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Policy Areas

On July 11, 2024, Governor Shapiro signed a bipartisan 2024/25 budget that invests in a range of fields, from health care to public transportation to education. The details of the budget are available in the Governor’s Press Release, which highlights each field and dollar amounts signed. In particular, the budget addresses:

  • Supporting PA’s ID/A community and Direct Support Professionals (DSP);
  • Investing in gun violence prevention;
  • Increased funding for nursing homes and the Aging Our Way plan;
  • Combatting maternal mortality; and
  • Further investments in mental health.

RCPA Policy Staff will be reviewing the budget in great detail over the next few days. We plan to reach out to our members with updates and key information as more becomes available and analyzed. If you have any questions regarding the budget, please reach out to your Policy Director.

On July 8, 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $27.5 million in funding opportunities to enhance women’s behavioral health across the US. The initiatives include the $15 million Community-Based Maternal Behavioral Health Services Program, which improves access to maternal mental health and substance use treatment by strengthening community referral pathways and ensuring seamless care transitions for at-risk pregnant women. Additionally, the $12.5 million Women’s Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center will boost provider capacity to address diverse women’s behavioral health needs through training and technical assistance. SAMHSA also awarded nearly $1 million in grants to two recipients under the Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

The Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services is pleased to invite stakeholders to an informational webinar. This webinar, scheduled for Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 1:00 pm, will highlight significant sections of the proposed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) regulations prior to the public comment period. Please note that comments and questions will not be addressed as part of this webinar but may be submitted during the public comment period.

The proposed PRTF regulations will codify the minimum licensing standards and Medical Assistance (MA) participation requirements and payment conditions for PRTFs that provide medically necessary behavioral health treatment to children, youth, or young adults under 21 years of age with a behavioral health diagnosis. Questions/comments about this webinar should be submitted electronically. If you have any additional questions, please contact RCPA CCO and MH Policy Director Jim Sharp.

View the details below to join the webinar:

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Phone conference ID: 363 691 933#

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced that the quarterly Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider call on July 18, 2024, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, will focus on the Mercer Rate and Wage Study. To participate in the Zoom call, registration is required. Because this is an HCBS Provider Call, registration for the call will be limited to providers who are enrolled with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide any of these particular services to individuals. Participant-Directed Common Law Employers are also encouraged to attend.

Everyone is welcome to submit questions electronically about the HCBS Rate and Wage Study to OLTL in advance. Questions received will be read during the call as time allows, and both questions and answers will be compiled into a Q&A document that will be available afterwards.

If you have any questions about the call itself, please contact Kristi Mundis via email.

To achieve the highest tier in the Office of Developmental Program’s (ODP) new performance-based pay initiative, providers must use an EHR and an eMAR. Providers are assessed annually, and their tier determines their reimbursement rates.

Join SETWorks on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 12:00 pm ET for a group discussion, where they will demonstrate how they support all criteria and reporting metrics to meet the highest performance/payment tiers from ODP.

SETWorks in Pennsylvania:

  • Integrations with all funding sources, including ODP, OLTL, OVR and Ticket to Work
  • Generation of Pennsylvania-specific forms and reports
  • Importing authorizations directly from HCSIS
  • Handling of complex rules for residential services for billing to ODP
  • Completing and reviewing required monthly forms
  • Electronic visit verification (EVV) for personal care services is integrated with Sandata
  • Simplified process for Pennsylvania residential re-authorizations

Learn More Here

Register Today!

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-067. This announcement communicates updated guidance for the Community Participation Support (CPS) and Day Habilitation services and requirements relating to Quality Management (QM) plans. Please view the announcement, as well as the QM Data Collection Tool, for information and details.