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Tags Posts tagged with "Shapiro Administration"

Shapiro Administration

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.

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) released the Phase 1 findings of its statewide stakeholder engagement tour, detailing actions to enhance community and treatment provider engagement and improve access to substance use disorder services. The findings address various challenges within the behavioral health workforce, regulatory and data aspects of service delivery, and unmet needs within priority populations. For more details, read the full press release.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has issued Licensing Alert 03-2024, effective immediately, which introduces updated guidance on complying with Act 66 of 2023, signed into law by Governor Shapiro in December. The guidance specifically outlines all regulatory flexibilities for SUD treatment facilities enabled through the law and describes the process for project directors to notify DDAP of their intent to use any of these flexibilities. In part, Act 66 allows:

  • An increase in staff-to-client ratio for adult nonhospital residential treatment and rehabilitation programs, from 1:8 to 1:12;
  • Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNP) and Physician Assistants (PA) to serve as counselors;
  • Individuals lacking previous clinical experience to still qualify as counselors if they possess a bachelor’s or associate degree in relevant fields or hold a current Registered Nurse license; and
  • Facilities to hire up to three counselor assistants for each staff person meeting clinical supervisor or counselor qualifications.

Additionally, the alert underscores the importance of continued compliance with other regulations, such as clinical supervisor ratio requirements, counselor assistant supervision, and evaluation requirements. For additional questions, contact the Bureau of Program Licensure.