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Tags Posts tagged with "Funding"

Funding

Hole torn in a dollar bill with medicaid text

Excerpt from: Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Nov. 23, 2021

The Democratic Wolf administration says it wants to spend $1.2 billion in American Rescue Act funds to shore up home and community-based services offered through the state’s Medicaid program, all with an eye toward allowing more of the commonwealth’s residents to access services closer to home. On Monday, the administration dropped the formal details of a plan to direct the federal relief money toward seniors and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities; adults dealing with such behavioral health needs as substance abuse disorder or mental illness; and children with chronic and complex medical needs, the administration said in a statement.

In its statement, the administration said the money also would be used to pay for:

  • Increasing access to home and community-based services;
  • Providing necessary supplies to safely facilitate services;
  • Additional trainings and learning opportunities through workforce support;
  • Supporting families caring for their loved one;
  • Improving functional capabilities of people with disabilities;
  • Enhancing transitional supports; and
  • Home and community-based services capacity building.

RCPA continues its discussions and advocacy with the Department of Human Services on spending priorities for human services, especially initiatives targeting rate structures and the workforce crisis.

DDAP has identified a need for substance use disorder (SUD) drop-in centers, which provide harm reduction support services and connections to recovery and treatment services, in areas of the commonwealth where overdose death rates are highest. DDAP will provide funds to existing drop-in centers to expand their services and increase overdose prevention and community-driven harm reduction. Physical locations of the existing drop-in centers can be permanently fixed or temporary, community-based pop-up locations.

More information about the grant is available here. A project summary and budget template are available on DDAP’s website.

All applications should be submitted electronically no later than 12:00 pm, Monday, December 13, 2021.

More than $12 million in federal grant funding for services and supports designed to improve outcomes for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder has been awarded to Pennsylvania grantees.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will administer funding to grantees to provide employment support services, expand and enhance community recovery supports, and provide supports services to pregnant women and postpartum women in recovery from SUD. The grants are part of $55 million in federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the SAMHSA Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program COVID-19 Supplemental Awards.

Please read the press release.

The ID/A Coalition, comprised of RCPA, The Arc of PA, PAR, and Disability Rights of PA, sent a letter to the members of Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation to express their support of the $400 billion in funding to strengthen the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) infrastructure and workforce, which supports the states intellectual disability (ID) and autism communities.

The coalition also sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Legislative leaders calling upon the general assembly to immediately release the funds allocated to the state through the American Rescue Plan to provide critical supports to the ID/A community.

Every health and human services organization understands the enormity of the workforce crisis. Recruitment and retention have become impossible and vacancies across all service lines are evident. Unfortunately, this has also led to program closures without an end in sight. And that is one of the most alarming parts of this situation – what will change that will truly address the crisis?

[View the full RCPA position paper]