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Mental Health

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David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), will present “A Legal Primer for Mental Health Professionals,” a live webinar that is a part of the Behavioral Health Education’s (BHE) Speaker Series, on Thursday, January 30, 2025, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET. Attendees can earn 2 CE hours for $18. Register for the webinar here.

Mental health professionals often work with justice-involved individuals, yet most mental health professionals do not have any formal legal training. As a result, it can be intimidating for some mental health professionals to interact with the legal system. This talk will provide an overview of the legal terms, principles, cases, and rules most often encountered by mental health professionals who work with justice-involved individuals.

After providing an overview of the U.S. legal system, this talk will examine several relevant legal concepts, including admissibility standards for expert evidence, the legal foundation of expert testimony, fact witnesses versus expert witnesses, discovery, reliance on inadmissible evidence (e.g., hearsay), responding to subpoenas, protecting confidentiality and test security, and ethics/professionalism.

Having knowledge of the legal system and relevant laws can lead to several benefits for mental health professionals, including increased competence in (a) providing services to justice-involved individuals, (b) offering consultation to the legal system and (c) communicating with legal professionals (attorneys, judges).

Register today.

About David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic):

David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), is a professor of psychology and professor of law at Drexel University, and director of Drexel’s JD/PhD program in Law and Clinical Psychology. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, more than 50 book chapters and 12 books in his areas of interest, which include mental health law, psychopathic personality, forensic mental health assessment and diversion of justice-involved individuals. He is a former president of the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Board of Forensic Psychology. He consults with city agencies, state agencies, policymakers, correctional facilities and law enforcement. Dr. DeMatteo is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, where he provides forensic mental health assessments and consultation, and he is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has testified as an expert witness in several state and federal courts. He is chair of the Committee to Revise the American Psychological Association’s Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, and he is the editor-in-chief of Law and Human Behavior.

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The 2025 RCPA Annual Conference Striving to Thrive will be held September 9 – 12 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. The Conference Committee is seeking workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field;
  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence and use of technology in service provision;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models; and
  • Discuss organization strategies to adapt to performance-based contracting.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism.

Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 14, 2025, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically two weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 9, 2025. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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The Link Center invites you to participate in its Shared Learning Groups virtual gathering series.

Shared Learning Groups are an opportunity to dive into important topics together, sharing resources, information, and ideas to better support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), brain injuries, and other disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. These meetings will be led by members of our Steering Committee and project partners.

Please join for the next Shared Learning Group, “Navigating the Justice System.”

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), brain injuries, and other disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions often come into contact with the justice system in various ways. This session will focus on ways to prevent involvement with the justice system. We will discuss various touch points in the justice system where support can be offered, ensuring individuals get the resources and understanding they need. Additionally, we will cover how to help them successfully reintegrate into society by connecting them with community resources and support networks.

Live Captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation will be provided during all live webinars. Registration is required.

There are four sessions on the same topic for different target audiences. Please register for the session most relevant to you, or whichever best fits into your schedule.

January 21, 2025

Direct Support Professionals: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST
Register in advance for this webinar.

Clinical Professionals: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST
Register in advance for this webinar.

January 22, 2025

Families of People with Lived Experience: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST
Register in advance for this webinar.

People with Lived Experience: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST
Register in advance for this webinar.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced publication of a Request for Information (RFI) regarding family peer support services, titled Training Vendor for the Certified Family Peer Specialist. The RFI can be found here: PA – eMarketplace. Please note the due date for RFI submissions is February 5, 2025.

An RFI is published when the department wants to gain information and resources around a particular topic area; in this case, family peer support services. This RFI is to gather input from private, public, and nonprofit organizations versed in the development of mandated training for a new family peer specialist certification. This RFI is focusing on training options and opportunities for families of adults (18 years and older) and families of older adults (65 years of age and older) to better support individuals throughout the lifespan.

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Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

Announcement from RCPA Member Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: 

Fran Sheedy Bost Retires From RCPA Member Devereux/TCV Community Services

After more than five decades in the behavioral healthcare industry, Devereux / TCV Community Services Executive Director Fran Sheedy Bost will retire from her position, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

While a bittersweet decision, Sheedy Bost is excited to place greater focus on her family – including her six grandchildren.

“Instead of creating business plans, I am looking forward to helping my grandchildren with their homework, volunteering in their schools and cheering them on from the sidelines during sporting events and dance recitals,” said Sheedy Bost.

She began her career in 1973 as a direct support professional. For the last 16 years at TCV, Fran has served as an unwavering beacon of hope and staunch advocate for countless individuals and families in the Mon Valley. Through her leadership, TCV is one of Allegheny County’s most-respected nonprofit organizations providing treatment, care and services to individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges.

Sheedy Bost also gave back to her profession, serving on various RCPA committees, including the RCPA Workers Compensation Trust Board.

In 2020, Sheedy Bost began having conversations with Devereux about a possible affiliation and, on Jan. 1, 2021, she and the TCV Board took a significant leap to trust Devereux, and its people, to support her organization, while sharing her expertise in various areas, including recovery-focused behavioral health services to individuals who want to lead a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle.

“On behalf of all of us at Devereux, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Fran for her incredible dedication and leadership to TCV,” said Devereux Vice President of Operations – Children’s Services Mel Beidler, M.S. “She was critical to forming the partnership between TCV and Devereux, as well as the opening of our new location in Homestead, Pennsylvania, and I cannot thank her enough for the time and effort she has put into making this a successful partnership.” A national search is currently underway for the Devereux / TCV executive director position.

Added Sheedy Bost: “The affiliation with Devereux is now entering the third year and our combined strength will ensure that the mission of TCV will continue for the next 50 years and beyond.”

Congratulations to Sheedy Bost on her well-deserved retirement – she will be missed by us all!

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In an effort to gain a better understanding of providers’ ongoing needs and challenges in addressing third party liability (TPL) claims, RCPA is requesting that our members complete the following TPL Survey. This survey was designed to capture critical barriers so as to develop strategic pathways to ensuring access and equity.

In January 2024, Governor Shapiro announced that commercial insurers would be required to meet their obligations under Pennsylvania law to provide coverage for autism benefits by categorizing autism services as a mental health benefit. With this action, all autism services will be treated as mental health services, leading to greater mental health parity for those with autism spectrum disorders. The goal of the Shapiro Administration’s legislation is to improve much-needed access to services for individuals diagnosed with autism, a challenge that the Commonwealth has faced for decades.

As providers of mental health, autism services, and substance abuse disorders, our members treat a vast array of individuals who are insured by either commercial insurance, Medicaid insurance, or both. For those who have just Medicaid, billing is simple: providers bill the Medicaid payor, and they pay the claim. The same is true for those who have just commercial insurance if the provider is in network with the commercial insurance carrier.

Complications occur when an individual has both commercial insurance and Medicaid. Coordination of Benefits (COB) requires that the commercial insurance is billed first, and then Medicaid pays what is not covered. Services like the delivery of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) are two good examples of services that can fall into this category.

With this survey, we hope to gather information that will assist RCPA and members in addressing the barriers in insurance coverage for children, families, and individuals in Pennsylvania. We thank you for taking the time to complete the survey so that we can continue to seek solutions to access services in our communities.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp.

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Happy New Year! Now that you have turned the page to your 2025 calendars, we want to be sure that you do not miss saving the dates for the RCPA Annual Conference in 2025. We will be holding the conference earlier than we traditionally have, so we want to be sure you know the date. We will be meeting again at the Hershey Lodge, September 9 – 12, 2025! But not to worry — we will be offering the same high level of quality you have come to expect from our selection of workshops, speakers, and activities! Stay tuned to our social media and Conference website for future developments.

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Photo by Headway on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will be holding a quarterly public meeting on January 14, 2025, for anyone interested in discussing the topic of peer support services (PSS) while working in the mental health field. These meetings will provide a regularly scheduled opportunity for OMHSAS representatives to provide PSS updates and information as well as answer questions and obtain essential insight and feedback from stakeholders.

The quarterly meeting will be held on January 14, 2025, at 10:00 am – 11:00 am. The Microsoft TEAMS Meeting link for this meeting can be found below. OMHSAS will continue to send the meeting invitation to include the meeting link and an agenda in advance. This information will continue to be sent via the OMHSAS listserv.

TEAMS MEETING INFORMATION:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 223 156 162 141
Passcode: QkkY9M
Dial in by phone
+1 267-332-8737,,482893574# United States, Philadelphia
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 482 893 574#

Please reach out to RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp with any questions.

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