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Policy Areas

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Join RCPA for a Membership Benefits webinar on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at 1:00 pm in order to orient yourself with all that an RCPA membership entails. This webinar will review the benefits that come with RCPA membership, including many that you may not be aware of. Those considering membership are also invited to become acquainted with the benefits.

Register here to attend this webinar. Items we will review include the below and much more:

  • Virtually meet the dedicated RCPA Policy Staff and RCPA lobbyists;
  • Discuss the 2023 Legislative and Administrative priorities;
  • Assess RCPA divisional committee and subcommittee meetings and what they offer;
  • Understand the additional standing RCPA committees and ad hoc meetings;
  • Discuss the RCPA member-only website;
  • Review exclusive yearly education and networking events; and
  • Evaluate other National Association memberships included with RCPA membership.

Visit the RCPA member benefits page or contact Tieanna Lloyd for more information. We look forward to your participation in this webinar.

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Register Today for the Pennsylvania Technology Innovation Luncheon
Thursday, January 12, 2023
11:00 am – 2:00 pm ET
777 E Park Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17111

Eleos Health invites all RCPA behavioral health provider members to participate in this informational, in-person session.

Let’s give frontline providers more: 

Eleos Health’s motto is more care, less ops. Our proprietary technology digitizes behavioral health conversations, tracks evidence-based care and reduces documentation work for providers by over 50%. We’re dedicated to giving providers the ability to focus more of their time on what they do best – caring for their clients.

During this luncheon, you’ll join a select group of Pennsylvania behavioral health leaders to discuss how innovative technology can help solve top workforce challenges and improve care.

Speakers will include Susan Blue, CEO & President of Community Services Group (CSG), Josh Cantwell, COO of GRAND Mental Health in Oklahoma, and Andrew Schmitt, LCSW, Director of Outpatient Services of Gaudenzia, Inc., who will share how they approach technology decisions and why they chose Eleos as a valued partner.

GRAND’s efforts to tech-enable their providers were recently featured by the Philadelphia Citizen in the article “Ideas We Should Steal: A Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Care.”

We’d love to have you join the conversation at this special event!

Attendees can expect to:

  • Discuss augmented intelligence technologies in behavioral health;
  • Identify new opportunities to address workforce challenges while also improving the client experience and care quality; and
  • Explore how Eleos Health CareOps Automation reduces admin work by 50%+.

Register here to participate.

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The agenda for the January 4, 2023, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting has been released. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 am – 1:00 pm and will take place in person in the PA Department of Education Building’s Honors Suite, 1st Floor, at 333 Market St. in Harrisburg as well as via webinar. The link to register for the webinar is here, and the dial-in number is (415) 930-5321, with access code 440793029#.

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

As the holiday season approaches, remember to protect yourself and others by staying up-to-date with your COVID-19 and flu vaccines. You may be eligible to receive your flu vaccine at the same time as a recommended COVID-19 vaccine. Your healthcare practitioner or pharmacist can help you decide if you should receive both vaccines at the same time.

Flu Vaccine

CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every flu season, with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious complications from influenza. A full listing of people at Higher Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications is available.

COVID-19 Vaccine

CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:

  • Their final primary series dose; or
  • An original (monovalent) booster.

People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster.

Staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination is important for maximum protection. You are up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.

You are still up-to-date if you receive all COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended for you and then become ill with COVID-19. You do not need to be immediately revaccinated or receive an additional booster.

Updated (bivalent) boosters became available on:

  • September 2, 2022, for people 12 years of age and older; and
  • October 12, 2022, for people aged 5–11.

Your healthcare practitioner, including your pharmacist, can help you determine if you are up to date with your vaccines.

Additional Resources

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The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) has reported that currently there is an ongoing measles outbreak in Columbus, Ohio. The first case was identified October 22, 2022, and as of December 20, there are over 80 confirmed cases. There is concern that there will be cases spreading into neighboring states, including Pennsylvania.

The measles outbreak in Ohio, combined with the predicted seasonal increase in internationally-imported measles cases, is of special concern. In the United States, most cases of measles occur in people who have travelled abroad and import measles into the United States. Typically, the number of these cases increases from midwinter through spring.

Read the Health Alert to learn more.

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The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) host a quarterly Statewide Positive Approaches & Practices Meeting. This meeting aims to provide the most recent research and resources for people with mental health and behavioral challenges, intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities to live an everyday life.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. The topic is employment. See the flyer for details.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) has approved RCPA’s request to review the RCPA IBHS Regulatory Review Recommendations within the context of the current IBHS regulations.

The premise of the recommendations addresses the challenges and barriers IBHS providers have faced in creating the staffing infrastructures and meeting the burdensome operational protocols for regulatory compliance. The overreaching nature of the regulations, coupled with the impact of the pandemic, has caused great strain on an already depleted behavioral health workforce. These system stressors limit the ability to provide vital, quality services to children and families. Due to the prohibition for the use of waiting lists, it is difficult to capture the true number of children and families going without these essential services. We contend there are thousands of children across the Commonwealth with unmet treatment needs and written orders for IBHS services who await care.

The current lack of access to care is a result of the workforce crisis and operational requirements of implementing the regulations. We feel these access issues and children waiting for services are compelling reasons, in the interest of the public, to merit a review of the regulations. We have also provided these recommendations to OMHSAS, the HealthChoices BHMCOs, and leadership in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

RCPA extends its gratitude to our members and those who have supported this process as well as the IRRC for their review. There is no current timeframe for the review, as there are many other, similar regulatory review requests on the docket. With that said, we remain vigilant in our efforts and seek partnership and collaboration with all stakeholders to address the current crisis.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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