';
Mental Health

Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay

The 2024 PA LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment aims to enhance the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. This survey intends to identify health disparities, barriers to care, and potential strategies for improvement as well as to understand the health care experiences and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians to inform future discussions and actions. It is available in English and Spanish and will remain open until August. Participation is open to LGBTQ+ residents of Pennsylvania who are 13 years or older. The survey maintains anonymity and confidentiality. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is sponsoring the survey, which is being conducted by Bradbury Sullivan LGBT Community Center and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC).

Get ready to see both new speakers and fan favorites at the RCPA 2024 Conference this September! Attendees will be able to listen to and interact with these speakers and more in person at the Hershey Lodge September 24 – 27. With over sixty sessions, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from and engage with those pushing the boundaries in health and human services! Our lineup of speakers will include:
  • Michael Cohen: Returning to share Part 2 of his “Be a Destination Employer,” Michael will present on the latest in HR and workforce issues;
  • Inspirational speaker Craig Dietz: Born without limbs, Craig will discuss finding one’s potential despite life’s obstacles;
  • CEO Lee Yaiva: Lee will take attendees on his journey from addiction and living on a reservation to becoming CEO of the Arizona Scottsdale Recovery Center;
  • President and CEO Amy Thurston: Amy will educate audiences on human trafficking and highlight how her organization Hope Inspire Love fights against human trafficking and exploitation; and
  • Natasha Nicolai: A leader in Data and Digital Transformation, Natasha will outline how companies can implement a modern data architecture utilizing Cloud data sharing technology.
Registration information will be coming in the near future, so be sure to save the dates!

If your organization is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at our conference, you can complete our Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertisers Brochure or contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator. Spaces are filling up, so don’t delay!

We look forward to sharing more details in the near future and would like to extend a thank you to those organizations who have already pledged support for the conference! View our current sponsors and exhibitors on the RCPA Conference website!

Keep Your Providers Happy and Thriving With Going Back to In-Office Care
Monday, June 10, 2024
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST
Register Here
Join RCPA Partner Eleos Health on June 10 for a webinar focusing on recruiting and retaining staff across behavioral health in PA. Andrew Schimitt from Gaudeniza will join Eleos to share insights around how implementing Eleos has helped increase staff satisfaction. We will also show a brief demonstration of Eleos to see it live in action!

Webinar attendees will:

  • Evaluate how Eleos Health’s augmented intelligence can help to address top workforce challenges while improving care;
  • Witness Eleos live in action through a brief demonstration; and
  • Apply lessons learned from Gaudenzia to their own organization.

Register today!

Treating Facial Motion Disorders
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT;
10:00 am – 11:00 am MDT; 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT
Register

Tami Konieczny, MS, OTR/L, BCP
Speaker Bio:
Tami Konieczny is an occupational therapist, board certified in pediatrics, and a clinical supervisor for the past 25 years at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She specializes in the treatment of children with brain injury, facial motion disorders, amplified pain, burns, limb deficiency, and scar management. She has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of topics, including facial motion disorders. She co-authored a book chapter on pediatric upper extremity limb deficiency and has research publications related to facial motion disorders, amplified pain, and quality improvement.

Objectives: At the end of this session, the learner will:

  • Identify and define anatomical structures involved in facial expression;
  • Identify primary causes of facial paralysis;
  • Identify functional impairments related to facial paralysis;
  • Review standardized assessment tools used with this population;
  • Review methods of evaluation and tracking progress; and
  • Review treatment approaches.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all interested members of the rehabilitation team.

Level: Intermediate

Certificate of Attendance: Certificates of attendance are available for all attendees. No CEs are provided for this course.

Complimentary webinars are a benefit of membership in IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today.

Child Guidance Resource Centers (CGRC) is currently offering three free webinars for continuing education credits for LSWs, LCSWs, LPCs, and LMFTs. The links in the titles below are the registration links for each event.

All webinars will be presented by Kelly J. Ace, PhD, JD, and Antonia J. Cianfrani, MA, ATR-BC, LPR. Participants will receive 2 CE credits upon completion.

If you have any other questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a Final Rule to advance equity and bolster protections for people with disabilities. The final rule, Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Health and Human Service Programs or Activities, updates, modernizes, clarifies, and strengthens the implementing regulation for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance.

The historic rule provides robust civil rights protections for people with disabilities in federally funded health and human services programs, such as hospitals, health care providers participating in CHIP and Medicaid programs, state and local human or social service agencies, and nursing homes. Reflecting on over 50 years of advocacy by the disability community, it advances the promise of the Rehabilitation Act and helps to ensure that people with disabilities are not subjected to discrimination in any program or activity receiving funding from HHS. This final rule is consistent with Section 504 statutory text, congressional intent, legal precedent, and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing equity and civil rights.