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New Pa. Law Will Require Police to Notify State Each Time They Respond to a Drug Overdose
ODP Training Needs Survey
To better support professionals assisting individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT) want to learn more about the training needs of professionals. The data collected from this survey will be used by ODP to inform trainings to reflect the needs of provider and professional organizations throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact ODP via email.
Note: This survey is anonymous, and any contact information that you provide will be kept separate from your survey responses.
Please use this link to complete the survey. This survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Please complete by February 10, 2023.
New PA Law Decriminalizing Fentanyl Test Strips Takes Effect This Week
Act 111, which amends the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act of 1972 to no longer define fentanyl test strips as drug paraphernalia, took effect Monday. Under the new law, people in Pennsylvania who buy or carry fentanyl testing strips will no longer face potential criminal charges for possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a low-cost method of helping prevent drug overdoses and reducing harm. FTS are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in all different kinds of drugs (e.g., cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin) and drug forms (pills, powder, and injectables).
Weathering the Staffing Crisis — Guidance From RCPA Member MITC
Shared by RCPA member MITC:
Much of this content was originally published by OPEN MINDS in September 2022. In turn, this content was derived from a presentation by Dee Werline, President and Chief Executive Officer at New Vista, and Dee DeWitt, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Momentum for Health. The article matched a lot of our own thinking at MITC and thought the content deserved a wider audience.
Download Weathering the Staffing Storm.
Check out these recommendations and best practices: Guidelines for Better Recruiting and Hiring.
Email MITC to talk to a hiring specialist.
Congress Eliminates X-Waiver Requirement to Prescribe Buprenorphine to Treat OUD
With the passage and signing into law of a federal omnibus appropriations bill last week, the requirement that healthcare providers possess a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) X-waiver to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) has been eliminated. The move is intended to expand access to addiction treatment.
Named for the “x” that accompanies a narcotics prescribing license, DEA X-waivers have been required to prescribe buprenorphine, a Schedule III drug, as treatment for OUD. Applying for an X-waiver required providers to undergo additional training. The X‑waiver requirement had also limited the number of patients providers can treat. It was largely seen as a barrier preventing many practitioners from treating addiction.
Read the White House’s statement on elimination of the X-waiver.
OMHSAS Revises Peer Support Specialist Services Bulletin
FMS Stakeholder Meeting on January 6
A Financial Management Services (FMS) stakeholder meeting has been scheduled for January 6, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. During this public meeting, there be a discussion on the administration of FMS under the Community HealthChoices (CHC), OBRA Waiver, and Act 150 programs. Representatives from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) and CHC Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) will be in attendance to discuss the FMS program.
Please register using this registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
If you choose to use your phone to call in, please use the numbers below:
Dial in: (631) 992-3221
Access Code: 335417876#
Audio PIN: shown after joining the webinar
Judy Woodruff on How Her Son With Disabilities Changed Her View of Health Care
PA Family Network Workshops Announced for January 2023
PA Family Network is offering several workshops in January. The next topic of focus in Community Engagement will be Emergency Planning. January will feature three workshops on the subject, including “Emergency Preparedness,” “Snapshot of Me: Creating a One-Page Profile,” and “Planning For Community Safety.”
| Waiver Basics Part 1 | 1/4/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Waiver Basics Part 2 | 1/5/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Using LifeCourse to Plan for ISP | 1/6/2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm |
| Waiver Advanced Part 1 | 1/9/2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm |
| Waiver Advanced Part 2 | 1/9/2023 | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm |
| Community Safety | 1/11/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Community Safety (Spanish) | 1/12/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Emergency Preparedness | 1/17/2023 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm |
| Emergency Preparedness | 1/17/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Family Forum | 1/18/2023 | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
| Waiver Basics Part 1 | 1/19/2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm |
| Waiver Basics Part 2 | 1/19/2023 | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm |
| LEAD the Way to Healthy Relationships | 1/23/2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm |
| Good Life Group | 1/23/2023 | 6:30 pm |
| Snapshot of Me, Creating a One-Page Profile | 1/24/2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm |
| Snapshot of Me, Creating a One-Page Profile | 1/24/2023 | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
| Waiver Advanced Part 1 | 1/25/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Waiver Advanced Part 2 | 1/26/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Waiver Basics Part 1 – Sibs | 1/30/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Planning for Community Safety | 1/31/2023 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm |
| Planning for Community Safety | 1/31/2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
For more information and links to these workshops, visit their website or call 844-723-2645.
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