You are invited to participate in the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Positive Approaches & Practices meeting on Human Trafficking. The meeting will be held April 6, 2023, from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm.
Please review the flyer for detailed session and registration information.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) March 2023 stakeholder webinar is scheduled for next Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. Register for the webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Call-in Number: (562) 247-8321
Access Code: 604062930#
If you have suggestions for agenda topics for March’s webinar, please submit them via email. OMHSAS will monitor the account and will reply to the sender if more information is needed. Please be advised that responses will not be provided if additional information is not needed.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced a grant opportunity from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) specific to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs.
SAMHSA will award approximately 7 applicants up to $678,000 each. The purpose of this program is to establish or expand and maintain ACT programs for transition-aged youth and adults with a serious mental illness (SMI) or serious emotional disturbance (SED). Recipients are expected to implement an ACT program to fidelity and provide ACT services to the population of focus. With this program, SAMHSA aims to improve behavioral health outcomes for individuals by reducing rates of hospitalization, mortality, substance use, homelessness, and involvement with the criminal justice system.
Please visit here for additional information. Applications are due by April 10, 2023.
Contact Information:
Program Issues:
Dawnielle Tillman, Public Health Advisor
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(240) 276-1572
Grants Management and Budget Issues:
Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(240) 276-1400
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Access, Empowerment, Experience: Driving Voice Behind Change
This issue of Positive Approaches focuses on the importance of advocacy for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and serious mental illness. Article topics include barriers to self-advocacy; the complicated language of autism advocacy; and the history, evolution, and importance of advocacy at state mental hospitals. Also presented is an article on two mothers’ experiences advocating for family members throughout their lifespan.
This issue of the Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading. To print a copy of the PDF, online journal, or a specific article, find these options within the left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. A new window will open with the selected document. In the browser, you may click the print button in the top left corner of the page or use the print capability within your browser.
Please submit feedback regarding your experience with the Positive Approaches Journal on MyODP by selecting the feedback image on MyODP within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. The Positive Approaches Journal is published quarterly. For additional information, please contact ODP Training.
The Dennis Marion Impact Award recognizes local and state government employees whose initiatives, processes, and projects have led to significant improvements in Pennsylvania’s behavioral health service delivery system.
Background:
The Dennis Marion Impact Award was established in 2017 in honor of Dennis Marion’s commitment to public service throughout his distinguished career, which spanned over three decades. Dennis served as Deputy Secretary for Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services from 2013 to 2017. Prior to his state employment, Dennis served Cumberland County, Pennsylvania for 31 years in various positions, such as County Administrator, Director of the Drug and Alcohol Commission, and Director of the Office of Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities.
Just like Dennis Marion, whose strong leadership, passion for public service, and commitment to the people he served did not stop at the boundaries of his work in any single county or agency, the Dennis Marion Impact Award recognizes strong performers who bridge disparate missions and drive towards a single goal of excellence in public service.
Purpose:
The purpose of the Dennis Marion Impact Award is to recognize outstanding and meritorious achievement in working for state or local government, encourage the highest standards of performance in Pennsylvania’s public sector, attract outstanding individuals to a career in public service, and highlight public awareness of the value of public service and its impact on the behavioral health and quality of life of individuals and communities.
Eligibility Criteria:
Any current state and/or local government employee in Pennsylvania that has made an outstanding contribution in the area of behavioral health (mental health and/or substance use disorders) in Pennsylvania is eligible for nomination for the Dennis Marion Impact Award. Individuals that have built effective, collaborative partnerships across different organizations, agencies, and/or other stakeholders to define and solve problems, or reach agreements on a course of action, will be given priority consideration for this award. Nominees’ contributions may be on a sustained basis or through a single, exceptional accomplishment. Nominations will be judged on three measurements: innovation, implementation, and outcomes.
Instructions:
The completed nomination form must be submitted electronically to Lindsay Graves via email by 5:00 pm EST on March 24, 2023. The nomination period is open from February 17, 2023, to March 24, 2023.. Nominations will not be accepted before or after the nomination period. Note that individuals may not self-nominate.
The award will be announced during Pennsylvania’s May 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month events. Questions regarding this award may be directed to Lindsay Graves via email.
Sponsoring Organizations:
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services — Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association of County MH/DS Administrators
Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association
Pennsylvania Association of County Drug and Alcohol Administrators
Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers’ Association
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’s (OMHSAS) February 2023 Stakeholder webinar is scheduled for next Friday, February 24, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. The February Stakeholder webinar was rescheduled due to conflicts with the quarterly Mental Health Planning Council (MHPC) meeting.
Register for the meeting here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Call-in Number: (914) 614-3221
Access Code: 458609184#
If you have any questions or would like RCPA to submit a topic for the webinar, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
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