The next Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Stakeholder Webinar is scheduled on Thursday, August 1, 2024, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. To participate, please register for the webinar using the provided registration link. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent to you with details on how to join the webinar.
If you have any other questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is offering funding through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to support Community Mental Health Services Block Grants. Millersville University of Pennsylvania will administer these grants to implement Community Violence Intervention Projects aimed at reducing trauma in communities affected by gun violence. The university plans to award grants to 2–6 nonprofit organizations, with contracts expected to start in July or August 2024 and ending on June 30, 2025. Applicants can request a budget of up to $250,000 but not exceeding $150,000 for the initial term.
Applications are due by July 31, 2024. Completed applications must be submitted as a PDF via email. For more information, contact Millersville via email or visit the Millersville University Safer Communities Grant Information page. For full details and application instructions, refer to the Request for Applications (RFA) flyer.
If you have any other questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared the Invitation to Apply for the Capacity Building Institute (Year 8). The Capacity Building Institute (CBI), offered by ODP and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), provides an in-depth learning opportunity to professionals across the entire service partnership, including direct support staff and supervisors, supports coordinators/case managers and supervisors, agency trainers, managed care organizations, behavior specialists, psychiatrists, professional counselors and therapists, and dual diagnosis treatment teams.
The Capacity Building Institute will meet for nine two-day sessions, beginning September 2024 and ending April 2025. These sessions will present current best practices and supportive models to best provide support to individuals with a dual diagnosis (individuals with an Intellectual Disability and Autism with co-occurring mental health issues and challenging behaviors) to lead healthy, happy, and meaningful lives.
Please refer to the invitation for information on how to express interest in participating, session information, and requirements.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has launched MyOMHSAS, its enterprise learning management system, providing tailored training modules and resources on behavioral health topics. Accessible to everyone, MyOMHSAS offers courses like Suicide Prevention in Care Management, Assisted Outpatient Treatment, Transgender Resources, and Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP)/System of Care (SOC), with more modules planned for the future, such as Anti-Ageist Practices, Cultural Humility, and Working with LGBTQ+ in the Community.
To access training modules, users need to register and log in on the MyOMHSAS website. For inquiries or suggestions, contact OMHSAS via email. If you have additional questions, contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is excited to engage with stakeholders in developing a statewide child, youth, and young adult (CYYA) behavioral health emergency (crisis) community. As a first step, they have developed a brief survey to gauge interest in a symposium on this topic. They also have plans for ongoing opportunities for discussing CYYA behavioral health crisis response, identifying and highlighting promising practices within the Commonwealth and nationally, sharing training opportunities, and gathering feedback on interests and needs.
If you are interested in this topic or otherwise have feedback on Pennsylvania’s crisis continuum for CYYA and their families, please complete this short survey. The survey is available now and will be accessible through June 7, 2024, at 5:00 pm EST.
Thank you in advance for your time and dedication to Pennsylvania’s children, youth, young adults, and families. Any questions can be sent via email, or you can contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Full Diagnosis: Impact of Trauma, Physical Health, and Metabolic Health
May 22 and 23, 2024
The full conference schedule for the 2024 Pennsylvania Dual Diagnosis Conference is now available! To view the conference schedule, view the flyer or visit the Dual Diagnosis Conference website.
About the Event
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Developmental Programs and Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services invite you to participate in the statewide Dual Diagnosis Conference being held virtually next week on May 22–23, 2024. Nationally recognized speakers will provide a variety of perspectives on the impact of trauma, physical health, and metabolic health.
Registration
There is no fee to attend the virtual conference, but advance registration is required. Closed captioning and ASL will be provided during the livestreaming of the conference. Register here today!
A new bulletin addressing revisions to the Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA) has been released by the Commonwealth Court. This bulletin specifically focuses on clarifying the legal standing of certain provisions, notably the “lifetime employment ban” for individuals with criminal convictions. Enacted in 1987, OAPSA aimed to protect Pennsylvania’s older population from exploitation, neglect, and abuse, establishing a program for their safeguarding, including those in mental health inpatient and residential facilities. However, subsequent amendments in 1996 introduced a permanent employment ban for individuals convicted of certain crimes. Despite this, a 2015 ruling by the Commonwealth Court found this provision unconstitutional, citing violations of due process guarantees under the PA constitution.
The full bulletin, titled “Bulletin OMHSAS-24-03 Employment Bans in OAPSA,” can be accessed here. Further inquiries regarding OMHSAS-24-03 can be directed to OMHSAS via email. You can also contact RCPA Policy Director and COO, Jim Sharp, with any additional questions.
The Importance of Place in Trauma-Informed Care: A Wellness Approach
May 15, 2024
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Registration now open
The Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) have announced the Dual Diagnosis Professional Conference Series, which offers presentations focused on supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) and mental health needs. The next presentation will focus on the connection between trauma-informed care and positive support, framed in a wellness perspective. Critical to this effort was the creation of a safe place, the wellness center, specifically selected and modified to reduce the possible re-traumatization of individuals with ID/A or a dual diagnosis.
See the announcement for a full session description, presenter biographies, and information on how to register.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has issued clarification on policy regarding encounter signatures for crisis services. The updated policy outlines that OMHSAS considers mobile mental health crisis services to be emergency services. While every effort should be made to obtain a signature from the beneficiary or a parent, legal guardian, relative, or friend, when such a signature cannot be obtained due to the nature of the situation, crisis intervention service providers are permitted to insert “Signature Exception” on the signature line of the encounter form.
RCPA has inquired if the encounter verification under these circumstances can be considered for similar applications to other programs under other OMHSAS licensed services. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has released an updated Child and Adolescent Social Service Program (CASSP)/System of Care (SOC) directory. This is now available in the most current version by county. You can access it here.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.
