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ODP Announcement 22-017 is to announce that Residential ISP Staffing training sessions are now available to Administrative Entities (AEs), Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs), and Providers of Residential Services in the Consolidated and Community Living Waivers from February through June 30, 2022. Residential ISP Staffing trainings described in ODP Announcement 21-057 have been completed, but additional training can be provided by agency professionals who have volunteered to provide training and participated in delivering training in the fall of 2021, referred to ODP Designated Trainers.
RCPA staff reviewed the Governor’s proposed budget, and while many details still need to be sorted out, RCPA can provide some high-level facts about the proposed budget from the House Democrat Appropriations Committee 2022/23 Executive Budget Proposal At–A-Glance and the Governor’s 2022/23 Executive Budget Spreadsheet. Of note, please see pages 12–13 for the Department of Human Services line items and page 6 for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
The highlights of the Governor’s proposed budget include:
Education Funding
Economy
Proposed increase to state’s minimum wage to $12 per hour effective July 1, 2022, including tipped workers, with 50 cent annual increases up to $15 per hour ($74.6 million direct revenue increase).
Protecting the Most Vulnerable
In addition to the above proposed funding, the Governor and Democratic legislative leaders support allocating the unused American Rescue Plan funds from last year’s budget to various programs, which are outlined in the Democrat’s American Rescue Plan Act — State Fiscal Recovery plan, to help Pennsylvanians rather than letting the funds be transferred to the General Fund to sit in reserve.
The above information is a high-level overview of the Governor’s budget proposal. The specific line items contained in the Governor’s 2022/23 Executive Budget Spreadsheet are the overall dollars allocated for health and human services. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has not yet released their Budget Blue Book, which breaks down these line items and provides a detailed dollar amount allocated to specific human service programs. We are being told the DHS Blue Book should be available with this specific information at the end of February or the first week of March. Once RCPA obtains the Blue Book and reviews it, we will provide members with a more detailed summary and analysis.
As a reminder, the Governor’s Proposed Budget is just that: a proposal. The General Assembly will now hold budget hearings; a complete hearing list can be found here. The General Assembly and the Governor will conduct budget negotiations after the House and Senate budget hearings conclude to hopefully finalize the Commonwealth’s 2022/23 budget by June 30. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Phillips.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is now offering “Co-Occurring Conditions: Promising Practices and Approaches.”
Co-occurring conditions are no longer the exception but the expectation, requiring treatment programs to design services that address the interrelationship among complex physical, psychiatric, and substance use conditions. This curriculum will review up-to-date principles, terminology, screening, assessment, treatment considerations, and programming guidelines, and the interactive program will engage participants through discussion and small group exercise. This six-hour virtual course is divided into two parts in DDAP’s Training Management System.
Participants of this course will:
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
1:00 pm CST | 2:00 pm EST
Complimentary 1.0 CEs — Nurses & QIDPs
Register here.
Presenter: Nanette Wrobel, RPh
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the various complications affecting many aspects of the body secondary to the diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus.
2. Identify those individuals most at risk for the development of complications of diabetes.
3. Discuss the treatment algorithm for the ongoing treatment of cardiovascular disease in the individual with diabetes.
For registration questions or more information, contact Tarrytown Expocare via email.
About Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy
Founded in 2007, Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy is the fastest growing Long Term Care cycle-fill pharmacy in America 100% dedicated to servicing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This is accomplished by a talented team of over 250 dedicated associates operating from pharmacy locations in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey. We are Licensed in over 40 states and servicing 17,000 individuals across over 500 distinct locations nationwide. For additional information contact Marc Altholz or call 512-566-3525.
As someone on the frontlines, you already know that the workforce crisis affecting Pennsylvania’s human services is worsening. Unless lawmakers act swiftly, vital supports for individuals and families will be in jeopardy. Without additional state funding for human service professionals, providers may have no choice but to cut services or eliminate programs due to this increasing shortage of workers.
State government currently has billions of federal dollars and “rainy day” funds that could increase wages to help retain workers and attract and train a new workforce. Yet, even amid this worsening crisis, the money remains unspent as the needs of our most vulnerable residents go unmet.
That’s why we’re taking action — and we hope you’ll join us.
RCPA is partnering with other associations to urge lawmakers to increase funding and support human services professionals, so individuals and families in need get the assistance and care they deserve. View our official press release.
You can help.
As always, thank you for all you do – for the support and care you provide to our most vulnerable residents. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your support.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is extending the public comment period for the renewal of the Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration titled “Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Care Youth from a Different State and SUD Demonstration” (Project Number: 11-W-003083/3). The public comment period, which was originally slated to end on Feb. 15, 2022, is now extended to March 10, 2022, so the public can see the clarifications made in the Demonstration Extension page on the DHS website. The effective dates of the current approved demonstration are Oct. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30, 2022. The extension requested will be for an additional five years through Sept. 30, 2027.