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Tags Posts tagged with "behavioral health"

behavioral health

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Hands touching in a circle
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

As RCPA continues to serve our members’ needs across the behavioral health service continuum, we will be convening an Adult Mental Health Residential Work Group. This committee will be structured and function in a similar manner to our other work groups, with the goal being to address the outlying barriers providers face within the residential services arena.

RCPA is at its best with committed partnership and collaboration; therefore, the committee will be open to all RCPA members. We will tentatively have our first meeting in late April or early May, after we develop our participant list. The early work will include the development of a strategic agenda that begins to address the challenges related to regulations, workforce, program sustainability, and operations.

If you are interested in participating, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp via email.

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RCPA Partner Clinically AI announced on Wednesday, March 11, that it was inducting RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley into its Behavioral Health Hall of Fame. Richard has been recognized for his career in advocating for those in health and human services, and during a discussion with Clinically AI on their podcast “The Tea in Behavioral Health,” Richard discussed both his history and how he got started as well as the current major trends in behavioral healthcare.

You can listen to the podcast here as well as read the newsletter detailing Richard’s achievements. As Clinically AI notes:

Richard Edley built RCPA from a quiet association into a 420-organization powerhouse that fights for behavioral health at every level of government. His induction into the Behavioral Health Hall of Fame recognizes decades of advocacy that has shaped policy, protected funding, and made sure behavioral health always has a seat at the table.

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Message from the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS):

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is issuing the bulletin OMHSAS-25-05 “Behavioral Health Clinic Services Provided Outside of the Clinic,” effective November 12, 2025, following changes to Federal Regulation 42 CFR 440.90(d).

OMHSAS 25-05 announces an amendment to Pennsylvania’s Medicaid State Plan which allows all behavioral health clinics that are enrolled in the Medical Assistance (MA) Program, who deliver services through the fee-for-service and managed care systems, to provide clinically appropriate services outside of the clinic. Behavioral health clinics include psychiatric outpatient clinics, outpatient drug and alcohol clinics, and methadone maintenance clinics.

Furthermore, OMHSAS-25-05 also announces the abrogation of 55 Pa Code §§ 1153.14(6) (relating to noncovered services) and 55 Pa. Code 1223.14(11) (relating to noncovered services) by Act 46 of 2025.

The guidance in OMHSAS-25-05 is separate from any “telehealth only” licensure and guidance that may be in place. The changes discussed in this bulletin also do not apply to the existing Mobile Mental Health Telehealth (MMHT) services.

Questions and comments can be directed to OMHSAS via email. RCPA members can also contact RCPA COO and MH Policy Director Jim Sharp with any questions.

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Governor Josh Shapiro and members of the General Assembly have agreed to a $50.1 billion budget for the 2025/26 Fiscal Year. This is $2.3 billion more than last year’s budget but less than the Governor’s $51.5 billion proposed budget. The budget includes a $105 million increase in basic education, $665 million for highway improvements, and $1 billion for highway maintenance.

For Human Services, the General Budget bill includes the following increases from 2024/25 to the 2025/26 budget:

  • Medical Assistance – Capitation: +3.5%
  • Medical Assistance – Fee For Service: +.4%
  • Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities: +12.3%
  • Medical Assistance – Transportation: +5.9%
  • Medical Assistance – Long-Term Living: +4.7%
  • Medical Assistance – Community Health Choices: +10.7%
  • Long-Term Managed Care: +6.8%
  • Intellectual Disabilities – Community Base Program: +4.4%
  • Intellectual Disabilities – Intermediate Care Facilities: +2.9%
  • Intellectual Disabilities – Community Waiver Program: +6.1%
  • Autism Intervention Services: +12.9%
  • Early Intervention: 7.1%

The following lines have been flatlined or cut between the 2024/25 and 2025/26 budgets:

  • Behavioral Health Services: 0.0%
  • Mental Health Services: -1.9%
  • Intellectual Disabilities State Centers: -5.2%

Please find the entire 2025/26 Budget spreadsheets here.

Additionally, in other Code bills, $20 million was appropriated for county-based mental health funding, and the Four Walls payment issue was resolved in the human services code bill by abrogating 1153.15(6) and 1223.14(11) from 55 Pa. Code.

RCPA will continue to update members as more information from the budget is available. We will discuss the budget in detail during the Government Affairs meeting next Thursday, November 20, 2025. You can register for the meeting here.

Contact Jack Phillips with any questions.

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Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Drexel University’s Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education has announced its 33rd Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference to held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, December 10–11, 2025. The conference theme is “Contemporary Issues Impacting Forensic Services.” The conference will feature live and pre-recorded presentations addressing a wide variety of forensic topics pertinent to behavioral health. The virtual format allows participants to earn additional continuing education credits by accessing session recordings after the conference. More information is available online or by downloading the conference flyer.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced that the proposed Licensure of Crisis Intervention Services regulations will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on October 18, 2025. The package is also posted on the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) website and can be found here. OMHSAS’ proposed regulation seeks to codify minimum standards for the issuance of licenses to provide emergency behavioral health crisis intervention services (crisis intervention services) in the Commonwealth in alignment with national best practices for crisis services.

Starting October 18, 2025, and closing November 17, 2025, the public may submit written comments regarding the proposed rulemaking to the Department via email. Please be aware that all public comments must be published verbatim on the IRRC website with the name of the commenter included. OMHSAS fully supports and encourages individuals with lived experience to submit comments on the regulation, but please be sure you are comfortable with the content of your comment being made public with your name.

Comments may also be submitted to the following address:

Department of Human Services
OMHSAS – Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Program Development, Attention: Tara Pride
Commonwealth Tower, 11th Floor
303 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105

RCPA will be convening a Crisis Intervention Regulatory Review Team to evaluate the proposed regulations and submit comments. If any member is interested in participating in the review group, please contact Emma Sharp.

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