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Children's Services

As noted in a previous alert from the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also been providing updates regarding the recent cybersecurity incident that impacted Change Healthcare (a unit of UnitedHealth Group). HHS has noted that their first priority is to help coordinate efforts to avoid disruptions to care throughout the health care system.

On March 5, 2024, HHS announced immediate steps that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking to assist providers to continue to serve patients. CMS will continue to communicate with the health care community and assist, as appropriate. Providers should continue to work with all their payers for the latest updates on how to receive timely payments.

Advocate for yourselves and others by meeting with legislators directly! Take the opportunity to join RCPA as we hold our annual Capitol Day this year on Tuesday, March 19. We will hold a press conference in the Main Rotunda between 10:30 am – 11:30 am, which will tentatively include speakers such as:

  • Representative Dan Miller;
  • Representative Stephen Kinsey;
  • Representative Doyle Heffley;
  • Senator Art Haywood; and
  • Senator Frank Farry.

You can register for our Capitol Day press conference by contacting Allison Brognia or Christine Tartaglione with the number of anticipated attendees. RCPA requests that members schedule appointments with their Senate and House legislators directly to discuss the state budget, legislation, and regulations after our press conference.

We ask that you please use RCPA’s legislative priorities one-pager during your legislative visits. As an additional resource, members can visit the Pennsylvania Capitol website to locate parking and view maps of the building. If you have questions regarding our 2024 Capitol Day, please contact Jack Phillips.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has shared several available resources to address providers’ concerns regarding the Change Healthcare outage. The system remains unavailable due to a current cyber-attack. You can read the full press release, which details resources and short-term solutions.

If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar.

Image by photosforyou from Pixabay

RCPA member Achieva and the Pennsylvania Health Law Project are hosting a webinar titled “Understanding Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waivers for People With Disabilities” from 10 am – 12 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Led by Janice Meinert from the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, the webinar will explore Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Home & Community-Based Waiver programs. Topics include eligibility criteria, the application process, available services, and annual waiver clinical eligibility redeterminations. For more details and registration, visit Achieva’s website. This project receives funding from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. For accessibility accommodations, please contact Patty Yerina. If you have additional questions, you may contact Jim Sharp, RCPA Mental Health Policy Director.

Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

The Early Bird registration deadline for Pennsylvania’s 21st Children’s Interagency Conference has been extended to March 15, 2024. From April 22 – April 25, 2024, the event will be held at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College, PA, focusing on the theme “Shining The Light on Mental Health: Building Youth Wellness & Resilience.” Keynote speakers Dani Bowman, Anthony Cammilleri, and Victor Armstrong will address attendees on April 22, 2024. The conference is organized by the PA Department of Human Services, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services, and the PA Care Partnership. Registration is now open at the 21st Children’s Interagency Conference Registration web page. For more information about the conference, visit the conference website. For assistance, contact conference planner Katrina Harris.

If you have any further questions, please contact Jim Sharp, RCPA Mental Health Policy Director.

The deadline for RCPA’s request for proposals is just one week away! Proposals must be submitted by COB next Monday, March 11 to be considered for the 2024 Annual Conference Embracing Challenges, Empowering Success, which will be held September 24 – 27 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. Our Conference Committee seeks workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as the use of artificial intelligence, telehealth innovations, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices and suicide prevention;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, performance-based contracting, acquisitions and mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective businesses; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting, and we highly encourage you to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share. Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Notification of inclusion for the conference will be made via email by Friday, May 17, 2024. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), collaborating with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) SOAR Technical Assistance Center, offers on-site technical assistance (TA) to communities interested in implementing or expanding the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model, aiding individuals at risk of homelessness or returning from institutions in navigating complex benefits systems. The TA, likely occurring in May or June 2024, requires community coordination and commitment. You can also view the one-pager regarding SOAR outcomes and an overview. Providers interested in participating should complete this survey. For any questions, contact Lauren MacWithey.

If you have any further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.