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DHS

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Please read the revised/updated memorandum regarding the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Outpatient Competency Evaluation Program (OCEP). For those who are unfamiliar with OCEP, see below for a brief summary:

“The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) administers the Outpatient Competency Evaluation Program (OCEP) for individuals who are facing unadjudicated charges and are incarcerated in a Pennsylvania county jail/prison, State Correctional Institution (SCI), or awaiting trial in the community. These court-ordered competency evaluations can be performed inpatient via Regional Forensic Psychiatric Centers (RFPC) or via the OCEP, which is the preferred method, so that individuals who have pending criminal charges can receive services in a more timely manner, rather than waiting for admission to an RFPC. These evaluations are performed by psychologists or psychiatrists who are contracted by OMHSAS and are independent, unbiased assessments of competency.”

This revised memorandum has been issued by Mr. Philip E. Mader, Director of OMHSAS’s Bureau of Community and Hospital Operations, and Dr. Dale Adair, OMHSAS’s Chief Psychiatric Officer. This revised memorandum aims to reduce some of the administrative burden and to ensure that all staff working within OCEP receive all of the necessary information to complete and distribute final competency evaluation reports.

Included in the memorandum and provided as separate fillable PDF documents are the OCEP Referral Form and the OCEP Rescind Form, both of which are used to gather and submit information necessary to complete an Outpatient Competency Evaluation.

We would also ask that any agency referring individuals to the OCEP for evaluation please submit complete “referral packet(s)”, which includes the following information/documentation:

  • A completed, signed, and dated referral form: Rev. – March 2022; (Attachment 1)
  • A Pennsylvania Court Order for a Competency Evaluation;
  • The Criminal Complaint and Affidavit of Probable Cause for all pending charges; and
  • Supporting medical/psychiatric records as outlined on page 5 of the OCEP Referral Form Rev. – March 2022 (Attachment 1).

Any “referral packet(s)” that are submitted via email and are found to be lacking any required information will be returned via email with the missing information highlighted, along with a request to resubmit the “referral packet(s)” when the missing information is obtained.

If you have any questions or concerns related to OMHSAS’s OCEP, please email. You can also submit any completed OCEP referral forms and associated documentation to the same email resource account.

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

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The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced they will be conducting a webinar about the PA Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program on April 20, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am. A PA ABLE account gives individuals with qualifying disabilities (eligible individuals) and their families and friends a tax-free way to save for disability-related expenses while maintaining government benefits. The webinar will be presented by a representative from the PA Treasury Department.

OLTL Service Coordinators (SCs), Direct Service Providers (DSPs), Community HealthChoices Managed Care Organization (CHC MCO) staff, and any individuals that work on employment are strongly encouraged to participate in this webinar, which will help you understand the PA ABLE Program and how it can benefit the OLTL participants you serve.

Please register using this registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Questions regarding this webinar should be directed to Edward M. Butler, OLTL, at (717) 214-3718 or via email.

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Message from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL):

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is offering a webinar on the topic of the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work Benefits Counseling, which provides individuals, their families, friends, and caregivers information relative to their benefits/services and competitive integrated employment. This overview will be presented by Ms. Joy Smith, AHEDD Work Incentive Planning and Assistance, Certified Work Incentive Coordinator, Regional Manager.

Office of Long-Term Living Service Coordinators, Direct Service Providers, CHC-MCO staff, and any individuals that work on employment are strongly encouraged to participate in this webinar on an overview of Benefits Counseling as it relates to the participants you serve.

The Overview of Benefits Counseling webinar is on April 21, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am.

Please register using this register link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you have questions, please contact Edward M. Butler or call 717-214-3718.

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The Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) public meeting originally scheduled for Friday, March 18, 2022, has been rescheduled to Friday, April 8, 2022, from 1:00 pm–2:00 pm. Topics include updates related to DHS’s implementation of EVV.

Please register using this registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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Image by photosforyou from Pixabay

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.

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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.

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