Capitolwire: Sens. Kim Ward, Joe Pittman, and Scott Martin: Senate Republican Caucus Announces Principles and Priorities for 2023/24 Session
Funding
Call to Action: Contact Governor Shapiro to Fund IDD Services
RCPA has partnered with other organizations representing intellectual disability and/or autism (ID/A) providers to send a letter to Governor Josh Shapiro asking him to invest an additional $430 million for IDD services in the 2023/24 state budget proposal. Governor Shapiro needs to hear from providers, families, individuals, and advocates for the IDD system that we are in critical need of this additional funding. This investment would enable providers to improve the wages for the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide care to individuals with ID/A. Improving wages will help to ensure services are available to the individuals and families who rely on these services.
Currently, thousands of Pennsylvanians with ID/A are not receiving the supports they are entitled to through Medicaid, and those individuals who are currently receiving services are in danger of losing them. The current rate system does not support the ever rising costs of providing services and paying the DSPs a wage that is reflective of their duties. Our workforce is not sufficient to meet the needs of everyone who requires care.
The additional investment into the Home and Community-Based Services rates will enable providers to give their DSPs a raise and a better starting wage to compete with other employers.
Please reach out to our Governor and ask for his support today! You can reach Governor Shapiro via this online form.
County-Based MH Funding Advocacy Letter From the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition
The sustained funding of community-based mental health services, such as community residential programs, family-based support, outpatient care, and crisis intervention, are critical to the wellbeing of our constituents and our communities. Funding levels for county mental health services have direct impacts on whether these important community and family supports will be available. Yet for too many years, state funding for mental health services has lagged far behind its needs. Counties find themselves advocating for the prevention of funds being cut instead of achieving the increases that are needed to catch up from years of underfunding.
This year, RCPA and other system stakeholders once again teamed with the County Commissioner Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) through the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition. The mission and vision of this campaign continues to promote awareness of the critical funding needs of mental health services for vulnerable Pennsylvanians. As RCPA and the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition continue our efforts, we ask our members, stakeholders, and partners to join us in this collaborative effort by engaging with your legislators. “County mental health services provide a critical piece to the public safety net for people in need,” notes Richard S. Edley, PhD, President and CEO of RCPA. “The system sustained cuts over a decade ago with little relief since then. It is time to restore those dollars and further enhance the system. Not only will it provide critical funding for the individuals receiving services, but there are positive benefits — both financially and clinically — to the entire community.”
The Coalition welcomes the many new partners for this 2023–24 initiative, as the time to act is now for engaging with your representative. Local communities and providers have come together to sustain the safety net and serve those who need it most. The reality is that the demand for service far outweighs capacity and rate structures to serve this population.
View our first of many communications that will go out on behalf of the Coalition as an open call to the PA General Assembly and stakeholders. This will provide you with strategic talking points for our outreach. If you have additional questions or would like to join the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
SAMHSA Funding Opportunity for Youth Mental Health Systems of Care
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will award approximately 26 applicants up to $3,000,000 to provide resources to improve the mental health outcomes for children and youth, birth through age 21, who are at risk of or have serious emotional disturbances (SED) and their families. This grant supports the implementation, expansion, and integration of the System of Care (SOC) approach by creating sustainable infrastructure and services required as part of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program.
You can find additional information here. The grant closes on March 21, 2025.
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Biden Renews Calls To Invest In Services For People With Disabilities
Court Ruling Declares PA’s School Funding System Unconstitutional
HRSA Workforce Expansion Funding Notice
DDAP Awards $9 Million to Four SCAs for Behavioral Health Crisis Stabilization
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today announced almost $9 million in grant funding awarded to four Single County Authorities (SCAs) to establish or expand crisis stabilization services for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUD). The funding is part of the more than $17 million allocated last year to DDAP by the General Assembly from Pennsylvania’s share of a total opioid settlement of $1.2 billion reached with three distributors and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
Crisis stabilization services include assessment and stabilization of acute physical and psychiatric symptoms, which may include medical management and behavioral interventions, induction on medications for opioid use disorder, level of care assessments, short-term stays, and connections to supportive services.
Grants up to $3 million each will be awarded to the following four SCAs, serving residents throughout seven counties:
- Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services;
- Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission;
- Delaware County Department of Human Services; and
- Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program.
The funding can be applied toward a range of activities, including construction and building infrastructure, staffing, and programming. DDAP’s goal in offering this funding opportunity is to provide an additional mechanism for counties to invest in infrastructure, staffing, programming, and other necessary components to establish or expand crisis stabilization services.
Eligible grantees were chosen based on information presented in their applications demonstrating their capacity to recognize and manage individuals presenting with a wide range of SUD-related symptoms, mental health disorders, and developmental disabilities.
OMHSAS Telehealth Funding Opportunity to Be Released on February 1
$7.2 Million Grant to Help Provide Mental Health Services to Montgomery County Students
PUBLISHED:
NORRISTOWN — The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit has been awarded a $7.2 million four-year grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
This highly competitive Project AWARE grant, for which the intermediate unit will receive $1.8 million a year for four years, has only been awarded to approximately 20 entities across the United States.
Project AWARE is a nationwide grant created to develop a sustainable infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. The intermediate unit provides programs and services to Montgomery County school districts, career and technical schools, non-public schools and other organizations. Through its direct service to students, especially those most at risk, the intermediate unit has been able to identify ways to assist students and their families to navigate mental health supports and services.
“This grant award is a major recognition for the MCIU and reflects all the hard work and accomplishments of our MCIU employees in supporting students and families across the region,” Executive Director Regina Speaker said in a press release issued by the Intermediate Unit. “We appreciate the support of Senator Robert Casey and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean and many other partners, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, for this grant project.”
The grant project will: expand suicide awareness training opportunities for students(K-12), implement a universal mental health screener to be utilized by school district or nonpublic school staff members and create an electronic data system to connect school mental health practitioners (e.g. psychologists, social workers and counselors) with community-based mental health providers that have immediate availability to support students in all levels of care (outpatient therapy to inpatient psychiatric care).
The MCIU is partnering with two other intermediate units on this project — Luzerne and Carbon-Lehigh County Intermediate Units — to proactively address students’ mental health needs.
RCPA recommends members in the Montgomery County region engage with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and local school districts for planning and discussions on how your continuum of services may benefit student mental health in the schools.
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Mental Health Director Jim Sharp.
Prev