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Mental Health

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The draft of the 2018–2019 Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (CMHSBG) is now available for comment. This application was developed with stakeholder input from the Mental Health Planning Council; view/download the application here.

The application provides a review of the current strengths and needs in the Pennsylvania Mental Health System and plans priority areas for improvement.

Any comments or questions regarding the 2018–2019 CMHSBG may be directed to Wendy Tucker via email or phone at 717-705-8280. The comment period will close August 31.

In the interest of time, please feel free to submit comments to Wendy Tucker directly; however, we would be very interested in your input into the draft. Please copy Sarah Eyster or Robena Spangler with your comments. Thank you for your anticipated response to this opportunity.

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The Redemption Project is offering training, at no cost, to agencies that provide services to delinquent youth. Aggression Replacement Training/Character: Be About It is an evidence-based, cognitive behavioral, group intervention.

The program has four components:

  • Skillstreaming teaches youth pro-social skills;
  • Anger Control teaches self-regulation skills;
  • Moral Reasoning teaches youth the purpose for using the newly learned skills; and
  • Character: Be About It teaches youth about the 12 essential character traits that reinforce components of ART.

Agencies will be provided with a two-day clinical training, a one-day booster training, and training of agency trainers to promote sustainability of the intervention over time. All curriculum/materials will be provided. Agencies are responsible for providing a training site.

Interested agencies must submit a Letter of Interest, which must be on letterhead and have a contact person responsible for scheduling training. Please email Letters of Interest to Robert Oliver. If you have questions, please call Mr. Oliver at 814-397-6010.

Thank you to our friends at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for sharing this information with us.

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August 17, 2017
3:30 – 5:00 pm ET

Presenters:

  • Mitchell Berger, SAMHSA
  • Peggy O’Brien, IBM Watson Health
  • Colleen LaBelle, Boston University Medical Center
  • Mark Stringer, Missouri Department of Mental Health
  • Molly Carney, Evergreen Treatment Services

Register for free
The webinar will cover a forthcoming update to the 2014 SAMHSA report on Medicaid Coverage and Financing of Medications to Treat Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders and will review information on state Medicaid payment policies for medication assisted treatment (MAT).  Speakers also will present case studies of innovative MAT models. This up-to-date information about Medicaid MAT coverage will be helpful for consumers and family members, providers, health plan and Medicaid staff, policymakers and government officials.
After this webinar, participants will:

  • Understand how MAT currently is covered under Medicaid at the state level
  • Understand barriers to MAT coverage and possible actions to improve coverage
  • Be able to describe some innovative financing models

Questions? Send via email.
Disclaimer: This webinar is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views and opinions expressed and the content of the webinar are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of SAMHSA or HHS.

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For Immediate Release

Delilah Rumburg, Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, announced that she will retire after 23 years at the helm of the longest-standing anti-sexual assault coalition in the country.

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Thu, Jul 20, 2017 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT

A PA ABLE Savings Program account gives individuals with qualified disabilities (Eligible Individuals), and their families and friends, a tax-free way to save for a wide range of disability-related expenses, while maintaining government benefits. The state and federal tax-free investment options are offered to encourage Eligible Individuals and  their families to save private funds to support health, independence, and quality of life. Some of the topics that we will discuss include: eligibility requirements for opening a PA ABLE account, the federal and state tax benefits of PA ABLE, and how PA ABLE account interacts with current benefits. Register here for this free webinar.

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The Division of Children, Adolescents and Family Services has been added to the Department of Health and Human Services organizational chart under the Bureau of Prevention, Intervention, Treatment and Recovery. Previous versions of the Unification Plan and the accompanying organizational chart did not include a designated division to represent children’s mental health.

The absence of children’s mental health on the overall plan and chart was brought to the attention of the Children’s Steering Committee and the larger RCPA children’s provider members. Numerous comments in support of a children’s division were shared with RCPA leadership.

Richard Edley, RCPA President & CEO, Robena Spangler, RCPA Director of Children’s Division, and Rhea Fernandes from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health met with the Governor’s team to discuss recommendations to address the concerns. RCPA presented a number of options that were taken into consideration by the team.

We are proud to report that as of June 8, the recommendations were fully implemented and the organizational chart has now been updated to reflect the change. We believe this demonstrates that our voices are being heard and that the Governor’s office does value constructive feedback and input into the successful implementation of the unification plan.

Thank you to the Governor’s staff for their interest and response to this very important issue.

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In this year of challenging state-level budget negotiations, RCPA is working with a coalition of community foundations, United Way organizations, Labor Unions, religious and advocacy groups, and other key stakeholders in the #FamilyFirstPA Coalition. The growing list of coalition members can be viewed on the #FamilyFirstPA#FamilyFirstPA website. The main goal of the #FamilyFirstPA Campaign is to ensure that there are no cuts to human services in upcoming 2017/2018 state budget. Cuts to human services not only cause irreparable damage to Pennsylvania families, but they also have adverse impacts on organizations that our families rely on. Sharing family stories via social media was the first phase of this campaign. Now, we need your support to push our efforts to the next level. As a coalition partner, RCPA is encouraging our members to amplify the work of the coalition by making use of the social media resources created by this initiative for the coalition. Engage with #FamilyFirstPA on social media; “Like” us on Facebook and “follow us” on Twitter. The initiative is now sharing family stories from across Pennsylvania and engaging legislators through our posts and tweets. Encourage your staff, families, other organizations, county and state level stakeholders, to like and follow the campaign as well.

Any questions about the work of the #FamilyFirstPA Coalition can be directed to Connell O’Brien, who is serving as liaison between RCPA and the #FamilyFirstPA initiative.

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During the past few years, the state Medicaid program, HealthChoices, has begun to implement and expand the use of Value-Based Purchasing models in procurement contracts with all Physical Health Managed Care Organizations (PH-MCOs). With a goal of increasing clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost management, the PH-MCOs have called for increased use of such Value-Based Purchasing models as Pay for Performance, Patient Centered Medical Homes, and Bundled Payments. On May 25, the leadership of the Offices of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) conducted a webcast to review the implementation process used in HealthChoices by the PH-MCOs and their provider networks, and to introduce the process of expanding Value-Based Purchasing to the Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations and their provider networks. The OMHSAS target for introducing this expansion is January, 2018 with a focus on integrated and collaborative behavioral and physical health and care coordination.

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nc-action-alertNow that Congress has finalized the FY2017 appropriations process, it is poised to begin working on appropriations for FY2018.

Mental Health First Aid champion Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is today circulating a letter requesting continued funding for Mental Health First Aid trainings. The program that provides training to emergency first responders, law enforcement personnel, primary care personnel, Human Resources professionals, faith community leaders, veterans, teachers, and students and their parents.

take-action

 

Will you please take two minutes and urge your Senator to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter (text below) supporting Mental Health First Aid training for this important population?

Earlier this year, Representatives Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) circulated a similar letter and due, in part, to outreach by National Council advocates, 23 bipartisan legislators signed on to a letter supporting Mental Health First Aid in the House.

Today, we are asking you again to demonstrate that bipartisan, nationwide support for Mental Health First Aid and ask your Senators to sign on.
Thank you for your hard work and advocacy!

Sincerely,

Chuck Ingoglia
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Practice Improvement
National Council for Behavioral Health

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Honorable Roy Blunt                              The Honorable Patty Murray
Chairman                                                        Ranking Member
Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations                 Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations
Subcommittee                                                 Subcommittee
135 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.                    156 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510                                Washington, D.C.  20510
 
Dear Chairman Blunt and Ranking Member Murray:
 
We are writing to urge you to include the current funding level of $15 million for Mental Health First Aid and important Committee report language in the FY 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHS) appropriations bill. This important mental health training program will improve education and awareness about mental illness in our communities, giving those trained the ability to intervene and address mental health crises as they happen.
 
Mental Health First Aid is an evidenced-based education program that helps the public identify, understand, and respond to the signs of mental illness. Since FY 2014, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has funded state and local educational agencies to support the training of school personnel including classroom teachers, counselors, and principals.  Most recently, the agency has maintained the program’s youth focus, but expanded the eligible grantees to include youth-focused organizations and nonprofits, as well as community colleges.
 
Last year, as part of its One Mind Campaign, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) endorsed Mental Health First Aid as an evidence-based practice to improve law enforcement interactions involving persons with mental illnesses.  To date, nearly sixty local law enforcement agencies have adopted the IACP One Mind Campaign pledge to train and certify 100 percent of their incoming cadets, sworn patrol officers, and police dispatchers in Mental Health First Aid.
 
In view of these developments, we are proposing the inclusion of committee report language that would add public safety audiences to the Mental Health First Aid program. Particularly for law enforcement personnel, the crisis de-escalation component of the training protects the lives of both officers and citizens experiencing psychiatric crises.
 
Therefore, we ask that the Committee add this language to the FY 2018 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report:
 
Mental Health First Aid – The Committee is pleased with the progress of Mental Health First Aid including training more than 740,000 Americans to recognize the signs and symptoms of common mental disorders. In continuing competitive funding opportunities, SAMHSA is directed to include as eligible grantees local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and emergency medical units with a special emphasis on training for crisis de-escalation techniques. SAMHSA is also encouraged to prioritize training for veterans, armed services personnel, and their family members within the Mental Health First Aid program.
 
As mental illness impacts the lives of millions of Americans and their families and too many mental health disorders continue to go undiagnosed and untreated, we must make prudent investments to improve mental health awareness in our communities. That is why we urge you to support funding for Mental Health First Aid in FY 2018 and include this important report language.
 
Sincerely,
 
Richard Blumenthal
U.S. Senator

 

Questions, contact Jack Phillips.

 

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(From DHS)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2017 

Department of Human Services Hosts Mental Health Awareness Fair
Governor Tom Wolf proclaimed May Mental Health Awareness Month 

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Department of Human Services (DHS) in collaboration with PA System of Care Partnership, PA Healthy Transitions Partnership, and Youth M.O.V.E. PA, hosted the 2017 Mental Health Awareness Fair in Harrisburg to raise awareness and understanding of mental illness and substance use disorders. Governor Tom Wolf has proclaimed May Mental Health Awareness Month.

“Mental illness and substance use disorders affect Pennsylvanians from all walks of life. Only about half of those people, however, seek treatment,” said DHS Secretary Ted Dallas. “The department is committed to increasing awareness and providing quality care to these individuals so that all Pennsylvanians who need help can get it.”

Representative Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) joined the event to speak about the challenges he has seen in trying to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

“No person with mental illness should ever feel alone,” said Representative Schlossberg. “Events like these are more important than ever because we have to make sure that everyone who suffers from mental illness has the chance to obtain treatment and live healthy, productive, and happy lives.”

To help individuals gain access to treatment, DHS was recently awarded a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration grant by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. CCBHCs will enhance access to behavioral health services for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries, help individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders obtain the health care they need, allow individuals to have access to a wide array of services at one location, and remove the barriers that too often exist across physical and behavioral health systems. CCBHCs are a step closer to ending the stigma associated with mental illness.

Each mental illness has its own set of symptoms but some common signs of mental illness can include the following:

  • Excessive worrying or fear
  • Feeling excessively sad or low
  • Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
  • Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
  • Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
  • Avoiding friends and social activities
  • Difficulties in understanding or relating to other people
  • Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired or experiencing low energy
  • Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
  • Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
  • Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior, or personality
  • Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
  • Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
  • Thinking about suicide
  • Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
  • Intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance (mostly in adolescents)

For more information on how to access mental health services, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Kostelac, 717-425-7606

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