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Policy Areas

RCPA held a golf fundraiser for the RCPA Political Action Committee (RCPA PAC) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. This successful event raised much-needed funds for our legislative activities, and we would like to thank all the generous golfers who participated and contributed.

Congratulations to our Winners!
Winning Team: Erie County Care Management, Inc.
Charlie Barber, Brian Swantak, Eric McGrath, Jay Bowes

Closest to the Pin: John Bubb, Hope Enterprises [below, left]

Longest Putt: Brad Weaver, CSG [below, right]

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In addition, we would like to thank our sponsors:

Lunch Sponsors:
Brier Dlugolecki Strategies
Novak Strategic Advisors

Beverage Cart Sponsor:
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Erie County Care Management, Inc.

Prize Sponsor:
Associated Production Services, Inc.

Hole Sponsors:
Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy
Christopher S. Lucas & Associates
Comprehensive Financial Associates & PA Pension Planners
Embolden WC Trust
Firetree, Ltd

Your support is always appreciated. We encourage anyone interested to make a personal contribution to the RCPA PAC. For your convenience, you can now make an online contribution. Thank you again for your participation and support.

Your participation in the RCPA-PAC is completely voluntary, and you may contribute as much or as little as you choose. Donations are not tax-deductible and will be used for political purposes. You may choose not to participate without fear of reprisal. You will not be favored or disadvantaged by reason of the amount of your contribution or decision not to contribute.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-047. The purpose of this communication is to announce the availability of the provider preparedness toolkit for Performance-Based Contracting. The accompanying files, Residential Provider Performance-Based Contracting Preparedness Self-Assessment and the Residential Provider Performance-Based Contracting Preparedness Plan Workbook, make up the Provider Preparedness Toolkit. This toolkit is being published as a resource for residential providers to use in order to plan for implementation of Performance-Based Contracting.

Please view the announcement and accompanying documents. RCPA also plans to follow up with members with further analysis and comments.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-046. ODP has funded short-term, online Speech and Language Pathology services through TechOWL at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University since January 2023. This announcement is a reminder of these services and provides further information on this free service. Please view the announcement for details.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

ADvancing States invites you to register for the 2024 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Conference, celebrating significant milestones this year: the 60th anniversary of ADvancing States and the 40th anniversary of the HCBS Conference. The event gathers leaders and policymakers in the field of aging and disabilities to discuss and share practices that enhance state systems delivering long-term services and supports for individuals of all ages and abilities. Scheduled from Monday, August 18, to Friday, August 22, 2024, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, the conference offers over 190 sessions, along with breakfast, lunch, and networking opportunities, including a Gala Dinner on Wednesday, August 21. Additionally, a virtual conference will be available on Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12, featuring on-demand sessions with live speaker Q&A, accessible from home at a reduced rate. For more details or to register, visit the in-person registration or virtual conference information pages.

The Juvenile Court Judges Commission (JCJC) is currently accepting nominations for the 2024 Professional and Youth Award Programs, with the awards ceremony taking place at the James E. Anderson Pennsylvania Conference on Juvenile Justice from November 6–7, 2024, at the Hilton Harrisburg. Professional awards include the Residential Program of the Year, Community-Based Program of the Year, and the Meritorious Service Award for notable service to at-risk youth and advancements in juvenile justice. Youth awards comprise the Outstanding Achievement Award and the Creative Expression Contest, which features categories like Poster, Written (essay, poem, story), and Mixed Media (dance, song, audio, video, photography), themed “The Real Story: My Battle, My Strength.” Nominations are due by July 29, 2024.

For more information or to nominate, visit the JCJC website. You can also contact Angel Stewart at 717-783-7835 or via email, or Keysla Rodriguez at 717-783-6263 or via email.

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

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.

This is a final reminder that, per ODPANN 24-041, providers must request the one-time workforce recover supplemental payment no later than May 15. Providers may put in a request by completing a brief ODP survey. As of the morning of May 6, 2024, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) received requests from 505 providers.

If your MPI is on the ODP spreadsheet, this will serve as confirmation that your agency’s request has been received. ODP will release a similar file after the deadline. Late requests will not be accepted.

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is excited to engage with stakeholders in developing a statewide child, youth, and young adult (CYYA) behavioral health emergency (crisis) community. As a first step, they have developed a brief survey to gauge interest in a symposium on this topic. They also have plans for ongoing opportunities for discussing CYYA behavioral health crisis response, identifying and highlighting promising practices within the Commonwealth and nationally, sharing training opportunities, and gathering feedback on interests and needs.

If you are interested in this topic or otherwise have feedback on Pennsylvania’s crisis continuum for CYYA and their families, please complete this short survey. The survey is available now and will be accessible through June 7, 2024, at 5:00 pm EST.

Thank you in advance for your time and dedication to Pennsylvania’s children, youth, young adults, and families. Any questions can be sent via email, or you can contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Full Diagnosis: Impact of Trauma, Physical Health, and Metabolic Health
May 22 and 23, 2024

The full conference schedule for the 2024 Pennsylvania Dual Diagnosis Conference is now available! To view the conference schedule, view the flyer or visit the Dual Diagnosis Conference website.

About the Event
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Developmental Programs and Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services invite you to participate in the statewide Dual Diagnosis Conference being held virtually next week on May 22–23, 2024. Nationally recognized speakers will provide a variety of perspectives on the impact of trauma, physical health, and metabolic health.

Registration
There is no fee to attend the virtual conference, but advance registration is required. Closed captioning and ASL will be provided during the livestreaming of the conference. Register here today!

This is an announcement that the 988/Crisis Work Group meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, has been cancelled. RCPA will reschedule the meeting in the coming months. Currently, there is no movement or update in the OMHSAS Crisis Regulations release for public comment. Additionally, at this time, OMHSAS is making structural changes in their Policy and Crisis divisions. There are legislatively very few federal or state bills suggesting substantive changes in the development of the 988 system.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO & MH Policy Director Jim Sharp.