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Medical Rehab

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The Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) issued the following time-sensitive information that includes links to very important surveys regarding COVID-19 vaccine access and vaccination rates. Please take a few minutes to complete these. Additional instructions are included in this handout.

COVID-19 cases are increasing around the country and in Pennsylvania due to the Delta Variant. In order to continue to support our long-term and congregate care facilities and keep residents and staff safe, the Departments of Health (DOH) and Human Services (DHS) need to understand current vaccination rates for people receiving care and staff in licensed residential setting as well as providers’ abilities to access vaccines for staff and residents.

Please complete both surveys linked below by Friday, August 20:

  • DOH Vaccine Access Status
    • If you have any questions about the survey or how to access COVID-19 vaccines, please email DOH with the subject of the email “Long-Term Care Facility Survey Questions.”
  • DHS Vaccination Rate Survey (instructions here):
  • Both surveys are brief and will provide the most up-to-date information of how your facilities access vaccines as well as current vaccination rates at your facilities.

Your response to these surveys will help us ensure that your staff and residents can get a COVID-19 vaccine if they have not yet received one or, if necessary, receive a booster if they are recommended. We know that unvaccinated individuals are most at-risk of infection and complications related to the Delta Variant. DOH, DHS, and our partners strongly urge that all people who are eligible protect themselves and all around them by getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Please continue to encourage your staff and residents who are not yet vaccinated to protect themselves and get their shot.

Thank you for your support in our fight against COVID-19.

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Black and Brown Mental Health vs. Criminal Justice & Policing

Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm

Subject: Criminal Justice and Policing

Learning Objectives:
• Discuss the impact of Mental Health within the Criminal Justice System and Policing
• Discuss the current data as it relates to communities of color and these systems
• Learn what a community should know about how mental health needs are addressed within Criminal Justice and Policing

Handout: Black and Brown Mental Health vs Criminal Justice & Policing

Registration Link

For more information, contact System of Care Family Peer Support Specialist Lisa Kennedy. If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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RCPA regrets to inform our members that Charles Ray, former President/CEO for the National Council, has passed away. In his long and remarkable career, Charles effected broad changes in the behavioral health field, of which the impact is long-lasting and felt by many. Please see the message below from Chuck Ingoglia, current President and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The RCPA staff would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Charles’ family, colleagues, peers, and the rest of the behavioral health community.

One of the many things that makes the National Council special is our people. Today I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of a former employee who served with distinction.

Former President & Chief Executive Officer Charles Ray led the National Council for 15 years. He was a visionary leader of the managed care movement within the mental health community. After he left the National Council, Charles went on to work with and lead several organizations, most recently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of The REACH Institute in New York, whose mission is to bring evidence based behavioral treatment to children and adolescents.

He was a wonderful leader, but don’t just take my word for it.

Carl Clark, a former National Council Board member, also remembered Charles fondly:
“Charles Ray understood community behavioral health deeply from his running a center to the policy work he did through the National Council in Washington. He kept the needs of the people we serve and providers as the focus for making behavioral health services better in our country. I am thankful for his leadership and the lasting impact of his work.”

Betty Funk, former National Council Board member, provided this thoughtful remembrance:
“In the early days, Charles was a visionary leader of the managed care movement within the community mental health arena. It was a challenging time for all of us because we didn’t fit neatly into the complex health systems that needed to get geared up, and for the most part at the community level nationwide, we lacked comprehensive structure among ourselves. Through the National Council, and to some extent privately, Charles held the hands of all of us that got the message that we had to restructure and reorganize and learn how to collaborate, cooperative, count and compete. From the perspective of the Massachusetts system, Charles nurtured the creation of the best management practices that exist today.”

His lasting impact can be seen in many aspects of the work we continue to do, and we ask that you keep his family, friends and loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time.

Rest in Peace, Charles.

– Chuck

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Today, Governor Wolf announced that Commonwealth employees in state health care facilities and high-risk congregate facilities will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 7, 2021. Individuals who are not vaccinated will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Additionally, beginning September 7, 2021, all new external hires in these facilities must be vaccinated before commencing employment.

In addition to the ​”vaccine or test​” requirement, Governor Wolf announced a vaccine incentive for state employees under the governor’s jurisdiction. Starting October 1, 2021, ​all vaccinated state employees under the governor’s jurisdiction are eligible for an additional 7.5 or 8 hours paid time off. The Office of Administration will work with employees and agencies to develop a mechanism for employees to confirm proof of vaccination.

Currently, more than 63​% of Pennsylvanians 18 and older are fully vaccinated, with the state ranking fifth among all 50 states for total doses administered. Members are encouraged to review the vaccine outreach letter to help in promoting vaccinations to those in your facilities. Additional free resources are available on the PA Unites Against COVID website.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Health information technology — Electronic Health Records, Health Information Exchange, telemedicine, patient portals, electronic Clinical Quality Measures, and more — is continuing to change the healthcare industry in dramatic ways. More importantly, Health IT (HIT) is providing powerful tools to drive improvements in patient care and population health. The Department conducted a survey in October and November 2020, at the request of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), to determine the extent of Health Information Technology and Health Information Exchange (HIT/E) adoption and usage among Pennsylvania’s healthcare providers. A link to the Executive Summary and the Environmental Scan can be found on the DHS home page.

If you have any further questions, please email here.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has developed a new Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) training module specifically for Service Coordinators (SCs) and Direct Service Providers (DSPs).

SDoH are environmental and societal factors that impact health outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes SDoH as the conditions in which an individual is born, grows, lives, works and ages. These often-interrelated factors, though not medical in nature, can have a significant effect on health and long-term care outcomes.

The goal of this training is to educate SCs and DSPs about SDoH, review barriers to addressing SDoH with program participants, and apply the learning to the long-term care environment. To access the online training module, go to OLTL Service Coordinator Online Training – Dering. Complete the training module, then complete the registration page at the end of the training to receive credit for the course.

Questions about this training module should be directed to the enrollment unit.

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