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DDAP

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced today that the agency recently issued Pennsylvania’s first telehealth exceptions for a DDAP-licensed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider in Pennsylvania to Gateway Rehabilitation Center (GRC).

In its press release, DDAP said that telehealth and mobile treatment options have been proven to reduce barriers like transportation, stigma, and provider shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities.

GRC has been an SUD treatment provider in Pennsylvania since 1972. Its telehealth-only program will provide a secure patient portal, an interactive app, encrypted messaging, appointment reminders, resources, education, and a virtual telehealth suite that offers SUD counseling, psychiatric services, medication-assisted recovery, preventive care, and coordination to other levels of care as needed.

Prior to the creation of the telehealth-only licensure category in December 2024, only SUD treatment facilities with a physical location in Pennsylvania could apply to DDAP for a license to also offer telehealth services. This new program does not require a physical location for a treatment provider to administer telehealth services.

A facility seeking to be licensed to provide telehealth-only services, without a physical location, will be required to, among other things:

  • Maintain clinical records on a web-based electronic health record program;
  • Maintain an electronic system for personnel files, including training records; and
  • Agree to provide DDAP remote access to the facility files and client records any time access is requested in accordance with 42 CFR 2.53 — Audit and Evaluation.

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As part of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ (DDAP) monthly technical assistance series, Mercer, the contracted actuarial firm for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, will lead a training from 10:00 am – 11:00 am on Monday, July 7, which will be heavily focused on the infrastructure component of the upcoming American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) ambulatory level of care (i.e., outpatient) alignment audits. The goal is to help providers understand foundational requirements and allow time to develop or refine policies prior to upcoming audits. While the record review portion of the auditing tool created by Mercer will also be discussed, the primary emphasis will be on preparing providers from a systems and infrastructure standpoint.

Mercer will also share the expected timeline for the next audit cycle and provide an overview of how behavioral health managed care organizations will conduct the audits.

To receive future calendar invitations for DDAP’s technical assistance webinars, email DDAP.

Use the Microsoft Teams meeting information below to connect to the monthly technical assistance webinars.

Join the Meeting
Meeting ID: 251 094 183 507
Passcode: sM9ZF9Wi
Download Teams | Join on the web

Or call in (audio only)
+1 267-332-8737,,894440996# United States, Philadelphia
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 894 440 996#
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African Woman Filling Survey Poll Or Form On Laptop Computer

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), is conducting a Women’s Health Survey to better understand the health experiences and coverage needs of women across the commonwealth.

The survey is open through July 7, 2025, and takes 10 minutes or less to complete. It is designed to capture voices from all backgrounds — including women impacted by substance use disorder — so the administration can better identify and address gaps in care, coverage, and support.

Providers are asked for their help in sharing the survey by posting the flyer in their facilities and promoting the survey link on their social media or publishing the link in newsletters. All responses are anonymous and will help inform future outreach, programming, and policy decisions.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will kick off Recovery Month with “Recovery Out Loud,” from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 6 on City Island, located along the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg.

DDAP will then close the month-long celebration with its Wellness & Resource Fair at Soldier’s Grove in Harrisburg from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm for wellness activities, helpful resources, and a celebration of support. Those interested in hosting a wellness activity or resource table can sign up by September 1.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Recovery Month, which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) notified single county authorities (SCA) that it will continue to distribute federal COVID-related grant funding to SCAs while the US District Court considers a 23-state lawsuit seeking an emergency temporary restraining order against US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for abruptly terminating COVID-grant funds that were appropriated for use for states until September 30, 2025. Those grant funds include a supplemental to the Substance Use Disorder Block Grant. The lawsuit was filed on April 1.

Though not confirmed, media reports suggest the termination of grants could cost the Pennsylvania Department of Health $301 million, along with an additional $28 million or more hit against DDAP.

DDAP had been using these grant funds to expand testing and provide resources for COVID; support providers and help meet local needs during the pandemic; and expand the substance use disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services continuum, including various evidence-based services and supports for individuals, families, and communities.

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Governor Shapiro and Pennsylvania are listed along with 22 other plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in US District Court in Rhode Island, requesting an emergency temporary restraining order against US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for abruptly terminating COVID-grant funds, including a supplemental to the Substance Use Disorder Block Grant, that were appropriated for use for states until September 30, 2025.

Though not confirmed, media reports suggest the termination of grants could cost the Pennsylvania Department of Health $301 million, along with an additional $28 million or more hit against the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP).

DDAP had been using these grant funds to expand testing and provide resources for COVID; support providers and help meet local needs during the pandemic; and expand the substance use disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services continuum, including various evidence-based services and supports for individuals, families, and communities.

DDAP is examining its options to maintain the full array of services offered by single county authorities and their providers to ensure Pennsylvanians continue to receive the lifesaving supports they need.

The factual allegations and legal background in the lawsuit state that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress appropriated substantial funds to strengthen public health programs that were not tied to the duration of the public health emergency. HHS and Congress continued to make these public health funds available after the end of the pandemic.

On Monday, March 24, with no advance notice, HHS abruptly terminated $11 billion in grants and cooperation agreements funded by appropriations from COVID-related laws. States were notified through letters from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). The letters indicated the grants were issued for a limited purpose: to ameliorate the effects of the pandemic. The end of the pandemic provides cause to terminate COVID-related grants. Now that the pandemic is over, the grants are no longer necessary.

The lawsuit goes on to state the terminations have caused and will continue to cause irreparable harm and asks the court to vacate and set aside the termination of the funding and any other further actions taken by US HHS to implement or enforce them, among other requests.

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Pennsylvania’s single county authorities (SCA), in collaboration with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), developed a new rate-setting package (i.e., XYZ Package) for residential providers to submit cost-based rate requests for Fiscal Year 2025/26.

The deadline to submit the rate package has been extended to Monday, March 24. This change is reflected in the package itself, which, along with a training video for how to complete the new package, is available on the PACDAA website.

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The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) today announced an investment of more than $2 million in grant funding for five Pennsylvania organizations to help improve Pennsylvanians’ access to substance use disorder (SUD) recovery houses that are licensed through DDAP.

Funding for these grants is provided from the more than $1 billion in funding Pennsylvania continues to receive from a large national opioid settlement with three distributors and one manufacturer.

DDAP is awarding five grants of up to $500,000 each to the following community-based organizations:

  • The Bridge Foundation: Philadelphia
  • The Worx!: Allegheny County
  • Sage’s Army: Allegheny, Westmorland, Fayette, and Washington counties
  • Westmoreland Community Action: Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington, Somerset, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Greene, Lawrence, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, Clearfield, Jefferson, Clarion, Mercer, Venango, Forest, Elk, McKean, and Crawford counties
  • Life Changing Pathways: Adams and York counties

The organizations are charged with leading initiatives to link individuals with opioid use disorder and any co-occurring SUD or mental health condition to DDAP-licensed recovery houses. They must also ensure these individuals have access to case management and peer support services while residing in a recovery house as well as access to financial assistance for those who are not able to pay the full cost of residing in a recovery house. In addition, all five grantees must have a plan to increase services to underserved populations and have a training plan to ensure staff are well-prepared to serve them.

Currently, there are about 400 DDAP-licensed recovery houses across the commonwealth. The purpose of the licensure program is to help empower sustained recovery for individuals with SUD by ensuring a network of safe drug and alcohol recovery houses. Individuals can find a listing of licensed recovery houses on DDAP’s website.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will host a webinar at 10:00 am on Monday, March 3, to discuss the changes to 42 CFR Part 8 and their real-world implications in treatment settings. The interactive session will feature Dr. Sarah Kawasaki and Elizabeth Ward, both from the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s Advancement in Recovery Opioid Treatment Program.

Add the meeting to your calendar.

Email DDAP to receive calendar invitations to upcoming webinars, which are held the first Monday of every month.

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