ANCOR Webinar for Members: Unwinding of the Public Health Emergency
Court Ruling Declares PA’s School Funding System Unconstitutional
RCPA Member Woods Services to Host Employee Engagement Symposium on February 16
Join Lydia Dawson, Erin Drummond, Marco Giordano, and Toni Pergolin as they present the Employee Engagement Symposium, moderated by Tine Hansen-Turton.
Thursday, February 16, 2023
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm EST
Virtual Event
Register Here
Description:
How do you promote workplace practices and cultures that lead to satisfied employees and improved business outcomes in the health and human services sectors? How do you draw on employees’ knowledge and ideas to improve and grow services? Our panelists will address these questions and share their best strategies for successful employee engagement. This symposium is moderated by Tine Hansen-Turton, President and CEO of RCPA member Woods Services.
Thriving Through Transformation Symposia Series:
This symposium is the second in a series of four symposia that stem from key themes in the newly released book Thriving Through Transformation: A Practical Guide to Creating Organizational Change in the Social Sector by Woods Services. For more about the book and the series, see below.
Visit here to purchase a paperback copy of the book.
Visit here to download the free digital version.
Learn more about the speakers, agenda, and registration details here.
HRSA Workforce Expansion Funding Notice
DDAP Awards $9 Million to Four SCAs for Behavioral Health Crisis Stabilization
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today announced almost $9 million in grant funding awarded to four Single County Authorities (SCAs) to establish or expand crisis stabilization services for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUD). The funding is part of the more than $17 million allocated last year to DDAP by the General Assembly from Pennsylvania’s share of a total opioid settlement of $1.2 billion reached with three distributors and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
Crisis stabilization services include assessment and stabilization of acute physical and psychiatric symptoms, which may include medical management and behavioral interventions, induction on medications for opioid use disorder, level of care assessments, short-term stays, and connections to supportive services.
Grants up to $3 million each will be awarded to the following four SCAs, serving residents throughout seven counties:
- Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services;
- Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission;
- Delaware County Department of Human Services; and
- Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program.
The funding can be applied toward a range of activities, including construction and building infrastructure, staffing, and programming. DDAP’s goal in offering this funding opportunity is to provide an additional mechanism for counties to invest in infrastructure, staffing, programming, and other necessary components to establish or expand crisis stabilization services.
Eligible grantees were chosen based on information presented in their applications demonstrating their capacity to recognize and manage individuals presenting with a wide range of SUD-related symptoms, mental health disorders, and developmental disabilities.
DOJ Withdraws Three Health Care Antitrust Policy Statements
A message from the National Council of Mental Welbeing:
Shapiro Administration Seeks Provider Input in Preparation for Fentanyl Test Strip Distribution
Effective January 1, Act 111 of 2022 amended the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act of 1972 to no longer define fentanyl test strips (FTS) as drug paraphernalia in Pennsylvania, making them a legal, low-cost method to prevent drug overdoses.
The Pennsylvania Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Health, and Human Services, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency have created a survey to gauge interest in and demand for FTS as the administration works to make them available at no cost across the commonwealth. The survey contains questions on currently available trainings/materials, preferred brands, and current distribution methods and takes about five minutes to complete.
Organizations are urged to complete the survey here and to distribute the link to others.
HRSA Shares Employment and Training Opportunities
House Republican Appropriations Chair to Lead Discussion With MA MCOs on Feb. 7
House Republican Appropriations Chairman Seth Grove will lead a roundtable discussion with Medicaid (MA) Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) on February 7, 2023, at 10:00 am.
Committee Chairman Grove will be joined by House members and the following testifiers:
- Emily Katz, Executive Director of PAMCO;
- Joanne McFall, Market President of Keystone First;
- Matthew Hurford, President/CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health;
- James Schuster, Chief Medical Officer of UPMC Insurance Services Division;
- Jack Carroll, Executive Director of Cumberland-Perry Drug & Alcohol Commission;
- John Koehn, Market President of Community HealthChoices, AmeriHealth Caritas;
- Justin Davis, Plan President/CEO of PA Health & Wellness; and
- Brendan Harris, Vice President of Community HealthChoices, UPMC Health Plan.
The hearing will be held in Room 60 East Wing, Main Capitol, State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg. The hearing will also be streamed live.
Medicaid Continuous Coverage Requirement Set to Expire on April 1: Stakeholder Toolkit Available From DHS
Because of the continuous coverage requirement, states were able to use additional money from the federal government during the federal public health emergency (PHE) for health care programs like Medicaid if they kept people covered. Therefore, Pennsylvanians did not lose their Medicaid/Medical Assistance (MA) or CHIP coverage if their income changed or they did not complete a renewal during the PHE.
However, starting April 1, 2023, Pennsylvania and other states will have to start disenrolling people if households are ineligible for MA at the time of their renewal or do not complete their renewal. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) will have to return to normal renewal processing procedures for Pennsylvanians enrolled in MA and the CHIP. Renewals will be completed over 12 months. Everyone with MA or CHIP coverage will need to submit a renewal to see if they are still eligible.
In Pennsylvania, approximately 3.5 million people rely on Medicaid. Last year, it was estimated that about 500,000 of those would lose coverage when the continuous coverage requirement ended, creating access issues for individuals and exacerbating financial challenges for providers.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has created an online resource, including a stakeholder toolkit as well as a guide on how to become a helper, that provides resources for groups like providers to communicate ways for Pennsylvanians who receive MA or CHIP coverage to continue their coverage.
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