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Pandemic

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced more than $15 million in grant funding for stabilization payments to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers to assist with pandemic-related expenses.

Through 108 grant agreements, 375 SUD treatment provider locations will receive funding. Grantees span across every Pennsylvania county, and all eligible applicants who applied were awarded funding. A list of grantees and awards are available on the DDAP website. However, funding amounts will not be finalized until all grant agreements are fully executed. This funding will aid in pandemic-related expenses, including but not limited to minimizing the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring the provision of testing and support of vaccines as appropriate and delivering quality, evidence-based treatment to individuals who are underinsured or uninsured.

The grants are part of $55 million in federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program COVID-19 Supplemental Awards.

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ODP Announcement 22-015 announces that the Operational Guide for the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) has been updated to reflect current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Additionally, guidance has been added regarding regulatory compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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PDE and DHS are offering the following policy clarification on the Head Start/Early Head Start vaccination mandate:

PDE and DHS are cognizant of the staffing challenges that many providers are facing. Providers are thus encouraged to work creatively to ensure that children continue to receive a free and appropriate public education during these trying times. In this regard, providers should examine whether unvaccinated individuals may continue to provide services in accordance with an allowable exemption, and, where appropriate, consider whether parental agreement to alternative delivery of services may be prudent.

OCDEL has clarified that this is to include all individuals working with Head Start enrolled children and families, including early intervention and behavioral health. OCDEL further requests that agencies work with Head Start partners to address this requirement and asks for support considerations, including; encouraging staff and contractors to become fully vaccinated; working to identify fully vaccinated EI personnel to support children in Head Start; when possible, working to provide written assurance to Head Start partners to only send fully vaccinated staff and contractors to go into classrooms; and exploring technological solutions to help support children within their Head Start classroom activities and routines.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented an Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring all staff who work with Head Start/Early Head Start (Head Start) children and families in any capacity to be vaccinated. According to HHS guidance, this includes those individuals who do not have any contact with children. The IFR also requires contractors whose activities involve contact with or providing direct services to Head Start children and families and volunteers in classrooms or working directly with Head Start children and families be vaccinated. The IFR is now understood to apply to all individuals working with Head Start children and families, including but not limited to services provided by Preschool Early Intervention, 0-3 Early Intervention, and behavioral health specialists in Head Start programs, including those provided pursuant to a memorandum of understanding or other agreement by which Head Start programs provide for or permit the provision of such services.

The Federal Office of Head Start (OHS) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the IFR through their identified monitoring processes. PDE or DHS is not responsible for monitoring programs for compliance with this mandate.

Head Start IFR and guidance do allow for exemptions for individuals who are not vaccinated. In the event individuals meet this exemption, OHS has issued guidance regarding circumstances in which unvaccinated individuals may be able to continue to work with Head Start children and their families.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

RCPA staff reviewed the Governor’s proposed budget, and while many details still need to be sorted out, RCPA can provide some high-level facts about the proposed budget from the House Democrat Appropriations Committee 2022/23 Executive Budget Proposal At–A-Glance and the Governor’s 2022/23 Executive Budget Spreadsheet. Of note, please see pages 12–13 for the Department of Human Services line items and page 6 for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

The highlights of the Governor’s proposed budget include:

Education Funding

  • Spending $43.7 billion in state General Funds;
  • $1.55 billion, a 24% increase, in basic education funding;
  • $1.25 billion to be distributed through the fair funding formula;
  • $300 million in Level Up funding to the 100 most underfunded districts; and
  • $200 million, a 16% increase, in special education funding.

Economy

Proposed increase to state’s minimum wage to $12 per hour effective July 1, 2022, including tipped workers, with 50 cent annual increases up to $15 per hour ($74.6 million direct revenue increase).

Protecting the Most Vulnerable

  • $91.25 million ($190.1 million total funds) to increase MA rates for skilled nursing facilities, effective January 2023, to comply with regulatory changes planned for July 2023;
  • $50 million, or a 44% increase to state supplemental programs for aged, blind, and individuals with disabilities, to increase the personal care home state supplement from $439.30 to $1,351.80 per month;
  • $75 million in federal funds to recruit and retain behavioral health providers;
  • $36.6 million to invest in critical county behavioral health services;
  • $15 million in federal funds to stabilize payments to substance use disorder treatment providers and assist with pandemic related expenses;
  • NEW: $14.3 million to increase the monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit from $20 to $35 for 75,000 to 95,000 seniors and individuals with disabilities;
  • NEW: $280,000 to implement Agency with Choice, preserving the ability for home and community-based waiver participants to choose their worker while allowing workers to obtain the support of an agency;
  • $18.8 million to serve an additional 832 individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism currently waiting for services;
  • $1 million to provide community placements for individuals residing in intermediate care facilities;
  • $1.25 million to discharge 20 individuals from state hospitals through the Community Hospital Integration Project Program (CHIPP);
  • $2.4 million for Department of Aging and Department of Human Services to strengthen older adult protective services (8 positions), create a child welfare crisis response team (4 positions), and support increased regulatory, licensing, budgetary, and administrative functions (30 positions) through increasing complement;
  • NEW: $8 million to extend postpartum coverage for birthing parents eligible for Medical Assistance to 12 months;
  • $15 million, a 77% increase, to implement additional evidence-based home visiting and family support services to 3,800 additional families;
  • $1.8 million to support court-appointed volunteer advocacy; and
  • NEW: $10 million for State Disaster Assistance, a new initiative to provide disaster assistance to individuals and to improve access to safe, secure, and weathertight homes.

In addition to the above proposed funding, the Governor and Democratic legislative leaders support allocating the unused American Rescue Plan funds from last year’s budget to various programs, which are outlined in the Democrat’s American Rescue Plan Act — State Fiscal Recovery plan, to help Pennsylvanians rather than letting the funds be transferred to the General Fund to sit in reserve.

The above information is a high-level overview of the Governor’s budget proposal. The specific line items contained in the Governor’s 2022/23 Executive Budget Spreadsheet are the overall dollars allocated for health and human services. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has not yet released their Budget Blue Book, which breaks down these line items and provides a detailed dollar amount allocated to specific human service programs. We are being told the DHS Blue Book should be available with this specific information at the end of February or the first week of March. Once RCPA obtains the Blue Book and reviews it, we will provide members with a more detailed summary and analysis.

As a reminder, the Governor’s Proposed Budget is just that: a proposal. The General Assembly will now hold budget hearings; a complete hearing list can be found here. The General Assembly and the Governor will conduct budget negotiations after the House and Senate budget hearings conclude to hopefully finalize the Commonwealth’s 2022/23 budget by June 30. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Phillips.

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