The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Emerging Drug Trends Symposium, originally scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, has been postponed. The event will now take place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
All individuals who previously registered have been automatically re-enrolled for the new date. Those unable to attend on the new date are asked to cancel their registration in DDAP’s Training Management System to allow others to register.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced that the proposed Licensure of Crisis Intervention Services regulations will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on October 18, 2025. The package is also posted on the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) website and can be found here. OMHSAS’ proposed regulation seeks to codify minimum standards for the issuance of licenses to provide emergency behavioral health crisis intervention services (crisis intervention services) in the Commonwealth in alignment with national best practices for crisis services.
Starting October 18, 2025, and closing November 17, 2025, the public may submit written comments regarding the proposed rulemaking to the Department via email. Please be aware that all public comments must be published verbatim on the IRRC website with the name of the commenter included. OMHSAS fully supports and encourages individuals with lived experience to submit comments on the regulation, but please be sure you are comfortable with the content of your comment being made public with your name.
Comments may also be submitted to the following address:
Department of Human Services
OMHSAS – Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Program Development, Attention: Tara Pride
Commonwealth Tower, 11th Floor
303 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
RCPA will be convening a Crisis Intervention Regulatory Review Team to evaluate the proposed regulations and submit comments. If any member is interested in participating in the review group, please contact Emma Sharp.
Please share these important workshops and support groups with your networks! Register for upcoming events at PA Family Network’s website.
Good Life Group, Support Groups
Good Life Group, Support Groups
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is hosting a series of discussion boards and focus groups focused on 1-person licensed residential homes. The discussion boards will be online forums open for 48 hours, allowing participants to log in and out at their convenience throughout the two-day period. Total participation time is expected to be about 2 – 3 hours, and the forums will be semi-anonymous (participants will be identified only by first name). Focus groups will follow the discussion boards and will be scheduled at a later date.
The provider participant group has reached capacity, and no additional provider representatives are needed at this time. However, ODP continues to seek participants for the DSP, family, and self-advocate stakeholder groups. Interested individuals should submit their name, agency (if applicable), and contact information to Tim Sohosky no later than October 20, 2025. Agencies may designate representatives for more than one stakeholder group where applicable.
Stakeholder Groups & Dates
DSP Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 4 – 5, 2025
ODP is seeking DSPs who:
Family Group
Discussion Board Dates: December 11 – 12, 2025
ODP is seeking family members who have a loved one living in a 1-person licensed home and are willing to share their perspectives and experiences.
Self-Advocate Group
Focus Group (Virtual): Date TBD
ODP is seeking self-advocates who:
As Pennsylvania faces increasing challenges in funding and resources for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), RCPA member Community Services Group (CSG) is proud to announce the appointment of Denise Sechrist as its new Vice President of IDD Services, effective July 1, 2025. With over three decades of experience at CSG, she has been a steady advocate for strengthening community-based supports and expanding programs that help individuals live more independently. Her appointment reinforces CSG’s commitment to meeting the growing need for compassionate, high-quality care — despite the financial and systemic challenges providers face across Pennsylvania.
https://csgonline.org/2025/10/community-services-group-announces-new-leadership-vice-president-of-idd-services/
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has published announcement ODPANN 25-096 to notify stakeholders that ODP has published the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) received about Supports Coordination Organization Performance-Based Contracting (SCO-PBC). The FAQ resource has been developed from questions submitted during webinar summits, virtual office hours, and to the PBC Resource Account. Questions have been categorized by topic and performance measures.
The FAQ can be accessed on MyODP at the SCO Frequently Asked Questions web page.
SCOs should continue to send questions via email so ODP can ensure they are answered consistently.
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