northeast Field Office:      570-963-4335
  • Southeast Field Office:     610-313-5844
  • Southwest Field Office:    412-565-5226
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