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Mental Health

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Former Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Jennifer Smith has been named Deputy Secretary for the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). As DDAP Secretary, Smith led DDAP’s efforts to fulfill its mission of engaging and coordinating the commonwealth’s efforts to prevent and reduce substance use disorder and problem gambling and to promote recovery. Smith was integral in the formation and implementation of Pennsylvania’s first licensure program for recovery houses as well as leading Pennsylvania’s treatment system transition away from the Pennsylvania Client Placement Criteria to ASAM Criteria.

Dr. Dale Adair, who has served as Acting Deputy Secretary for OMHSAS, will continue to serve as the Chief Psychiatric Officer for OMHSAS.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released the Unified Regulatory Agenda and Regulatory Plan, which outlines regulatory actions federal agencies are considering in the coming months. Regulations can be searched by specific agency, such as Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is making available $4 million in grant funding for organizations to establish or expand substance use disorder (SUD) services, community outreach and education to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

In 2020, overdose death rates increased 39 percent for black Pennsylvanians, compared to 2019. In 2021, black Pennsylvanians died from an overdose at a rate that was nearly two times higher than white Pennsylvanians.

Grants up to $400,000 each will be awarded for a 12-month period beginning July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Funds can be applied toward a range of activities, including construction and building infrastructure, staffing, and evidence-based programming.

Eligible applicants include organizations that provide services, outreach, and/or education to BIPOC communities in any of the following areas:

  • Harm reduction;
  • Access to low-barrier medications for opioid use disorder and SUD treatment;
  • Recovery and peer supports; and
  • Reentry supports.

Funding for these grants is provided from the opioid settlement funding that the General Assembly appropriated to DDAP.

Download the Grant Initiative Funding Application.

January 18, 2023, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm ET
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A trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that health care organizations and care teams need a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — to provide effective services with a healing orientation. Trauma-informed practices hold the potential to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes, as well as provider and staff wellness.

This webinar, cosponsored by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and the Better Care Playbook, will highlight how Denver Health, a large health system in Colorado, is implementing a trauma- and resilience-informed approach into organization-wide policy and practice, while also focusing on addressing systemic racism and biases. Panelists — including Maria Gonsalves Schimpf, MA, MT-BC, Director, Denver Health RESTORE; Kris Gaw, MBA, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Denver Health; and Ken Epstein, PhD, LCSW, Consultant, P.R.E.P. for Change Consulting — will discuss their efforts, including building staff capacity, promoting organizational culture change, and gaining leadership buy in.

Denver Health is a participant in Advancing Integrated Models, a national initiative led by CHCS and made possible through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs issued Information Bulletin 04-22 today. The purpose of the bulletin is to make Single County Authorities, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers, and other SUD-related organizations aware that they may be asked to serve on a death review team and that they may be asked to provide records as part of a death review team’s duties pursuant to Act 101 of 2022.

Read Information Bulletin 04-22.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Vision, Strategy and Culture of Innovation: A Symposium for the Health and Human Services Sector
Thursday, January 12, 2023
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm EST
Virtual Event
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Please join RCPA member Woods Services for a 90-minute virtual panel on the topic of Vision, Strategy, and Cultivating a Culture of Innovation in the health and human services arena. Moderated by Tine Hansen-Turton, President and CEO of Woods Services, a dynamic panel comprised of national and regional experts will be covering trends and data relevant to the field and this topic. How do these experts carry out their vision for their organization? What is their best thinking on developing and executing vision and strategy for their organization? And what does it mean to an organization to establish a culture of innovation? Join us to learn what it takes to succeed from the best in the field.

Thriving Through Transformation Symposia Series

This symposium is part of a bigger symposia series offered through the Social Innovations Partners online platform that will highlight key themes in Woods’ book, Thriving Through Transformation, A Practical Guide to Creating Organizational Change in the Social Sector. These themes are relevant to all in the health and human services and social sectors. Developing and driving a clear and consistent vision for change and creating and executing meaningful strategic and tactical plans were the foundation for the transformation Woods experienced as described in the book, while establishing a culture of innovation has ensured that we remain a dynamic leader in the field.

Learn more about the speakers, agenda, and registration details here.