The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is announcing the “Statewide Positive Approaches & Practices” meeting.
Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022
Time: 9:00 am—3:00 pm
Topic: Embracing Behavioral Supports and Meaningful Applications
Please review the attached flyer for detailed session and registration information.
The Senate Appropriations Committee will meet for a budget hearing with the Department of Human Services (DHS) at 10:00 am on Tuesday, March 8. The budget hearing will be livestreamed. Then, at 10:00 am Wednesday, March 9, the House Appropriations Committee will hold its hearing with DHS. That hearing will also be livestreamed.
DHS is budgeting more than $6 billion in capitation to pay for behavioral health services in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/2023. Based on the current fiscal year’s spending, approximately 22 percent, or $1.6 billion, is budgeted to be spent for drug and alcohol, including administration fees paid to behavioral health managed care organizations, according to DHS. The $6 billion is an increase of 11 percent over the $5.4 billion budgeted for FY 2022.
The details of the budget are available in DHS’ 2022/2023 Executive Budget.
The $6 billion behavioral health budget (p. 105 of 399 in the Executive Budget) is comprised of:
The FY 2022/2023 budget also includes $57 million in state dollars for the Behavioral Health Services Initiative (BHSI). BHSI includes state funds to provide treatment services to Pennsylvanians who are uninsured, do not have insurance that covers the service they need, or cannot obtain Medical Assistance benefits. Single County Authorities distribute those dollars per the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol’s Fiscal Manual, according to DHS.
The DHS Executive Budget also breaks out an $80 million line item in both FY 2021/2022 and FY 2022/2023 for the American Society of Addiction Medicine transition (See p. 101 of 399). This $80 million, $16 million of which is state dollars, is included in $6 billion behavioral health capitation budget.
RCPA will continue to update the membership on the budget as it moves toward passage in the coming months.
Today in a meeting with RCPA, Deputy Secretary Ahrens confirmed that even though the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) budget Blue Book indicates that Prudent Pay would be reinstated in Fiscal Year 2022/23, a decision has been made to continue the suspension. We anticipate a formal notification will be forthcoming. While we are grateful for the suspension for an additional year, RCPA will continue working with the legislature for a permanent solution.
The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Division of Adult Protective Services (APS) developed a media toolkit designed for facilities, mandatory reporters, and community members to assist in the awareness of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and abandonment of adults ages 18 to 59 living with a disability within the Commonwealth. Learn more about APS and use these resources to help promote APS to your clients, constituents, and network at the Adult Protective Services Media Toolkit web page.
Additionally, there are several dates (that are subject to change) where DHS will be publishing different social media posts that everyone is encouraged to share. These are available at the Adult Protective Services Media Toolkit web page on:
Questions regarding the materials found in the APS Media Toolkit or suggestions of additional resources that might be helpful in promoting the program should be directed to the APS Division.
PDE and DHS are offering the following policy clarification on the Head Start/Early Head Start vaccination mandate:
PDE and DHS are cognizant of the staffing challenges that many providers are facing. Providers are thus encouraged to work creatively to ensure that children continue to receive a free and appropriate public education during these trying times. In this regard, providers should examine whether unvaccinated individuals may continue to provide services in accordance with an allowable exemption, and, where appropriate, consider whether parental agreement to alternative delivery of services may be prudent.
OCDEL has clarified that this is to include all individuals working with Head Start enrolled children and families, including early intervention and behavioral health. OCDEL further requests that agencies work with Head Start partners to address this requirement and asks for support considerations, including; encouraging staff and contractors to become fully vaccinated; working to identify fully vaccinated EI personnel to support children in Head Start; when possible, working to provide written assurance to Head Start partners to only send fully vaccinated staff and contractors to go into classrooms; and exploring technological solutions to help support children within their Head Start classroom activities and routines.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented an Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring all staff who work with Head Start/Early Head Start (Head Start) children and families in any capacity to be vaccinated. According to HHS guidance, this includes those individuals who do not have any contact with children. The IFR also requires contractors whose activities involve contact with or providing direct services to Head Start children and families and volunteers in classrooms or working directly with Head Start children and families be vaccinated. The IFR is now understood to apply to all individuals working with Head Start children and families, including but not limited to services provided by Preschool Early Intervention, 0-3 Early Intervention, and behavioral health specialists in Head Start programs, including those provided pursuant to a memorandum of understanding or other agreement by which Head Start programs provide for or permit the provision of such services.
The Federal Office of Head Start (OHS) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the IFR through their identified monitoring processes. PDE or DHS is not responsible for monitoring programs for compliance with this mandate.
Head Start IFR and guidance do allow for exemptions for individuals who are not vaccinated. In the event individuals meet this exemption, OHS has issued guidance regarding circumstances in which unvaccinated individuals may be able to continue to work with Head Start children and their families.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is extending the public comment period for the renewal of the Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration titled “Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Care Youth from a Different State and SUD Demonstration” (Project Number: 11-W-003083/3). The public comment period, which was originally slated to end on Feb. 15, 2022, is now extended to March 10, 2022, so the public can see the clarifications made in the Demonstration Extension page on the DHS website. The effective dates of the current approved demonstration are Oct. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30, 2022. The extension requested will be for an additional five years through Sept. 30, 2027.
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