It has been difficult to determine whether the specified Recruitment and Retention (R&R) funds of previous years were included in the Commonwealth’s FY 2002-03 budget and the recently enacted FY 2003-04 budget. There is not a specific R&R line item in the budget. Some counties have continued the ongoing recruitment and retention efforts, while others have said that there is no more money for recruitment and retention. The Schweiker Administration did not clarify the issue for current fiscal year funds before leaving office.
PCPA recently learned from Joan Erney, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), that recruitment and retention continues in the current year’s county allocations as a categorical allocation. The allocation letter to counties, which was issued by OMHSAS on September 10, 2002, clearly identified the continuation of the recruitment and retention funds as a categorical allocation titled “Direct Care Worker Initiative.” It will also be in the OMHSAS allocations next year (FY 2003-04) as a categorical allocation. This means it must be used for R&R.
PCPA members should feel free to share this Info with counties when the question of R&R arises.
PCPA hopes to get a similar clarification from the Office of Mental Retardation, but expect that they will give the same response. Secretary Richman has repeatedly stated that she recognizes the need to emphasize recruitment and retention in many aspects of human services provided through state and county funding. Please call or email Rebecca May Cole or Lynn Keltz if further information is needed.