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Richard Edley

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Dr. Richard Edley is the lead executive for RCPA and is responsible for all aspects of operations and direction for the association. His professional career began in 1988 and most recently he was president and CEO of PerformCare/Community Behavioral HealthCare Network of Pennsylvania, Inc., a national, full-service, behavioral health managed care organization.

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MEDIA, PENNSYLVANIA — CareLink Community Support Services announced today that Gary Woomer has been appointed Interim CEO of the nonprofit agency. Mr. Woomer, an experienced leader and mental healthcare professional, succeeded Eileen M. Joseph and assumed responsibilities on December 10, 2020. Ms. Joseph retired from CareLink after leading the agency for nearly 40 years.

“Eileen Joseph had been a part of CareLink since 1981 and steered the agency through phenomenal growth,” said CareLink Board Chair Scot Stetka. “We appreciate her contributions and wish her well.”

Mr. Woomer joined CareLink as a Program Director in 1999, and has since served as a Regional Director, Vice President of Program Operations, and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his tenure at CareLink, Mr. Woomer was employed at Prime Care, Inc. in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

“Gary Woomer has been with CareLink for more than 20 years,” Mr. Stetka said. “He stepped into his new role equipped with a wealth of industry experience, strong leadership skills, and a comprehensive understanding of the agency. We are confident that he can maintain the momentum necessary to keep CareLink moving forward as Interim CEO.”

Mr. Woomer received an Executive Leadership Certificate from the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College in 2019, a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis in 1998, and a bachelor’s in psychology from Shippensburg University in 1989. He is currently a member of the Philadelphia Alliance of MH/MR/SA Agencies, the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association, the Montgomery County Association for Excellence, and the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

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Since 1959, CareLink Community Support Services has been dedicated to providing people with mental illness and developmental disabilities with the caring support they need to live, work, and participate in the community with dignity and independence. Today, CareLink serves individuals in 33 community programs throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

Media Contact: 

Kate Rosin
CareLink Community Support Services
krosin@carelinkservices.org
(610)-874-1119, ext. 613
www.carelinkservices.org

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A new $900 billion coronavirus relief bill has become law. It answers the question of whether federal emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) and emergency family and medical leave (EFML) will be extended.

The answer is yes, but it’s an option, not a requirement. Here’s what employers need to know:

  • Offering EPSL and EFML after December 31, 2020 will become optional for employers.
  • An employee will no longer be entitled by law to take EPSL or EFML even if they have a qualifying reason.
  • Employers who choose to offer these paid leaves can still receive a tax credit if they follow the current EPSL and EFML rules, including job protection.
  • The extension of the tax credit will be available for leaves taken through March 31, 2021.
  • Employees will not get new hours to use—the unused portion of their original allotment that remains on January 1, 2021 is how much they will be able to use through March 31. For instance, if an employee who was entitled to 80 hours of EPSL between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 used 40 of those hours in 2020, they’d have 40 hours left to use between January 1, 2021 and March 31, 2021.
  • There is a possible exception when an employee’s EFML bank could reset if employers use the calendar year or another fixed EFML tracking period that starts before March 31, 2021 and the Department of Labor (DOL) fails to readopt the regulations they wrote related to EFML. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), DOL, or both are expected to provide guidance that will soon clear up whether certain employers will need to offer additional hours.

The new law also extends or revives several other types of economic assistance from previous coronavirus-related legislation, some of which are listed below. These aspects of the law are outside the scope of our services, so we are unable to answer follow-up questions. Some of the notable provisions include:

  • Individual payments of $600 for people with incomes at or below $75,000 and $600 per dependent child with payments phased out for higher incomes;
  • A $300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit through March 14, 2021;
  • Extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (for gig workers and the self-employed) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (for those who run out of state unemployment insurance benefits) through March 14, 2021; and
  • Reopening and refunding of the Paycheck Protection Program (see your financial or tax advisor for additional information).

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PITTSBURGH, PA – Allegheny Family Network (AFN), a family-run organization supporting parents raising children with mental health concerns in Allegheny County and across Pennsylvania, announces the hiring of Joyce Blackburn as Deputy Chief Executive Officer beginning in December 2020. Ruth Fox, Chief Executive Officer, will continue as Chief Executive Officer.

Blackburn has dedicated her life’s work in service to families, rising to directorship of child-serving agencies in the Pittsburgh area that support the mental health and special education needs of children and families in the region. Most recently as Executive Director of Allegheny Children’s Initiative, Blackburn led the agency in an expansion of existing services, the addition of a program serving families who are experiencing intimate partner violence, and the adjustment from traditional service delivery to telehealth due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a licensed social worker and an accredited therapist, Blackburn understands the challenges and obstacles families and professionals face in seeking and obtaining quality therapeutic programs, as well as the success that can come to a family that receives effective support through their child’s journey. Blackburn also held positions at Wesley Spectrum Services (now Wesley Family Services), Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Community Human Services, and the Jewish Child Care Association (New York).

“Joyce has been a colleague since 2012 and a real friend to Allegheny Family Network,” said Fox. “AFN is delighted to have Joyce Blackburn as our Deputy CEO. We are rejoicing that Joyce is now part of the AFN team and will be using her expertise for our mission to support ‘family voice’.”

Blackburn became acquainted with the Allegheny Family Network’s mission – “Through peer-to-peer support, education and advocacy, we partner with families of children with behavioral health needs to improve their quality of life” – while attending mental health conferences, providing trainings in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and collaborating with AFN staff on various projects.

Blackburn will navigate through the family-run organization as a Deputy CEO while Fox begins her succession plan into retirement. While Blackburn has trained professionals, supported child protective service case workers, directed the development of new services and provided in-home mental health treatment, the work at AFN will present a new opportunity for a role primarily supporting parents and advocating for Family Voice and Choice.

“I am honored and excited by the opportunity to serve families and their children through the inspiring work done by AFN. I have long admired the work of AFN staff and look forward to taking a leading role in AFN’s expanding mission,” said Blackburn.

Blackburn received her MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work, a post-master certificate from Hunter College in Social Work Administration, and two B.A. degrees from Pennsylvania State University. She has received accreditation through the Academy of Certified Social Workers.

Allegheny Family Network is a peer-to-peer model organization offering various programs and services for parents and caregivers raising children with mental health, emotional or behavioral concerns. AFN works with hundreds of families each week to navigate through all of the Child-Serving Systems including Behavioral Health, Children, Youth and Families (CYF), Juvenile Justice, Education and special programs for Foster Parents, Fathers, incarceration reunification, housing and employment to accomplish goals for the betterment of the parents and the children.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO CONTACT JOYCE BLACKBURN OR RUTH FOX FOR INTERVIEW, PLEASE RESPOND BY EMAIL TO MWOODY@ALLEGHENYFAMILYNETWORK.ORG.

 

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The next RCPA Human Resources Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 10:00 am. Please register here to attend the Human Resources Committee webinar. Feel free to forward agenda topics to Tina Miletic.

An RCPA member is requesting information on how other providers are thinking about and planning for the enforcement of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. If your organization is willing to share your information, please contact Jill Pittenger from Via of the Lehigh Valley, Inc.

As a reminder, RCPA will be holding a member update webinar on Thursday, December 17 at 9:00 am. Michael Gamel-McCormick, Disability Policy Director from the Office of Senator Bob Casey, will lead a discussion on federal health-care-related issues critical to RCPA members. Please register here to participate in the member update webinar. We look forward to your participation!

In addition to the above announcements, the following information may be of interest to Human Resource professionals. It is offered by Maher Duessel and free to our members:

December Accounting Webinar and PPP Loan Updates

Save the date and register for December continuing professional education (CPE)! Maher Duessel will host their annual Government Update on December 17, 2020 and December 18, 2020. This eight-credit CPE session (four credits per day) will focus on governmental accounting, auditing, and regulatory topics. Staff and board members from governments and non-profits are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to participate, and CPE certificates will be issued. Also, the US Small Business Administration released guidance last month clarifying that lenders must recognize the previously established extended deferral period for payments on the principal, interest, and fees on all Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Read this blog post on how this guidance impacts loan forgiveness for your organization’s PPP loan.

 

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Please join RCPA for a member update webinar on Thursday, December 17 from 9:00 am – 10:30 am. Michael Gamel-McCormick, Disability Policy Director from the Office of Senator Bob Casey, will lead a discussion on federal health-care-related issues critical to RCPA members.

RCPA policy staff will also review key issues. Pat Brier and Paul Dlugolecki from Brier Dlugolecki Strategies will present a budget update.

Please register here to participate. We look forward to your participation!

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