The House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on June 24, 2025, regarding the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget. The hearing will begin at 10:00 am, and Secretary of HHS Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is expected to serve as witness and provide testimony on the President’s proposed budget.
The hearing is open to the public and will be livestreamed online using the link above.
OMHSAS is announcing the publication of OMHSAS-25-03 Administration of Psychotropic Medication to Individuals Over Objection in State Mental Hospitals, updating the procedures for determining when to administer psychotropic medications over objection in the State Mental Hospitals through the establishment of an additional appeals process.
OMHSAS-25-03 supersedes 99-85-10 Administration of Psychotropic Medication to Protesting Patients, meaning that 99-85-10 remains in effect, but OMHSAS-25-03 takes precedence over it.
**Importantly, 99-85-10 applies to both state mental hospitals and community providers, but OMHSAS-25-03 applies only to state mental hospitals.**
OMHSAS-25-03 and forms may be found at the links provided below:
Please submit any questions regarding this bulletin via email.
The Mental Health Safety Net Coalition is a group of stakeholders participating in a joint advocacy effort to protect and preserve our mental health service delivery system. The Coalition’s second advocacy bulletin, which was sent to the General Assembly, discusses the behavioral health workforce shortage and the challenges that they face. The full letter can be read here.
RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition meeting on Monday, June 16, 2025, from 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This meeting will serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities.
Please contact RCPA Policy Analyst Emma Sharp with any questions or if you would like to join the Coalition.
Registration is now officially open for the 2025 RCPA Conference Strive to Thrive! The conference offers inspiring keynotes and plenaries, over sixty workshops, live updates from both state and national partners, and the ability to interact with exhibitors and sponsors in our Connections Hall! View our Registration Brochure for complete details of the conference schedule, presenters, current sponsors, and a message from RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley. You can also register directly here.
All conference information is also available on the RCPA Conference website. Be sure to check the website regularly for details and updates to the schedule, registration, and sponsors/exhibitors. Our mobile app, which we are proud to share is once again being sponsored by Millin, will become available closer to the time of conference and will contain CE information, a detailed agenda, and more!
In addition to registration, there are still many opportunities available for sponsorship and exhibit booths, so don’t delay! Opportunities still available include but are not limited to coffee and refreshment breaks, our Awards Luncheon, entertainment, and meal sponsorships. If your organization is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at our conference, all information is available in our Sponsor, Exhibit, and Advertise Brochure. Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for more details.
View our sponsors and exhibitors at our Conference website!
RCPA invites all members, non-members, and systems-wide behavioral health stakeholders to participate in the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition. These meetings serve to update the group on strategy, activities, and engagement opportunities. Members can participate via Teams; information on how to join can be found below.
The Coalition will be meeting on the following dates:
All meetings will be scheduled for 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm.
The coalition will be sending out legislative advocacy bulletins to General Assembly legislators and stakeholders weekly, and we encourage members to participate in these efforts of joint advocacy in protecting and preserving our mental health service delivery system.
If you would like to join the coalition or have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp.
Join the Meeting
Meeting ID: 211 809 369 905 4
Passcode: vx7LQ2iS
Dial in by phone
+1 689-206-0441,,217672043# United States, Orlando
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 217 672 043#
Enhancing Access to Specialized Care: The Impact of the STAT Waiver Service and BH Services
Free Webinar for RCPA members
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Register Here
This session will explore the impact of the STAT (Specialized Telehealth and Assessment Team) service in Pennsylvania, focusing on its role in improving access to care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Key data will highlight how STAT connects individuals to specialists trained to meet their unique needs and its positive impacts on both individuals and Direct Support Professionals (DSP).
A discussion with Barber National Institute will showcase how they use StationMD services for STAT and Behavioral Health support. The provider will share how StationMD enhances behavioral health care for individuals with I/DD, while offering valuable support to DSPs by providing timely guidance in complex situations.
Lastly, this session will emphasize how STAT and StationMD services complement each other to improve access to care and to enhance the quality of life for individuals with I/DD.
Presenters:
Matthew Kaufman, MD, FACEP, Chief Executive Officer, StationMD
Thad Jackman, Senior Director of Residential Services, Barber National Institute
Objectives: Following this course, the learner will:
Certificates of attendance are available to RCPA members who attend this webinar; anyone interested in a certificate should contact Cathy Barrick. To apply for CEs, you will need to register for the RCPA Annual Conference Strive to Thrive and indicate you attended the webinar in your CE packet, which will be made available on the mobile app.
Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for details, or visit the RCPA Conference website for information on workshops, sponsors, exhibitors, and more!
RCPA is excited to host a membership benefits webinar on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 10:00 am, as an opportunity for members to orient themselves with all that RCPA membership includes. This is not just for new and future members. For current members, there may be benefits associated with our membership that you may not be aware of, including targeted meetings and groups that occur throughout the year.
Registration is required; please register here to attend the webinar. Items we will review include the below and much more:
Visit the RCPA member benefits web page for more information, or contact Tieanna Lloyd for benefit details.
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