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President Biden signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 into law on March 23. This Act includes the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. Notable FY 2024 funding totals for mental health and substance use include:
Additionally, key provisions of the Act include an $18 million increase in funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and a $1 million increase for the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration grant technical assistance program. There is also a $75 million increase for mental health research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health. Various mental health and substance use programs maintained funding levels similar to those of FY 2023. For more information, you can access the full explanatory text as well as the comparative highlights table.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The PA Department of Health (PA DOH) Bureau of Family Health has announced a funding opportunity for community-based, non-profit organizations. From March 21, 2024, through April 25, 2024, PA DOH will be soliciting applications for the Community to Home (C2H) program in four program service regions: Southwest, Northwest, Northwest Central, and Northeast Central. One grant will be awarded for the four regions.
The C2H program improves the health of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) by assisting them, along with their families, to access the services and supports required to thrive in the community and develop to their full potential. C2H assists CYSHCN and their families to navigate systems and identify resources in order to receive services while empowering them to become strong advocates and self-reliant.
View the flyer for more information about the C2H program, and note that the Request for Applications (RFA) can be found on the PA eMarketplace.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Danielle Rhodes via email or at 717-772-2763.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced the availability of $6.5 million in funding to expand drop-in center services for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) across Pennsylvania.
Drop-in centers provide a safe, judgment-free place for people to receive daily essentials, engage with staff to learn about the possibility of recovery and treatment options, and, when ready, get connected to those services. They also provide harm reduction and recovery support services.
Eligible applicants, including existing community organizations, single county authorities, and DDAP-licensed treatment providers, can find the grant application online. Approximately eight grants of up to $750,000 will be awarded.
Some examples of services provided by drop-in centers include but are not limited to:
DDAP is placing a focus on health equity as a part of this grant opportunity. Applicants must include a description of their current engagement with diverse populations, including communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and those residing in rural and urban settings, and provide detailed information about how the project will engage and provide access to these diverse populations.
All applications must be submitted electronically by 12:00 pm on Friday, April 12, 2024. Applications will be competitively reviewed and scored based upon the applicant’s adherence to the funding announcement guidelines and a timely submission to DDAP.
Funding for these grants is provided from the opioid settlement funding that was appropriated to DDAP by the General Assembly for the 2023/24 fiscal year.
Questions regarding the grants and the application process should be forwarded via email.
Governor Shapiro has proposed a significant increase of funding to the ID/A system, and the legislature will begin deliberating the Governor’s plan. Now is the time to ask to secure this funding and maintain it in the next fiscal year’s budget.
RCPA has partnered with The Arc of PA, TPA, PAR, The Alliance, and MAX to develop a document for our members to share with legislators and other stakeholders that summarizes our message regarding support for the Governor’s budget. This document is now available to use. Additionally, RCPA has made available our legislative priorities one-pager that covers all divisions. We ask that you use both the ID/A document and the one-pager during your legislative visits, including those scheduled during our Capitol Day event on March 19.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Carol Ferenz.