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Tags Posts tagged with "Crisis Response"

Crisis Response

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced the speakers for their Children’s Crisis Intervention Forum, which will be held April 29 – 30, 2025, at the Hilton Harrisburg. The speakers will include:

  • Drew Martel, LISW, CADC, is a leading expert in crisis intervention and suicide prevention, overseeing crisis response programs at CommUnity Crisis Services.
  • Amanda Gillespie, LISW-S, is the MRSS Coordinator at Case Western Reserve University, with expertise in crisis intervention and youth mental health.
  • Heather Distin, Project Director at Case Western Reserve University, is a licensed clinical counselor with 20 years of experience in youth behavioral health and multi-system collaboration.
  • Ashley Nichols-Kaye, MS, MHP, CHCO, is the Program Manager for Human Services Quality Management and HIPAA Compliance at Venango County Human Services.
  • Dr. Rhonda Boyd is a faculty member at PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and an associate professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is also the associate director of CHOP’s Child and Adolescent Mood Program.
  • Jennifer Foxworthy, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, is the Founder and CEO of Inspirationally Speaking, LLC, and Unstoppable You Ministries, Inc., serving others as a motivational speaker, author, and coach.

From experienced insights to actionable strategies, these speakers (and more) will inspire your impact!

Date: Tuesday, April 29 – Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Location: Hilton Harrisburg (discounted accommodations available)
Parking: Discounted parking provided to conference guests
Register Today – Space is Limited!

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

From Kristen Houser, Deputy Secretary, DHS/Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services:

I am writing to request your participation to inform the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the PA Department of Human Services of the values and desired outcomes and objectives that you would like to see reflected in a crisis behavioral health response system of services.

On July 16, 2022, the new, easy to remember, three-digit phone number to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will become active. People experiencing mental health-related distress – whether that is thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress – will be able to call 9-8-8 to be connected to trained staff at a National Lifeline Crisis Call Center for immediate support and referrals to appropriate local resources, including mobile response teams or first responders such as law enforcement or EMS if needed.

We know that communities across Pennsylvania have access to very different local resources to help them during a mental health-related crisis, and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the PA Department of Human Services is about to embark on a multi-year plan to work with counties to enhance and expand the availability of mobile crisis response teams. Included in the plans for a full continuum of crisis intervention services is access to walk-in and crisis respite centers.

As a first step, we are reaching out to individuals across multiple disciplines to request input to ensure the values and desired outcomes and objectives we utilize to build these services is informed by stakeholders from across the Commonwealth.

Please take a few minutes to answer the questions within by July 8. The short survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.