Pennsylvania’s single county authorities (SCA), in collaboration with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), developed a new rate-setting package (i.e., XYZ Package) for residential providers to submit cost-based rate requests for Fiscal Year 2025/26.
The deadline to submit the rate package has been extended to Monday, March 24. This change is reflected in the package itself, which, along with a training video for how to complete the new package, is available on the PACDAA website.
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today announced an investment of more than $2 million in grant funding for five Pennsylvania organizations to help improve Pennsylvanians’ access to substance use disorder (SUD) recovery houses that are licensed through DDAP.
Funding for these grants is provided from the more than $1 billion in funding Pennsylvania continues to receive from a large national opioid settlement with three distributors and one manufacturer.
DDAP is awarding five grants of up to $500,000 each to the following community-based organizations:
The organizations are charged with leading initiatives to link individuals with opioid use disorder and any co-occurring SUD or mental health condition to DDAP-licensed recovery houses. They must also ensure these individuals have access to case management and peer support services while residing in a recovery house as well as access to financial assistance for those who are not able to pay the full cost of residing in a recovery house. In addition, all five grantees must have a plan to increase services to underserved populations and have a training plan to ensure staff are well-prepared to serve them.
Currently, there are about 400 DDAP-licensed recovery houses across the commonwealth. The purpose of the licensure program is to help empower sustained recovery for individuals with SUD by ensuring a network of safe drug and alcohol recovery houses. Individuals can find a listing of licensed recovery houses on DDAP’s website.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will host a webinar at 10:00 am on Monday, March 3, to discuss the changes to 42 CFR Part 8 and their real-world implications in treatment settings. The interactive session will feature Dr. Sarah Kawasaki and Elizabeth Ward, both from the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s Advancement in Recovery Opioid Treatment Program.
Add the meeting to your calendar.
Email DDAP to receive calendar invitations to upcoming webinars, which are held the first Monday of every month.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is hosting two upcoming Clinical Supervision Trainings (CST). These in-person trainings will build on the information provided in the online training and provide participants with the opportunity to practice their clinical supervision skills. Participants will also be provided with tools to assist in assessing and working with their supervisees.
The in-person trainings are being held at:
Trainings are from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm each day, and there is a $300 fee to attend. Registration is limited and will be processed in the order registrations are received. Those interested in the training can register on the Training Management System website. Email DDAP’s Training inbox with any questions.
The remainder of the 2025 CST dates and regions are listed below. Once locations are confirmed, they will be updated in DDAP’s Training Management System (TMS), offering a variety of in-person and virtual training to maintain your skills and fulfill requirements.
DDAP has approved additional options for completing this requirement for those unable to attend an event but in need of training to fulfill licensing regulation requirements.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced a joint initiative with Carlow and Waynesburg Universities to address the shortage of qualified addiction professionals within Pennsylvania’s behavioral health workforce.
Funded by DDAP, this pilot program will focus on the recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals by providing financial assistance for participating students’ educational expenses. At its core, this initiative is designed to strengthen the substance use disorder (SUD) workforce pipeline by financially supporting master’s-level students at Carlow and Waynesburg Universities. Through the DDAP funding, both universities will offer tuition assistance, a stipend during the students’ practicum/internship with a community-based treatment provider, and additional SUD-related training offered by DDAP for students who qualify under each university’s respective programs.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today issued Licensing Alert 08-2024 to detail the steps for SUD treatment providers to obtain a telehealth-only license from the department.
These DDAP-licensed telehealth-only providers may provide intake, evaluation, and referral, as well as outpatient or partial hospitalization services, via telehealth only without a physical plant location in Pennsylvania to individuals who are located in the commonwealth as long as the provider complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Any DDAP-licensed provider can also provide some telehealth services as an option to in-person treatment. However, only a telehealth-only provider may provide 100 percent of its treatment services via telehealth.
DDAP will not require the provider to maintain a physical location in Pennsylvania. DDAP also will grant all telehealth-only providers an exception to § 709.11(b) regarding the requirement to conduct an onsite inspection for the renewal of a license as part of licensure.
Licensing Alert 08-2024 applies only to DDAP licensure. Providers that are considering applying for a telehealth-only license should consult their public and private insurance payers to confirm whether they will meet conditions for network enrollment and payment, as DDAP cannot guarantee a DDAP-licensed telehealth-only provider funding or a contract.
The full licensing alert provides additional information, including how to apply for the license.
Contact RCPA SUD Treatment Services Policy Director Jason Snyder with any questions.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced the availability of $2.5 million in grant funding for community-based organizations and public health programs to help improve Pennsylvanians’ access to existing substance use disorder (SUD) recovery houses that are licensed through DDAP.
Funding for these grants is provided from opioid settlement funding that was appropriated to DDAP by the General Assembly, which was the result of a multistate investigation of opioid manufacturers and distributors spearheaded by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro that led to settlement agreements worth billions of dollars. That money is to be invested in opioid remediation programs and initiatives.
Read the full press release here.
Please reach out to RCPA SUD Policy Director Jason Snyder with any questions.
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced an investment of nearly $20 million for 12 Pennsylvania organizations to expand drop-in center services for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) across Pennsylvania. Funding for these grants is provided, in part, from the portion of opioid settlement funding that was appropriated to DDAP by the General Assembly for the 2023/24 fiscal year.
All awardees have at least two years of experience providing SUD prevention, intervention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery support services, drop-in center services, and/or relevant services, and have the capacity to provide drop-in center services to individuals with opioid use disorder and other SUDs. In addition, these grants are also designed to support the delivery of services to address stimulant misuse and use disorders, including cocaine and methamphetamines. DDAP is awarding 12 grants of up to $1,875,000 each for a 29-month period from February 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
Read the full press release here.
Please reach out to RCPA SUD Policy Director Jason Snyder with any questions.
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has published a survey titled “Family Members Training Needs” to hear about the training and educational needs of family members or significant others whose loved one may be struggling with drug or alcohol use, receiving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, or in recovery. DDAP is also seeking to learn more about how to improve the navigation of the SUD services system. The survey should be completed no later than January 6, 2025.
DDAP encourages both those who have someone close to them struggling with SUD and those who do not have someone close to them but who are interested in learning more about educational opportunities to complete the survey.
