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OMHSAS

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Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services announced that Deputy Secretary Kristen Houser is resigning. Her resignation takes effect Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

RCPA would like to thank Deputy Secretary Houser for her collaboration and partnership during a critical time in the Commonwealth, including her support in the development of the telehealth bulletin, the Alternative Pay Arrangements between the BH-MCOs and providers, and the funding through the American Rescue Plan Funds for operations and workforce sustainability during COVID-19.

RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley notes, “We greatly enjoyed our time working with Deputy Secretary Houser and appreciate all the energy she brought to OMHSAS. This was particularly notable, as her tenure spanned an especially difficult time through the pandemic. This could only be accomplished with sound leadership. We also look back fondly on her time with RCPA and valued her contribution to the association. We wish Deputy Secretary Houser all the best as she embarks on the next part of her career.”

Read the message from Deputy Secretary Kristen Houser below:

I am writing to share that I have given Acting Secretary Snead my resignation from my position with OMHSAS and have accepted the position of Executive Director of the Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania. My last day in the office will be Wednesday, October 19.   

It has truly been an honor to serve as the Deputy Secretary for the past two and a half years, and I have learned so much from so many of you. The work you do here is incredibly important, and you have done it through some truly unbelievable times. Many of you have stepped up and stepped in to answer my many questions, provide history and context, share knowledge, teach processes, make introductions, etc., so that I could learn our systems, know our stakeholders, understand our funding and data, and most of all, remember who we serve. Thank you for your support, your dedication, and your work.

I do not know who will step in to the Deputy Secretary position, but Acting Secretary Snead and Executive Deputy Secretary Barnes will share information as soon as they are able.   

Warm regards, 

Kristen 

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Photo by visuals on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are hosting a Town Hall focused on Behavioral Health Telehealth Services for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism (ID/A).

The Town Hall will provide an overview of the Telehealth for ID/A project and opportunities for engagement, including details on future stakeholder focus groups. The meeting will also host breakout rooms to gather stakeholder feedback on the benefits and barriers of telehealth for individuals with ID/A.

This is an opportunity for you to assist the Commonwealth by providing feedback on how telehealth works for you or someone you care about and giving suggestions for broadening and improving the service for the ID/A population.

We look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall. However, if you cannot make it, maybe you know someone else who can. Please feel free to forward this invitation to other interested parties. Please register for the meeting using the link below.

Register for the November 7, 2022 Town Hall

Note: If you are experiencing issues accessing the link, try right clicking the link, selecting “Copy Link,” and pasting the link into your browser. If the problem persists, try a different browser.

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Immediate Action Required for Regulatory Compliance – Please Read Carefully

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is providing a critical update to those providers who hold a license to operate a facility licensed by DHS. On August 18, 2022, DHS and RCPA released an alert regarding changes in how licensed agencies provide information related to civil rights compliance. Since that time, DHS has received several questions and is providing further clarification.

  1. When sending the CRC form or the CRC attestation form, please send it as a PDF. Please do NOT send as a secure file, secure email, or link to a secure portal to retrieve the document. We are unable to access those forms, and they will be returned. When emailing the forms for submission:
    1. Use the following naming convention in the subject line when submitting Renewal HS2125:
      • Attestation – Program Office – Name of Facility or Agency – License number or APP number if assigned
        • Examples:
          • Attestation – OCYF – Apple Agency Home – 123450
          • Attestation – ODP – Apple Agency – APP-00123456
    2. Use the following naming convention in the subject line when submitting a new application HS2126:
      • New – Program Office – Type of Service – Name of Facility or Agency
        • Examples:
          • New – BHSL  – PCH – Apple Personal Care Home
          • New – ODP – Life Sharing – Apple Agency – APP-00223456
  2. In the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), there are providers who have one license that cover multiple locations. In this case, you only need to submit one form (either the HS2125 or the HS2126) and list the addresses of each satellite site/location that falls under that license.
  3. If in the past, you completed the Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire (CRCQ) annually, as part of the renewal license process, you will need to complete the Civil Rights Attestation (HS2125) when you receive your next notice to complete the renewal application process.
  4. If you have a current license, your CRC was approved. You will need to complete the Civil Rights Attestation (HS2125) when you receive your next notice to complete the renewal application process.
  5. For Assisted Living and Personal Care Home providers, when submitting the renewal application for a license, the renewal application, the renewal application fee, and the Attestation (HS2125) must be sent in hard copy in one envelope to Licensing Administration in Harrisburg, as noted on the cover letter of the renewal application packet.
  6. Please ensure that the “Non-Discrimination in Employment” policy statement and the “Non-Discrimination in Services” policy statement issued by your facility contain updated contact information (as indicated below). If this administrative update is the only change that has occurred since the facility’s last license was issued, it is not necessary to provide updated copies to the Department as part of Form HS 2125.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Human Services
BEO/Office of Civil Rights Compliance
Room 225, Health & Welfare Building
P.O. Box 2675 Harrisburg, PA 17120
Inquiries: (717) 787-1127
Email

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centralized Case Management Operations 200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F HHH Bldg
Washington, D.C. 20201
Customer Response Center: (800) 368-1019 TDD: (800) 537-7697

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
801 Market Street, Suite 1000
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3126
Inquiries: (800) 669-4000
Complaint Process Overview

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
333 Market Street, 8th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Inquiries: (717) 787-4410

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Image by photosforyou from Pixabay

This webinar series is being provided by the GLS Youth Suicide Prevention Team in collaboration with The COVID-19 Emergency Response Suicide Prevention & National Strategy For Suicide Prevention Grant Team.

Suicide Risk Assessment for Mental Health Professionals

  • October 6, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Safety Planning for Mental Health Professionals

  • October 13, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Family Engagement for Mental Health Professionals

  • October 27, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Postvention Training for Schools and Community Behavioral Health Partners

  • November 3, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm

Lethal Means Reduction for Mental Health Professionals

  • November 10, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Visit here for more information and registration.

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A Better Understanding of Mental Health to Improve Systems and Supports

Articles in this issue of Positive Approaches focus on lived experiences and emerging treatments and supports for people with mental health challenges, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Article topics include the training process and outcomes of Mental Health First Aid, a Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and Allegheny County DHS pilot program to better address the complex needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and/or acute behavioral health needs, and an interview with a person with lived experience discussing the gaps, challenges, and opportunities of supporting someone with an autism spectrum diagnosis and co-occurring mental health diagnoses. There are also articles detailing the transition process from an institutionalized setting to a community setting and the outcomes for individuals with autism and drawing on research and lived experience to conclude that mental health conditions in autistic people are a result of the society in which they live with autism, not autism itself.

This issue of Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online, or available for downloading here. To print a copy of the PDF, online journal, or a specific article, you will find these options within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. A new window will open with your selected document. In your browser, you may click the Print button in the top left corner of the page, or by using the Print capability within your browser.

Please submit feedback regarding your experience with the Positive Approaches Journal on MyODP by clicking on the feedback image on MyODP within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page.

The Positive Approaches Journal is published quarterly. For additional information, please contact ODP Training.

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Young caregiver helping older lady to stand up

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is pleased to announce the issuance of Bulletin OMHSAS-22-06 titled “Revised Bulletin for Services to Older Adults.”

In 2019, Pennsylvania ranked 7th in the United States for the largest number of adults 65 and older. In the U.S., between 2020 and 2030, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million, a 39% increase. The fastest growing segment of the population during the next two decades is expected to be in the age 85 and older group. Social isolation and limited access to supports negatively impact the well-being of older adults.

Depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental illnesses are not a normal part of aging and should not be considered as such. As individuals age, the support networks utilized to help manage symptoms of a mental illness may change, resulting in individuals seeking services for the first time in their lives.

The development of depressive disorders occurs frequently in older adults, making it critical that comprehensive mental health evaluations are conducted based on presenting symptoms regardless of age. It is important for providers to evaluate for suicidality given that older adult males have the highest suicide completion rate of any age group.

Older persons diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder, including dementia, who are experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress syndromes, and behavioral agitation, are guaranteed access to mental health services under laws and regulations of the Commonwealth.

If you have questions or concerns related to this bulletin, please email OMHSAS or contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), in collaboration with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), will be hosting a webinar on September 9 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am to support counties in their use of annual Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) funds. This webinar will include an overview of IECMH, organizations that host IECMH-related conferences, summits, and/or trainings that are preapproved for reimbursement, and instruction for counties on how to submit an IECMH funding request that is not preapproved.

See the Program Flyer for additional details.

MEETING REGISTRATION:

Please register for the IECMH Funding Webinar on September 9, 2022, 9:00 am EDT. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Call-in Number: 415-655-0052
Access Code: 733418631#

For questions regarding the webinar, please contact Amy Kabiru or RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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