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Tags Posts tagged with "behavioral health"

behavioral health

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Transforming Behavioral Health Systems Through Measurement-Based Care
April 25, 2024 at 1:00 pm EDT
Visit here to register!

Greenspace Health has announced a highly requested and anticipated educational Measurement-Based Care (MBC) panel, featuring three key leaders driving behavioral health transformation from within a leading accreditation body, across a national system, and within a managed care organization.

As MBC adoption spreads rapidly within clinics, hospitals, large organizations, health systems, and national accrediting bodies like the Joint Commission recognizing it as a foundational component of any high-quality and evidence-based behavioral health service, there is a need for industry education surrounding large-scale and system-level implementations.

Hosted by Greenspace President and Co-Founder Simon Weisz, the panel will feature Melinda Lehman, Executive Director of Behavioral Health & Human Services at the Joint Commission; world-renowned applied psychologist and leading global expert on MBC Dr. David Clark; and Dr. Sandra Berg, Senior Director of Complex Health Solutions, Behavioral Health at CareSource. The panelists will dive deep on MBC, its relationship to value-based care, and share insights to inform any implementation.

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Moving From Fear and Fantasy to Find Functionality: Leveraging AI in Behavioral Health
Wednesday, March 27
2:00 pm EST
Register Here

Are you navigating the intricate terrain of artificial intelligence (AI) and what role it plays at your behavioral health organization? Register for a virtual session guided by industry leading experts who specialize in charting this new territory as they discuss practical ways to learn and apply AI into your day-to-day or leverage it to innovate your services.

Tailored for executive leaders of behavioral health organizations, this session is your compass in understanding the dynamic AI landscape. The speakers will explore the latest regulations, practical applications, and strategies for effectively navigating fear in this evolving field. Whether you’re seeking to innovate your services or ensure compliance with changing regulations, this webinar will provide invaluable guidance.

Speakers include:

  • Tonya Long of Quantum Crow Advisory;
  • Mari Savickis of CHIME; and
  • Stacy DiStefano of RCPA Business Member Consulting for Human Services.

Register Here

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) today released recommendations from its Blueprint Workgroup, an interdisciplinary group comprised of representation from state and local governments, health care, education, service providers, managed care, and family advocates. The workgroup sought to evaluate challenges children and youth with complex, co-occurring physical and behavioral health care needs, and their families experience like accessing care and services that adapt to a youth’s changing circumstances and needs, lessening the likelihood of child welfare system involvement, reducing trauma experienced by instability, prioritizing emotional wellbeing, and supporting family- and youth-driven care and choice.

“The detailed recommendations outlined by the Blueprint Workgroup set a course that now allows DHS and partners at the local level and systems of care to begin the work necessary to see how we make change happen so children with complex needs get the care that improves their quality of life, and the family is supported as they navigate these systems,” said Dr. Val Arkoosh, Secretary of DHS. “Systems of care should uplift those we seek to help, not create confusion and consequences from lack of coordination. The Blueprint Workgroup recommendation align our focus around the children and families we must always prioritize, and I am grateful for the work to this point and moving forward that will build a better future for children and families in Pennsylvania.”

Read the full press release, including details on the Blueprint Workgroup’s priorities, here.

RCPA will continue its work on the complex care needs through our Residential Services Steering Committee and ongoing efforts for the implementation. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announces the opening of registration for the 2024 Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) Conference, themed “An Evolving Justice System: Adapting and Navigating New Directions.” The conference is scheduled for April 9 – 10, 2024, at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College. The event will convene criminal justice, behavioral health, and treatment partners for a dynamic one and a half-day gathering. Featuring a lineup of national and local experts, discussions will center on emerging issues impacting criminal justice and behavioral health systems, offering innovative strategies and collaborative solutions.

Registration and conference details are available on the 2024 CJAB Conference page on PCCD’s website. Additionally, notable sessions include a plenary by Jason Snyder, RCPA SUD Policy Director, on April 9, and a workshop on SUD confidentiality facilitated by RCPA, which will include representatives from the SUD treatment and criminal justice systems on April 10. Attendees should be aware that the discounted room rate deadline is Friday, March 8, 2024.

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Visualizing the Behavioral Health Workforce Crisis
February 22, 2024, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Register Here
Featuring Charles Klinger, Chief Operating Officer, Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural PA (BHARP)

Charles has led a collaborative data project across 24 Pennsylvania counties. It paints a picture of a devastated workforce.

Agencies provide this data, and review it with government and managed care. It is being used to support recruitment and retention efforts.

Charles and his team are working together to find solutions to the BH workforce crisis.

Charles has led the Provider Workforce Staffing (PWS) report in response to the major changes in behavioral health staffing since 2020. Over 20% of available positions remain unfilled, signaling an increased divide between available workers and population need.

This report highlights the costs of adequately filling our network in a clear and comprehensive way. Average rate of pay for a multitude of mental health jobs have been reviewed in the PWS report, from psychiatrists to housekeepers.

Most BH staffing problems arise from lack of available workers. According to Charles’ research, workers are leaving jobs, and there are no candidates available to replace them. Many jobs have consistently remained vacant.

For those from Pennsylvania, the PWS is particularly illuminating, as it focuses on state-specific needs, like the loss of workers in every level from outpatient care, to intensive behavioral health services (IBHS).

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

In response to the recent developments on the delivery of telehealth services and its intersection with Federal Medicaid payment standards outlined in the “4 walls” requirements, RCPA has widened its efforts in addressing the barriers currently in place. It has been determined that the most effective route to address this would be through legislation. The necessary changes cannot be achieved through a revised Tele-Behavioral Health Bulletin.

RCPA has been working with a bipartisan team of legislators on an updated version of Act 76 to address our limited access to psychiatric services through utilization of our advanced practice professionals. We are working with the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), our stakeholders, and the legislative committees to introduce a bill that would address both the psychiatric office time and the “4 walls” service delivery barriers.

Our members’ feedback over the last few days and during the OMHSAS telehealth forum on Monday has provided an invaluable backdrop to our efforts. RCPA is focused on working with our legislators and stakeholders to introduce this bill, and we will look to our members for support with these efforts. Additionally, we continue our daily efforts with our partners at OMHSAS, who are jointly committed to creating this viable and sustainable effort to preserve Medicaid service access to those most vulnerable in our Commonwealth.

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

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced $50 million in grants to enhance school-based health services for children, particularly focusing on mental health. The grants, made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), will provide up to $2.5 million each to 20 states through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS aims to connect millions of children to critical healthcare services, emphasizing the convenience of school-based care and its impact on children’s health and educational outcomes. The grants, supporting preventive, behavioral, and physical healthcare, hope to encourage more states to cover school-based health services and enhance existing programs. The application deadline for the grants is March 25, 2024. For further details, visit the grant’s information web page. The full press release is available on the CMS website.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is offering online trainings to enhance cultural competency for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) professionals, particularly in serving historically marginalized populations. These trainings, available through the Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals program, aim to increase awareness of cultural and language competency, biases, and clients’ cultural identities and needs. The four courses, with an estimated completion time of 4–5.5 hours, cover topics such as self-awareness, understanding clients’ cultural identities, and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and services. The training is free but requires registration.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is holding a series of virtual conversations on Monday, January 29, to discuss opportunities in modernizing tele-behavioral health services within the Commonwealth. These meetings will be held using Microsoft Teams, and time will be allotted for discussion. To facilitate discussions most efficiently, OMHSAS will hold three meetings based on stakeholder type: BH-MCO/Primary Contractor/County Mental Health Administrators, licensed service providers, and individuals who access services and their families. Please choose the most appropriate webinar for you. The licensed service providers forum will be at 11:00 am. Attendance will be taken so that feedback can be cataloged accordingly.

These conversations will drive OMHSAS closer to finding solutions to the complicated work of increasing access to behavioral health services that are utilizing tele-behavioral health platforms and ensuring service recipients have a choice. This first conversation will focus on psychiatric outpatient clinic services and telehealth.

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Visit here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 290 432 891 13
Passcode: 6nz9cp
Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
+1 267-332-8737,,985858579#   United States, Philadelphia
Phone Conference ID: 985 858 579#

OMHSAS looks forward to you joining this critical conversation. If you have questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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