';
CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "OCYF"

OCYF

0 678

The Office of Children, Youth and Families is offering no-cost continuing education opportunities for service professionals. The Department’s First Responder Addiction and Connection to Treatment program (FR-ACT) is a training program within the Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention that was established to ensure first responders and public safety professionals, including CYS professionals, have the tools necessary to respond to the overdose epidemic. Training is offered at no cost and is available in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania. The Department works with an expert training vendor, St. Joseph’s University, to deliver live trainings.

FR-ACT trains and provides skills to first responders and public safety professionals on opioid use disorder, overdose response, and related information, including:

  • Substance use disorder as a chronic disease;
  • Stigma reduction;
  • Providing resources to overdose survivors and families;
  • Naloxone use and leave-behind practices; and
  • Warm hand-offs and connection to treatment.

Continuing education credits are now available for Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors licensees who complete FR-ACT training. There are two ways to participate:

  1. Complete the online, self-study training on TRAIN PA and earn 1 credit hour. Self-study training is available here.
  2. Schedule a training for yourself or your agency by contacting St. Joseph’s University Center for Addiction and Recover Education. OR, you can email the Department. Credit hours available to participants of live training will depend on the length of live training.

More information about FR-ACT may be found here. Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 888
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

On Monday, August 25, the Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) successfully completed obligations outlined in a Voluntary Resolution Agreement (VRA) with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The VRA began in 2023 after a complaint of discrimination based on disability was filed against one of the county children and youth agencies that OCYF supervises. In confirming that all provisions of the agreement were satisfied, OCR noted:

“… the positive changes that have taken place to better ensure that individuals with disabilities will have meaningful access to DHS’ programs and services in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794, and its implementing regulation, 45 C.F.R. Part 84 (Section 504), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., and its implementing regulation, 28 C.F.R. Part 35 (Title II).”

During the monitoring period, over 31,000 state, county, and private provider child welfare staff received training on civil rights compliance related to the Americans With Disabilities Act. Following July 30, 2025, the training is not required by OCR. However, the training is still available via the PA Child Welfare Resource Center. OCYF encourages agencies to continue offering it to new and seasoned staff.

Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 1655
Photo by Larry Crayton on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) recently launched an initiative focused on improving the outcomes that matter most: meeting the needs of children and families and keeping children safe. The goals of the initiative are to make sure that children and families have access to the support and services they need for children to grow and thrive in a safe home, reduce involvement with the child welfare system, and support successful transition out for those already involved in the child welfare system.

DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh invites you to upcoming listening sessions, where more details about the initiative will be shared. As part of these sessions, DHS will be seeking your feedback on this initiative, particularly involving actionable ideas around prevention, diversion, crisis intervention, and once involved, what is needed to successfully transition out of the child welfare system. An overview of the initiative can be found here. Please review these slides prior to the session.

Your voice matters, and your input will help shape the future of child welfare in our Commonwealth. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to support children and families across Pennsylvania.

How to Participate:

The PA Children and Families Initiative will host four public listening sessions. DHS encourages you to register for the session that corresponds to your region (see schedule below). However, if you are unable to attend your region’s designated session, you may register for another session that better fits your schedule.

There are two ways to provide feedback during the listening sessions:

  • You may submit comments using the chat function at any point during the session.
  • You may register to speak during the event. Each speaking slot is limited to two (2) minutes per participant. To maximize speaking opportunities, we ask that individuals (or organizations or providers) only sign up to speak at one (1) listening session. Speakers are also invited to contribute additional comments in the chat if two (2) minutes is not sufficient.

Speaking slots are limited and will be allocated as time allows. If you wish to speak, please indicate your interest in the registration form. After you register, you will receive an invitation to attend the session. Please note that only registered participants will be able to attend the event. Speakers will receive a confirmation email with further details.

Webinar Sessions: Please visit the link for your preferred session to register.

  • Central Region | Tuesday, September 23 | 2:00 pm [Register Here]
    • Counties Served: Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Somerset, Union, York
  • Western Region | Friday, September 26 | 1:00 pm [Register Here]
    • Counties Served: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland
  • Southeast Region | Monday, September 29 | 2:30 pm [Register Here]
    • Counties Served: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia
  • Northeast Region | Tuesday, September 30 | 3:30 pm [Register Here]
    • Counties Served: Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, Wyoming

Your feedback is essential to this initiative, and DHS looks forward to your participation!

Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 3158

The following is a message from the Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF):

Effective immediately, due to a federal funding pause, OCYF has been directed to halt work with Accenture, the System Integrator for the Child Welfare Case Management (CWCM) system. This pause is due to concern raised by our federal partners at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that must be resolved prior to our resuming work. The Department of Human Services/OCYF remains fully committed to developing a single case management solution to be used by both the state and all counties, rather than continuing to fund both the statewide Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) and the individual county systems.

As you know, Pennsylvania does not have a unified statewide case management system. Instead, we maintain a statewide repository that houses all reports of suspected child abuse (CPS), General Protective Services (GPS) reports, and the outcomes of those reports. Day-to-day case management and service information, however, resides within the counties’ own systems. Currently, five different county case management systems are in use across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Developing and implementing a CWCM system remains a top priority, as it will enhance data quality and accountability, improve efficiency, and support better outcomes.

The CWCM Steering Committee — which includes OCYF and county representatives — has been reviewing the multi-phase implementation plan to ensure a responsible rollout. There is consensus on the first two phases: (1) Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) compliance and (2) replacing CWIS. Next week’s Steering Committee meeting will still be held to gather participating county partner feedback. We believe strong partnership between county children and youth agencies and the state is essential to achieving our shared vision for CWCM.

To reiterate, this is a pause. We are committed to developing a path forward that will ultimately eliminate the need for counties to maintain and fund individual case management systems — freeing up resources for other critical needs. The current federated model is not sustainable given the costs and the time and effort required to update legacy systems.

This is all the information we can share at this time. We recognize counties may have additional questions about what this means, and we will continue to communicate more information about the next steps as it becomes available.

Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 1259

Providers are invited to attend a virtual informational session regarding the proposed regulatory chapters for Residential Services for Children. This session will provide highlights of the key changes being proposed to regulations governing child residential settings (including parent/child settings and outdoor programs), secure detention, and secure residential facilities. These proposed regulatory chapters are identified as:

  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3900 Child and Youth Facility Requirements
  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3910 Child Residential Facilities
  • 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3920 Secure Residential and Secure Detention Facilities for Youth

These proposed regulatory chapters currently are under review within the Governor’s Office, and the Office of Children, Youth, Families (OCYF) is projecting publication in the last quarter of calendar year 2025. There will be a 60-day comment period following publication of the proposed regulations.

In advance of publication, however, OCYF is extending the opportunity to attend an informational session to highlight proposed key changes to existing practices.

DATE: There are two dates you can attend. The content will be the same at each session.

TIME: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (the same for both sessions)

RCPA, as part of the Children’s Residential Services and Children’s MH Division, will be assembling a regulatory review team as part of the regulatory promulgation and public comment process. RCPA has performed a similar review for the PRTF, Crisis, IBHS, and Outpatient Psychiatric processes, as well as a host of other DHS regulatory efforts.

If you are interested in being a part of this review, please contact RCPA Mental Health Policy Associate Emma Sharp. RCPA will convene a Chapter 3900 Work Group within a week of the OCYF presentation.

0 1659

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Children’s Bureau will be conducting a Title IV-E Federal Review for Pennsylvania (PA) in July of 2026. These reviews are mandatory every three (3) years and includes a systematic monitoring of the Title IV-E Foster Care Program. This program provides the cost of foster care maintenance, administrative expenses to manage the program, and training for staff and foster parents. PA’s period under review (PUR) will begin this October 1 and last through March 31, 2026. A random sample of 100 cases of youth in Foster Care will be selected.

In essence, the review considers:

  • Judicial determinations regarding reasonable efforts and child’s best interest;
  • Timely court hearings and determinations;
  • Voluntary placement agreements;
  • Responsibility for placement and care vested with state agency;
  • Eligibility for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) under the state plan in effect July 16, 1996;
  • Placement in a licensed foster family home or child-care institution; and
  • Safety requirements for the child’s foster care placement.

What does this mean for you? The Children’s Bureau will review County and Provider case files of the selected child and all their placement detail. The records must be able to show compliance with Federal Regulations as well as the Child Protective Services Law. The review includes the licensing of all agencies with particular attention on:

  • Criminal Clearances for all staff, including those who are not child serving and those who are no longer employed;
  • No lapse in licensing where Title IV-E claims were made (particularly in single foster homes);
  • Fingerprints provided prior to the licensing date;
  • Safety Considerations document for staff and foster parents with criminal charges or critical incidents;
  • All trainings required for staff and foster parents having been completed; and
  • Clearances for Household Members by 30 days after their 18 birthday.

As such, on August 4, 2025, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, OCYF will be offering a virtual training option to learn more about this review. OCYF will complete the following:

  • Review details expected during the review;
  • Brainstorm PA’s strengths and areas in need of improvement;
  • Create tools to ease document collection; and
  • Address communication gaps.

To register for this virtual training option, please fill out the form here. Please note that the form mentions an in-person option, but OCYF will now only be offering the virtual option.

Please feel free to contact Caitlin Robinson with any questions regarding the registration of this training. Thank you in advance for your participation in this meeting. OCYF appreciates your partnership and cooperation as they move closer to critical audit for PA.

0 821

Through a contract with the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA), the Department of Human Services’ Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) is supporting a specialized training on the reporting requirements for incidents involving children served in Child Residential and Day Treatment Facilities. This training is designed for child residential facility staff, their related purchasing entities, law enforcement agencies, OCYF Regional Office Reps, MCO staff, and staff of other entities that interact with Child Residential and Day Treatment Facilities.

Title of Training: Reporting Requirements for Children Served in Residential Care Facilities

Training Hours: Three (3) Hours

Format: Live Virtual

Register for an Upcoming Training:

Training Summary:

This training is for providers and other child serving entities and clarifies what allegations must be reported to ChildLine as suspected child abuse and/or HCSIS as a reportable incident, and further clarifies when an alternative plan of supervision must be put into place. This training also teaches minimal facts interviewing skills to better determine when to make a report, and then explains how those reports of suspected child abuse are categorized and handled at ChildLine. Lastly, internal follow up recommendations and communication are discussed. Other entities that interact with these 3800 facilities are also welcome to attend – OCYF Regional Office Reps, Law Enforcement, MCOs, etc.

This training mirrors the information outlined in the OCYF Bulletin # 3800-21-01 issued January 19, 2021, and is meant as additional training (not a replacement for the mandated reporter training).

Please contact Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 834
Image by Dirk Wouters from Pixabay

The PA Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has issued a bulletin on the Draft Needs-Based Plan and Budget Guidelines for FY 2026/27. OCYF is seeking comment and feedback to be sent electronically by June 14. The subject of the email should state “Draft NBPB Comments.”

If your organization submits comments regarding this bulletin, please copy RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp on your responses. For members of the RCPA Children’s Residential Services Committee, please contact Emma Sharp for thoughts or guidance that will be included in the RCPA Bulletin Comments.

0 815

The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has released Policy Clarification #3490-25-03, which provides guidance on how to address concerns involving privately run camps that do not allege “child abuse” committed by a “perpetrator,” as defined by the Child Protective Services Law (23, PA C.S., Chapter 63). View Policy Clarification #3490-25-03 here. Questions regarding this Policy Clarification may be directed to your applicable OCYF Regional Office, or to Erik Walters, Human Services Analyst in OCYF’s Bureau of Policy, Programs and Operations.

Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

0 991

Trauma-informed care in the Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) has emphasized the importance of trauma-informed approaches in providing technical assistance, training, policy, guidance, support, and monitoring procedures. OCYF has developed and collected many trauma tools and resources that may be helpful for child welfare stakeholders and providers as they proceed on their trauma-informed care continuum, such as their monthly Trauma Tip Sheet.

In the January 2025 Trauma Tip Sheet, the US Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing was introduced, and different topics have been explored in the following months. The May 2025 Trauma Tip Sheet highlights the topic of “Mattering at Work,” and can be read here.

Contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.

123...4Next Page 1 of 4
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association