Philadelphia Has Lifted Some COVID-19 Restrictions. Here’s What to Know
Reminder: Join the RCPA Member Update Webinar — March 1, 2022
County Commissioners’ Association Calls for More Mental Health Funding in State Budget
DHS Develops Adult Protective Services Media Toolkit
The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Division of Adult Protective Services (APS) developed a media toolkit designed for facilities, mandatory reporters, and community members to assist in the awareness of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and abandonment of adults ages 18 to 59 living with a disability within the Commonwealth. Learn more about APS and use these resources to help promote APS to your clients, constituents, and network at the Adult Protective Services Media Toolkit web page.
Additionally, there are several dates (that are subject to change) where DHS will be publishing different social media posts that everyone is encouraged to share. These are available at the Adult Protective Services Media Toolkit web page on:
- Wednesday, February 9, 2022;
- Tuesday, February 15, 2022;
- Wednesday, February 23, 2022;
- Thursday, March 3, 2022;
- Monday, March 14, 2022; and
- Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Questions regarding the materials found in the APS Media Toolkit or suggestions of additional resources that might be helpful in promoting the program should be directed to the APS Division.
NatCon22 Schedule is Now Available: Be Sure to Join RCPA!
PA Workforce Coalition Hosting Two Free Workshops on Emotional Wellbeing
2022 ANCOR Annual Conference “ELEVATE” Early Bird Registration Ends February 25
PDE/DHS/OCDEL Policy Clarification on HHS Head Start Vaccine Mandate
PDE and DHS are offering the following policy clarification on the Head Start/Early Head Start vaccination mandate:
PDE and DHS are cognizant of the staffing challenges that many providers are facing. Providers are thus encouraged to work creatively to ensure that children continue to receive a free and appropriate public education during these trying times. In this regard, providers should examine whether unvaccinated individuals may continue to provide services in accordance with an allowable exemption, and, where appropriate, consider whether parental agreement to alternative delivery of services may be prudent.
OCDEL has clarified that this is to include all individuals working with Head Start enrolled children and families, including early intervention and behavioral health. OCDEL further requests that agencies work with Head Start partners to address this requirement and asks for support considerations, including; encouraging staff and contractors to become fully vaccinated; working to identify fully vaccinated EI personnel to support children in Head Start; when possible, working to provide written assurance to Head Start partners to only send fully vaccinated staff and contractors to go into classrooms; and exploring technological solutions to help support children within their Head Start classroom activities and routines.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented an Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring all staff who work with Head Start/Early Head Start (Head Start) children and families in any capacity to be vaccinated. According to HHS guidance, this includes those individuals who do not have any contact with children. The IFR also requires contractors whose activities involve contact with or providing direct services to Head Start children and families and volunteers in classrooms or working directly with Head Start children and families be vaccinated. The IFR is now understood to apply to all individuals working with Head Start children and families, including but not limited to services provided by Preschool Early Intervention, 0-3 Early Intervention, and behavioral health specialists in Head Start programs, including those provided pursuant to a memorandum of understanding or other agreement by which Head Start programs provide for or permit the provision of such services.
The Federal Office of Head Start (OHS) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the IFR through their identified monitoring processes. PDE or DHS is not responsible for monitoring programs for compliance with this mandate.
Head Start IFR and guidance do allow for exemptions for individuals who are not vaccinated. In the event individuals meet this exemption, OHS has issued guidance regarding circumstances in which unvaccinated individuals may be able to continue to work with Head Start children and their families.
The Great Resignation — RCPA Member Webinar on March 14, 2022
Wolf Budget Proposal Spurs Debate on MH Funding — Coalition for the MH Safety Net’s Letter Referenced
Capitolwire: Wolf Budget Proposal Spurs Debate on Mental Health Funding
By Robert Swift
HARRISBURG (Feb. 14) — A budget proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf is spurring a new debate about providing more state mental health services during this time of pandemic-related stress.
The governor proposes spending $36.6 million from the taxpayer-supported General Fund in Fiscal Year 2022-23 to restore much of a decade-old cut in state aid to county-run mental health programs.
He would also direct $75 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for support payments to help keep and hire new employees for qualifying home and community service providers.
A 21-member Mental Health Safety Net Coalition sent a letter Monday to lawmakers asking them to consider the proposed $36.6 million increase as a starting point in budget negotiations.
“The governor’s proposed increase will help offset the loss in purchasing power due to a decade of level funding,” wrote the coalition that includes service providers, hospitals, treatment centers and professional groups. “This money is critical to help counties get back to the effective level of resources they had 10 years ago, but it does not even begin to address all the gaps in our mental health system or surging demand for mental health services as we enter the third year of the global pandemic.”
Not only has the pandemic increased demand for services, it has also led to significant health staff shortages and increases in suicides and opioid deaths, the coalition said.
Also the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania issued a statement Monday calling on lawmakers to support Wolf’s proposal. It would restore two-thirds of a 10 percent cut to the budget line item in 2012 if enacted.
“If the funding continues to be uneven with the growing demand, counties will continue to struggle to in meeting the needs of their residents,” said CCAP President and Bradford County Commissioner Daryl Miller.
A key feature of county mental health programs is they are available to the entire community regardless of income, said Brinda Penyak, CCAP deputy executive director.
CCAP made rebuilding a “crumbling” mental health system its top priority this year. For the past six decades, counties have carried the responsibility to provide and contract for a range of community-based mental health services, including crisis intervention, treatment, education and prevention.
“We would strongly support advance planning and (mental health funding) increases that are practical and sustainable to ensure increased system availability for the long term,” said Dr. Kathy Quick, executive director of the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumer Association while voicing concern that the proposed funding hikes for this year can’t be sustained in the future.
The issue of pandemic-related mental health challenges facing the general population and students as well has been the subject of several legislative hearings during the past two years.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee held a hearing last month focusing on mental health issues facing agricultural workers. Pennsylvania has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide more resources to support mental health programs in rural areas by linking to national hotline networks and providing education and training, said state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding at that hearing.
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