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Mental Health

The 2022 RCPA Conference Together! is looking to be packed full of exciting and thought-provoking workshopsGathering in person at the Hershey Lodge October 11 – 14, 2022, presenters from across the state will be discussing everything from telehealth to the workforce crisis to COVID-19 and beyond. Our full brochure is available, and some of our upcoming workshops include:

  • Building a Strong School-Based Outpatient Therapy Program: Providing Quality Services and Enhancing Community Partnerships
    • Presented by Amanda Katchur of Community Services Group
  • ATLAS: A Tool for Connecting Your Community to Evidence-Based, High-Quality Addiction Treatment
    • Presented by Angad Buttar of Shatterproof and Kim Coleman of DDAP
  • Expert Panel on Recruiting and Retaining Behavioral Health Staff During Challenging Times
    • Presented by Christine Axford of Berks Counseling Center, Rosa Davis of POWER, Cassie Dundon of Achievement Center of LECOM Health, Amy Herschell of Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Elissa Nulton of Peer Star, and Kate Pompa of Wesley Family Services
  • Provider and Member Centric VBP Development in IBHS – A Success Story That Benefits All Parties
    • Presented by Debra Luther of Beacon Health Options of PA, Steven Herr of Advanced Metrics, and Kim Bowser-Murtha of Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration
  • Programs That Promote Change for Sexually Problematic Behaviors
    • Presented by Jack Berkenstock Jr. of The Bodhana Group
  • Identifying and Addressing Health Disparities Related to Tobacco Use Among Individuals With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
    • Presented by William Stauffer of the PA Recovery Organizations – Alliance and Tony Klein of PA Statewide Tobacco Free Recovery Initiative

Be sure to register now to see these workshops in person and earn continuing education credits! Note that sessions will be recorded to allow registered participants to take advantage of sessions after the event.

In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!

Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.

On August 22, 2022, the Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the availability of Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan (STP) for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Rule for a 30-day public comment period. The announcement contained plans for DHS to record a presentation providing a general overview of the HCBS Rule and Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan to prepare stakeholders for public comment. The recording of this presentation is now available on the Home and Community-Based Services Statewide Transition Plan web page.

Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan and information about how to provide public comment, including during webinars specific to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Office of Developmental Programs, and Office of Long-Term Living, are also available on the HCBS STP web page.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022
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 PD

Devi Miron Murphy, PhD
Shari L. Wade, PhD

Speaker Bios:
Devi Miron Murphy, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of Training, Clinical Psychology at the Tulane School of Medicine. Dr. Murphy’s clinical interests are psychotherapy and psychological assessment with youth and families. Specifically, her clinical activities include the assessment and treatment of young children and their families who have experienced trauma, such as abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence, and medical injuries. She is also interested in the evaluation and treatment of attachment disruptions. Dr. Murphy’s research interests include investigating long-term social, emotional, and cognitive outcomes in children who have had traumatic experiences and promoting sensitive caregiving for young children in foster care. Through her research and training endeavors, Dr. Murphy contributes to the development and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for traumatized youth.

Dr. Shari Wade is a tenured professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Director of Research in the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is a highly experienced rehabilitation psychologist who has conducted federally-funded research examining outcomes of traumatic brain injury and factors that influence outcomes since 1991. This research has been widely cited (h-index = 65 and i10-index = 189) and shaped how the field understands the role of social environmental factors on recovery and the effects of TBI on child and family functioning over time. For the past 20+ years, she has conducted single site and multicenter randomized clinical trials of interventions to reduce morbidity following pediatric TBI, including some of the first Class 1 clinical trials. She pioneered the development and testing of technology-based interventions to reduce behavioral and family consequences of pediatric TBI, beginning with an R21 award from NICHD in 2001. She is currently conducting a multi-site RCT examining the efficacy of a brief, online intervention to reduce post-traumatic stress following medical trauma.

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

  • Define and list key principles of trauma-informed care;
  • Identify 3 indicators of post-traumatic stress;
  • Define secondary traumatic stress;
  • Identify a brief screening tool for Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS); and
  • Describe key components of brief trauma-informed interventions for PTSS following traumatic injury.

Audience: This webinar is intended for all members of the rehabilitation team, including medical staff, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, licensed psychologists, mental health professionals, and other interested professionals.

Level: Intermediate

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

Registration: Registration is complimentary for members of IPRC/RCPA. Registration fee for non-members is $179. Not a member yet? Consider joining today. Multiple registrations per organization are permitted.

REGISTER

Registration for the RCPA Conference 2022 Together! is now open! Together! will be held October 11 – 14, 2022, at the Hershey Lodge in person this year. Be sure to register soon, as early bird rate is available now until September 9, 2022.

We are excited for the lineup of speakers who will be presenting at this year’s conference, as there will be pertinent information available and discussed for all service areas. Workshop sessions include:

  • Northwest Pennsylvania Veteran Suicide Prevention Program
    • Presented by Greg Griffith of University of Pittsburgh PERU as well as Mandy Fauble and Stacey Buettner of UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor
  • Evaluating the Use of a Digital Therapeutic to Improve Client Engagement and Access to Post-Discharge Outcomes
    • Presented by Jennifer Irvin and Winnie Nagle of Pyramid Healthcare, Inc.
  • Father Engagement Through the Eyes of the Child
    • Presented by George Fleming and Misty Woody of Allegheny Family Network
  • You Have All the Data — Now What? How to Leverage Data to Demonstrate Quality
    • Presented by Rayni McMahon of Consulting for Human Services, LLC.
  • Technology Solutions to Elevate the Level of Independence for Individuals With Disabilities
    • Presented by Shaleea Shields of LumiCare
  • Possibilities of Play — Board Games for Skill Building
    • Presented by Jack Berkenstock Jr. of The Bodhana Group
  • How Supportive Care Services Addressing Social Determinants of Health Impact Quality of Life
    • Presented by Mia Haney and Phil Wilkins of Modivcare

Be sure to check out the entire list of sessions in our brochure, and note that sessions will be recorded to allow participants to take advantage of sessions after the event.

In addition to an amazing roster of speakers, our 2022 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have committed to our conference thus far! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting, visit here for more details.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to our Connections Hall sponsor Beacon Health Options as well as our Welcome Reception sponsor UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Thank you for your support!

Questions about the conference may be directed to Carol Ferenz or Sarah Eyster, Conference Coordinators.

Thursday, September 8, 2022
Start time: 9:00 am
End time: 1:30 pm

This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. The public is invited to call in to this meeting using the following information:

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Sept 8, 2022, 09:00 am Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: PA State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation Quarterly Meeting
Use this link to join the webinar:
Passcode: 528240

Or One Tap Mobile:
US: +19292056099,,88584838897#,,,,*528240# or +13017158592,,88584838897#,,,,*528240#

Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1-929-205-6099 or +1-301-715-8592 or +1-312-626-6799 or +1-646-931-3860 or +1-669-900-6833 or +1-253-215-8782 or +1-346-248-7799 or +1-386-347-5053 or +1-564-217-2000 or +1-669-444-9171
Webinar ID: 885 8483 8897
Passcode: 528240

The agenda for this meeting is below. Anyone who would like to make public comments prior to the meeting may submit their comments via email.


PENNSYLVANIA STATE BOARD OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

Zoom Virtual Meeting
September 8, 2022
MISSION STATEMENT: To assist Pennsylvanians with disabilities to secure and maintain employment and independence.

PUBLIC AGENDA

9:00 am – 9:20 am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
, Jennifer Berrier, Secretary, Labor & Industry

  • Roll Call of Board Members
  • ACTION: Approval of Agenda
  • ACTION: Approval of Minutes, March 3, 2022

9:20 am – 9:30 am
Discussion on 2023 State Board Meeting Dates & Locations
, Jennifer Berrier

  • *NOTE: Public Comment will be taken prior to any official board action.
  • ACTION: Approval of 2023 Meeting Dates & Locations

9:30 am – 10:00 am
Executive Director’s Remarks, Ryan Hyde, Acting Executive Director, OVR

10:00 am – 10:30 am
State Board Task Force Committee Update,
Michael Kiel, Board Member

10:30 am – 10:45 am

  • BREAK
  • OVR BUREAU DIRECTOR REPORTS

10:45 am – 11:45 am
Hiram G. Andrews Center
, Jill Moriconi, Director
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Marci Katona, Acting Director
Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, Dawn Sokol, Acting Director
Bureau of Central Operations, Ryan Hyde, Director

  • STAKEHOLDER REPORTS

11:45 am – 12:25 pm
Statewide Independent Living Council
, Matthew Seeley, Executive Director
PA Rehabilitation Council, Paul Fogle, Chair
Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Melissa Hawkins, Director
Client Assistance Program, Steve Pennington, Director

  • TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION & ACTION ITEMS

12:25 pm – 1:00 pm
Report on Summer Internships,
Doug Rand, Business Services Outreach Division Chief

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm

  • PUBLIC COMMENT

1:30 pm

  • ADJOURNMENT

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