■ P C P A N E W S

An informational newsletter compiled by the Pennsylvania Community Providers Association for the MH, IDD, and D&A communities

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2

In efforts to maintain an unprecedented learning experience for colleagues, the PCPA Conference Committee offered 50 work-shops, two plenaries, and key networking opportunities. The

conference began on Tuesday with workshops, a plenary on ethics in peer/non-peer professional relationships, and the Presidents Welcome Reception. The week concluded with speakers from SAMHSA who addressed key issues in the health care and policy environments that affect the work of members. In between were more workshops, a vi-brant Exhibit Hall, networking events, time to relax and interact with colleagues, and opportunities for creative thinking to inspire passion to create change. Jan Noe, Penndel Mental Health Center, was the winner of the $1,000 Southwest Airlines grand prize. PCPA thanks our presenters, exhibitors, and especially our sponsors for support of the conference. Mark your calendar for October 8 – 11, 2013. ■

More than 550

people joined PCPA

at Seven Springs

Mountain Resort

October 9 – 12 to

“catch the wave”

and celebrate the

association’s 40th

anniversary.

Highlights on pages 6-7

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2 Committee Reports 3 Director’s Viewpoint 4 Legislative Affairs 6 Conference Highlights 8 State News Briefs 9 Across the Nation

12 Mental Health Headlines 13 Drug & Alcohol Action 14 IDD Focus 17 Children’s Corner 19 Classifieds 19 Conferences/Trainings

I N T H I S I S S U E

Executive DirectorGeorge J. Kimes

Deputy DirectorLynn Cooper

Policy SpecialistsLinda Drummond, MPAConnell O’Brien, MEd Betty Simmonds

Director of Legislative AffairsAnne McHugh Leisure, MHA

Technical & Conference Services CoordinatorKris Ericson, PhD

Membership & Marketing CoordinatorSteve Neidlinger, CAE

Director of Training & Resource DevelopmentJen Bankard

Office Manager Cindy Lloyd

Administrative/Fiscal AssistantTieanna Lloyd

Secretary Kathy Morrow

©2012. This newsletter is written by the Pennsylvania Community Providers Association (PCPA) for the mental health, intellectual disability, and addictive disease communities. This informational newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for publication is the third Friday of every month.

Pennsylvania Community Providers Association2101 N Front StBldg 3, Ste 200Harrisburg, PA 17110

717-364-3280—Phone717-364-3287—Fax

www.paproviders.org

■ C O M M I T T E E R E P O R T S

Intellectual and Developmental DisabilitiesThe September Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Committee featured an overview of the Office of Developmen-tal Programs’ (ODP) 2012/13 budget, information regarding the consolidated licensing initiative, and recommendations to PCPA’s training coordinator on potential topics for future trainings. Bureau of Human Services Consolidated Licensing Director Ron Melusky provided an overview of this joint licensing initiative (see the related article on page 15). Melusky’s office will review any licensing decision made by the licensing inspector before a decision is made on compli-ance. ODP Deputy Secretary Kevin Friel provided an overview of the ODP budget. Highlights include the addition of a waiting list initiative of $17.8 million for waiver services. This breaks down to $4.4 million for 700 special education graduates and $13.4 million for 403 emergency placements for those currently living with elderly caregivers. The Centers for Medicare and Med-icaid Services has approved both the Consolidated and Person/Family Directed Support Waivers for 2012 – 17, with about $1.8 billion in state and federal dol-lars. The P/FDS waiver cap was raised from $26,000 to $30,000. Effective July 1 residential providers no longer bill for vacancies or leave days but now have a vacancy factor of 97 percent. ODP has moved the following services to a state-set fee schedule: non-residential, respite, and residential ineligible. ■

SCO SubcommitteeThe September Supports Coordination Organizations (SCO) Subcommittee focused on discussion relating to issues with Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) policies, rates, and fees. Several SCOs have filed formal rate appeals with the Bureau of Hearings and Appeals regarding fee schedule rates, which are very low and impact the agency’s financial stability. Many SCOs have gone to mobile staff due to funding cuts the past two years. A variety of issues are arising with this model such as productivity and supervision. There are also legal wage and hour issues with staff working from homes and vehicles. In 2009 the subcom-mittee developed a list of supports coordinator responsibilities to share with ODP. As system changes continue it was decided the subcommittee will develop an updated list of responsibilities such as new policies, monitoring, qualifi-cations, and licensing. Members should share recommendations with Policy Specialist Linda Drummond (linda@paproviders.org). ■

Deputy Secretary Kevin Friel

■ D I R E C T O R ’ S V I E W P O I N T

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As most of you are aware, one of the principal activities of a trade association is advocacy on behalf of members. PCPA has always taken its advocacy responsibilities very seriously. The association has devoted sig-nificant resources to this part of

our mission. Administrative and legislative advocacy comprise much of the efforts of our staff and consultants. As I have written previous-ly, the Corbett administration has promoted numerous changes which have made the delivery of community services more difficult, resulting in increased advo-cacy by PCPA. The challenges to providers have been formidable, necessitating stronger action.

After considering the circumstances facing provid-ers, the PCPA Board of Directors decided to move our advocacy to the next level by joining litigation focused on two of the most egregious components of the 2012/13 state budget. In October, the associa-tion was one of several organizations that joined a group of low-income Pennsylvanians with disabilities in filing a lawsuit (Billie Washington v. Department of Public Welfare) in Commonwealth Court to block the implementation of Act 80, the legislation which established the pilot block grant programs and termi-nated the General Assistance Program. A hearing for our request for a preliminary injunction was held the week of October 22. As I write this column, the hear-ing has concluded and we await the judge’s decision.

I had hoped to be able to report the results of the hearing, but Hurricane Sandy is approaching, the judge’s decision is still pending, and we need to go press, but I can share some of my reactions to the hearing. First, I again commend our board for the thorough and comprehensive manner in which they reviewed the circumstances and made their deci-sion to litigate. Next, let there be no doubt that litigation is an adversarial process. I have always had the deepest respect for government and for the individuals who conduct the “people’s business.” The public servants who determine government policy are typically hard working, professional, and competent

We have taken our advocacy to the next level and we will continue to battle on behalf of our members and, more importantly, on behalf of those you serve and support.

A New Levelindividuals. I have spent my entire career seeking ways to cooperate and work with those policy makers. Litiga-tion requires an entirely different approach and different actions.

The testimony put forward to make our case required extraordinary strength by some called to testify. Foremost among those was Billie Washington, the named petitioner in the lawsuit, who courageously testified as to her cir-cumstances created by the loss of a $200/month general assistance payment. Facing the formality of the majestic and imposing Commonwealth Court room, the presence of a “judge,” and the harsh and negatively insinuating questions of the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) attorney, Ms. Washington made a case for the difficulties she faced. Even our good friend and legislative champion Rep. Gene DiGirolamo was not spared insinuations as the DPW attorneys tried to focus on contributions made to his campaign committee by other plaintiffs.

I want to thank all the plaintiffs, the team of attorneys who prepared the case, those who testified, and those who provided other support, including their presence in the courtroom. We have taken our advocacy to the next level and we will continue to battle on behalf of our members and, more importantly, on behalf of those you serve and support.

George J. Kimes, Executive Directorgeorge@paproviders.org

This column represents my opinion, not necessarily that of the association. ■

■ L E G I S L A T I V E A F F A I R S

For additional information on legislative issues, contact PCPA at 717-364-3280. For copies of bills, call your local legislator, the House Document Room 717-787-5320, or visit the General Assembly’s Electronic Bill Room at www.legis.state.pa.us.

Thank You

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PAC Activities at ConferenceThanks to all who supported the Pennsylvania Community Providers Politi-cal Action Committee (PCP PAC) fundraising activities at conference! Those who participated in the Silent Auction and Scramble, PACPot, or bowled in the Government Relations Institute (GRI©) bowling tournament helped raise a record total of more than $7,180! PCPA extends special thanks to Matthew Dorman, co-founder and CEO, Credible Behavioral Healthcare Soft-ware, for his very generous contribution. In addition to his commitment to PCPA’s legislative advocacy, Mr. Dorman expressed hope that his contribu-tion will serve as a model to others.

The GRI© bowling tournament was also a big success, with six teams vying for the championship. The Gutter Gang from Community Services Group won the tournament with The Lenapins of Lenape Valley Foundation taking the second spot. Special kudos to The Gutter Gang for getting team spon-sors and earning over $530 for the PCP PAC. Bowling teams were spon-sored by Behavioral HealthWorks (The Gears), Community Services Group (The Gutter Gang), JEVS/ACT (The Bowling Stones), Lenape Valley Founda-tion (The Lenapins), Salisbury Behavioral Health (The Lucky Strikes), and Wesley Spectrum Services (The Wesley Wildcats)

The PCP PAC plays a vital role in educating elected officials and helping to elect and reelect candidates who support quality community services. A strong PAC contributes immeasurably to the success of PCPA’s statewide advocacy programs. ■

A number of GRI volunteers and friends helped sell tickets and man the table and are much appreciated. Special thanks to Sally Rutkowski, The Achievement Center; Lisa Basci and staff of Community Services Group; and Phil Braun, Lenape Valley Foundation for invaluable time and assistance! Donations to the Silent Auction and Scramble made a beauti-ful display and generated record bids and ticket sales. Those who made these generous donations possible are:

A Achievement Center, Inc.

A Community Services Group

A Community Behavioral Health Network of Pennsylvania (CBHNP) and Partners

A Elkwood Arts, Dickinson Mental Health Center

A Family Services of Western Pennsylvania

A Intercommunity Action, Inc.

A George Kimes

A Lenape Valley Foundation, Inc.

A Kathy Manderino

A Milestone Centers, Inc.

A Danielle Pulaski, CSG

A Salisbury Behavioral Health, Inc.

A Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center

A Wesley Spectrum Services ■ The Gutter Gang, Community Services Group, were winners of the 2012 GRI bowling tournament and raised $530 for the PCP PAC.

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Act 80 Lawsuit Opens in Commonwealth Court

A detailed PCPA Legislative Alert on October 25 outlines how the Act 80 Lawsuit opened in Commonwealth Court. It is available at www.paproviders.org. PCPA is

one of several statewide organizations who joined a group of low-income Pennsylvanians with disabilities in filing a lawsuit to block the implementation of Act 80, the legisla-tion which established the pilot block grant programs and terminated the General Assistance Program. A hearing for the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction took place October 23 and October 24.

The legal team for the plaintiffs consisted of Greg Heller, Young Ricchiuti Caldwell & Heller; Alan Warshaw, Rhoads & Sinon, LLP; and Michael Froehlich, Community Legal Servic-es, Inc. In arguments for the injunction, Heller and Warshaw put forward not only legal and process claims, but focused on making a case that Act 80 will result in irreparable harm if its implementation is allowed to continue. The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) legal team countered with testi-mony from county commissioners and DPW officials. After presenting closing arguments Judge Quigley did not render a determination, stating that he would rule on the injunction shortly thereafter. PCPA will share further news when it is available. ■

General Assembly Adjourned While both the Pennsylvania Senate and House are scheduled to be in session in November after the elec-tions, session days will be devoted to leadership elec-tions and other legislative housekeeping. The General Assembly will not introduce or vote on legislation until the next session begins in January 2013. The following 25 legislators will not be on the ballot for reelection.

SENATORS Jane Earll (R-Erie) – retired Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin) – retired Mary Jo White (R-Venango) – retired

REPRESENTATIVES John Bear (R-Lancaster) – retired Scott Boyd (R-Lancaster) – retired Joe Brennan (D-Lehigh) – retired Ron Buxton (D-Dauphin) – retired Tom Creighton (R-Lancaster) – retired Lawrence Curry (D-Montgomery) – retired John Evans (R-Erie) – retired Richard Geist (R-Blair) – lost primary Camille “Bud” George (D-Clearfield) – retired Mike Gerber (D-Montgomery) – retired John Hornaman (D-Erie) – retiredScott Hutchinson (R-Venango) – running for state Senate Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) – lost primary Jennifer Mann (D-Lehigh) – retired Kevin Murphy (D-Lackawanna) – lost primary John Myers (D-Philadelphia) – retired Tony Payton (D-Philadelphia) – retired Scott Perry (R-York) – running for US House Joe Preston (D-Allegheny) – lost primaryDante Santoni (D-Berks) – retired Ed Staback (D-Lackawanna) – retired Ken Smith (D-Lackawanna) – lost primary

The following incumbent representatives will be on the ballot for two offices:

Eugene DePasquale (D-York) – State House and Auditor General

John Maher (R-Allegheny) – State House and Auditor General

Matt Smith (D-Allegheny) – State House and State Senate ■

Governor Signs Methadone LegislationRep. Gene DiGirolamo’s House Bill 140, which establishes a methadone death and incident review team, was approved by Governor Corbett on October 24 as Act 148, The Methadone Death and Incident Review Act. The established team will review methadone-related deaths and incidents and de-velop policy recommendations to promote safety and reduce methadone-related deaths. Deaths to be reviewed include drug overdoses and vehicle accidents. Team duties include the development and promulgation of best practices to prevent deaths/incidents, preparation of an annual report to the House and Senate, and recommendations of changes to statutes and regulations.

PCPA members have worked with DiGirolamo on methadone initiatives and wrote a letter of support for this legislation. The review is expected to support reports that a number of methadone deaths and incidents are associated with inap-propriate utilization of methadone prescribed for pain. ■

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Dr. Roy Chengappa, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, and Ms. Dianna Brocious were recog-nized by PCPA on October 10 during a special luncheon at the conference.

Dr. Roy Chengappa (right) was honored with the PCPA President’s Award, the association’s highest recognition, by President Jon Evans for his dedication, leadership, and passion to advance the science of psychopharmacology to enhance the treatment of individuals with serious mental illness. Dr. Chengappa has spent 22 years conducting clinical trials of antipsychotic medications to improve care of and treatment for individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He has published research results in several journals and is co-editor and chief of Bipolar Disorder. In recent years, Dr. Chengappa has begun investi-gations into the use of natural substances to enhance cognition in people with mental illness. He also provides direct patient care at Western Psychiatric Insti-tute and Clinic of UPMC and mentors psychiatric residents and medical students.

Legislative Affairs Committee Co-chairs Alan Hartl and Kathy Manderino provided a moving introduction for Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (third from left), recipient of the Raymond R. Webb, Jr. Government Relations Award, noting the numerous actions and legislative activities he had undertaken over the years in support of human services. Rep. DiGirolamo spoke of the efforts and working together it took to move ideas and actions forward, singling out Melanie Brown, executive director, House Human Services Committee as an extraordi-nary partner and telling the audience that they would share the award.

PCPA Honors Exemplary Individuals

Ms. Dianna Brocious (left) was honored with the Marilyn Mennis Memorial Award for her work on behalf of children, youth, and families in Pennsylvania. Since ac-cepting her award, Ms. Brocious has sent comments to the association that read, in part, as follows. “I am the product of a lot of good people and most of them were providers. It was BECAUSE of the good providers with their dedication, will-ingness to help, and ultimately their choice to believe us when we said that some-thing was wrong and our son was somehow ‘wired wrong.’ Our son had psychiatrist, psychologists, case managers, TSS workers, family based therapists, residential treatment staff, and all of these people played an integral part in teaching me about the systems… Good people need to be noticed and thanked. I ask you to pass along this note of gratitude for the extraordinary recognition you have given to me and to all the parents, advocates, and providers that were in our lives .....for as I stood receiving that beautiful award they were all behind my husband and I just out of sight to all of you but very, very present to us.”

The 2012 PCPA Conference Highlights

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7The 2012 Conference Committee co-chaired by Mike Hanawalt and Lisa Cronauer.

Conference SponsorsPLATINUM SPONSORSCBHNPCommunity Care Behavioral Health

GOLD SPONSORSQoL MedsAskesis Development Group, Inc.Credible Behavioral Healthcare Software

SILVER SPONSORSBrown & Brown of Lehigh Valley, Inc.Gateway RehabNew Story/PAHrtnersOptumHealth

BRONZE SPONSORSHorizon HouseMagellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania, Inc.The Meadows/ Universal Community Behavioral HealthValue Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania

Twenty members and friends gathered for a round of golf and a chipping contest on the golf course to benefit the PCP PAC

Joan Erney and David Shillcutt, SAMHSA Office of Policy, Planning, and Innovation were speakers for the closing plenary on Friday – “Navigating Rough Waters.”

Brian Block was one of many exemplary presenters who offered information during the course of the conference. In particular, he spoke as part of the new track provided by PCPA focused on ethics.

David Volosov stands amidst the New Story/PAHrtners booth in Exhibit Hall. In addition to serving as a sponsor for the 2012 conference, New Story/PAHrtners was also selected as “Best in Show.”

Dr. Dale Bomberger came in character for his presentation on “Leadership Lessons From Santa Claus.”

■ S T A T E N E W S B R I E F S

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Essential Health Benefits UpdateThe Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) commissioned a report by Deloitte Consulting, LLP to assist with identification of the essential health benefits package for Pennsylvania. The report identifies the benchmark plan options for Pennsylvania. The default option, if no package is identified to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the largest plan, by enrollment, among the three largest small group products in the state. Each of the possible plan options would require supplementation to meet the 10 benefit categories established in the Affordable Care Act. The report found that all options are similar in overall value and scope of covered services, other than adult dental services. The report further states that federal guid-ance is not clear regarding the process to determine whether a plan adequately covers each of the required benefit categories. The report is available at www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/health_insurance/9189/fed-eral_health_insurance_reform/713453. PID indicated that guidance from HHS is needed before Pennsylvania can move forward. The outcome of the upcoming election process will have bearing on proceedings. PID maintains that it is committed to pursuing health care reform solutions that work best for Penn-sylvanians. ■

DPW Settles Enrollment ChallengeOn October 24 the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) announced an expedit-ed reinstatement process in response to a challenge posed by Community Legal Services for 130,000 people who were dropped from Medicaid rolls. About 100,000 of these individuals (adults and children who were found ineligible) will receive a notice from DPW on “distinctive blue paper” informing them of their right to appeal and expedited reinstatement if they are eligible. Individu-als will have 35 days from the date of the letter to complete and return the eligibility form to a location identified on the envelope provided, along with paystubs and unpaid medical bills from the period of termination or receipts from medical bills paid during that time. Eligibility decisions will be made within 30 days unless additional information is needed. Providers may be con-tacted to provide copies of unpaid medical bills or receipts. DPW asks providers to encourage those who receive letters to complete and return the form. ■

Medical Assistance Bulletin IssuedMedical Assistance Bulletin 99-12-09, New Procedure Codes for Tobacco Cessa-tion Counseling Services, (http://services.dpw.state.pa.us/olddpw/bulletinsearch.aspx?BulletinId=4858) was issued October 3 and is effective retroactively to June 25. The bulletin applies to the fee-for-service program. Coding or payment questions related to managed care should be directed to the applicable man-aged care organization. This bulletin notifies providers of new procedure codes for billing Tobacco Cessation Counseling services. The procedure code informa-tion in this bulletin replaces the procedure code information in MA Bulletin 99-07-02, Policy Reinforcement Regarding Billing for Tobacco Cessation Counseling Services, issued January 4, 2007. Procedure codes were updated to reflect 2012 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System changes. ■

DPW Audit FindingsThe Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has provided a list of findings from recent audits, including the contracted examinations and Agreed Upon Procedures reviews. The findings were largely expected given discus-sions over the past year or more related to fraud, waste, and abuse, but most were unremarkable. The listing provides no context, quantita-tive analysis, or explanation for the findings. Some findings from Bureau of Financial Operations audits were inadequate documentation to support fee-for-service billing, incomplete time sheets, high CEO/CFO salaries, top-heavy pension plans, billing for ineligible costs, and internal control issues

Other findings from contracted exami-nations and Agreed Upon Procedures audits included:

A No documentation to support that real estate rent charged did not exceed the related-party les-sor’s costs,

A Principal and interest were charged on a mortgage that exceeded the fair market value of real estate,

A Unsupported cost allocation plan,

A Depreciation charged for unre-lated assets, and

A No general ledger maintained.

PCPA will pursue further clarifica-tion. Tina Long, director, Bureau of Financial Operations, will attend the November Mental Health Committee meeting to discuss these audits and additional audits planned for 2013. Contact Betty Simmonds (betty@paproviders.org) with questions. ■

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The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2013 provides information about OIG activi-ties related to HHS programs and operations in fiscal year 2013. The work plan describes primary objectives, indicates projected timeframes for reporting results, and whether it is a new or continuing initiative. Reports will be available on the OIG web site. The OIG does not provide updates prior to project completion. The work plan is available as a single document or by sections (https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/workplan/index.asp#current).

Some key OIG initiatives include:

A Partial Hospitalization Programs focusing on pay-ments supported by documentation, including plans of care, physician supervision, and certifica-tion requirements.

A Nursing Homes—Use of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs will examine use of atypical antipsychotic medications, including the percentage of residents receiving them and the types of drugs most com-monly received.

A Error Rate for Incident-To Services Performed by Non-physicians will review physician billing for “incident-to” services to determine whether these payments had a higher error rate than that for non-incident-to services.

A Potentially Inappropriate Payments in 2010 and the consistency of Evaluation and Management (E/M) Services medical review determinations. Multiple E/M services for the same providers and beneficiaries will be reviewed to identify elec-tronic health records documentation practices associated with potentially improper payments. Medicare contractors have noted an increased fre-quency of medical records with identical documen-tation across services.

A Claims Processing Errors—Medicare Payments for Part B Claims with G Modifiers

A Provision of Services—Compliance with Medicare Requirements.

A Medicaid Waivers—Supported Employment Services will review Medicaid payments by states to deter-mine whether these services met federal and state requirements.

A School-based Services will review MA payments for school-based services to determine whether costs claimed are reasonable and properly allocated.

A Community Residence Rehabilitation Services will review Medicaid (MA) payments to determine whether states improperly claimed Federal Finan-cial Participation.

A Continuing Day Treatment Mental Health Services will review MA payments to continuing day treat-ment (CDT) providers in one state to determine whether Medicaid payments by the state to CDT providers are adequately supported.

A State Payments to Federally Excluded Providers and Suppliers will review MA payments by states to providers and suppliers to determine the extent to which payments were made for services rendered during periods of exclusion from Medicaid.

A Program Integrity—Medicaid Managed Care Orga-nizations’ Identification of Fraud and Abuse and Managed Care Organizations’ Use of Prepayment Review to Detect and Deter Fraud and Abuse.

The OIG Outlook 2013 Preview video is available to provide an overview of emerging trends, priority set-ting, audits, contractors, enforcement, and exclusions found in the work plan (https://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/outlook/index.asp#addInfo). ■

OIG Shares 2013 Work Plan

A C R O S S T H E N A T I O N

Medicare Open EnrollmentOctober 15 – December 7

Health Information Technology UpdateMatt McGeorge, Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) Health Infor-mation Technology coordinator, reported that through September 20 there were 495 Eligible Professionals (EP) that paid to an entity that had at least one behavioral health (BH) specialty code associated with it. There were 72 EPs that had a BH specialty code associated with them. As of October 18, 4,442 EPs either began or completed the Pennsylvania MAPIR application and 140 Eligible Hospitals (EHs) either began or completed the Pennsylva-nia MAPIR application. At that time payments of $74,067,667 were made to EPs and $77,527,061 to EHs.

OMAP clarified that 90-day grace periods are allowed for EHs currently in program year 2013 to apply through December 30 for program year 2012, which allows them to use the data they would have used for the 2012 appli-cation. Similarly, EPs in program year 2012 will have a 90-day grace period for EPs to still apply for program year 2012 through March 30, 2013.

Information regarding meaningful use is available at healthit.gov. Meaning-ful Use Case Studies provide examples of provider efforts to attain Stage 1 meaningful use (www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/meaningful-use-case-studies). The Stage 2 Tip Sheet was added to the OMAP web site. Access www.dpw.state.pa.us/provider/healthcaremedicalassistance/ medicalassistancehealthinformationtechnologyinitiative/meaningfuluse/index.htm and select the link for Stage 2 Final Rule Tip Sheet. Frequently Asked Questions have been updated and may be viewed at www.dpw.state.pa.us/provider/healthcaremedicalassistance/medicalassistancehealthinformationtech-nologyinitiative/mahitfaqs/index.htm. Archived webinars are at www.dpw.state.pa.us/provider/healthcaremedicalassistance/medicalassistancehealthinforma-tiontechnologyinitiative/programspecificinfoandrsrcs/index.htm.

The Office of the National Coordinator has provided the standards hub to identify and provide links to all standards referenced in the 2014 Edition Standards and Certification Criteria final rule. The standards hub is available at http://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/meaningful-use-stage-2-0/standards-hub. ■

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AHRQ Continues to Explore Quality Gap The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released two reports as part of a larger initiative, Closing the Quality Gap: Revisit-ing the State of the Science, that builds on an earlier AHRQ series of evidence reports. Bundled Payment: Effects on Health Care Spending and Quality found that the introduction of bundled payments to reimburse providers for the expected cost of related health care services reduced health care spending and use. But evidence for the effect of bundled payments on quality measures was inconsistent, with generally small impact. Most of the studies examined bundled payment for single institu-tions and many had quality concerns. The lead researcher indicated that there is some support for bundling payment as an effective strategy and while the method’s effects on quality are less certain, the evidence does not support the worst concerns about potentially adverse effects.

In Quality Improvement Interventions to Address Health Care Disparities, AHRQ’s Vanderbilt University Ev-idence-based Practice Center re-searchers found that, overall, quality interventions to reduce health care disparities have not been effective, although they did find a few studies showing that quality improvement interventions affected health care disparities in certain disadvantaged populations. These reports and others in the series are available at www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/ ?pageaction=displayProduct&productID=715. ■

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National Council News: Year of the Children

By Susan Blue

As providers can attest, working with children is both difficult and rewarding. Many have had the prideful experience of watching a child with behavioral health difficulties grow to be an independent and successful adult. The National Council celebrates children’s services in 2013 with a series of member services dedicated to supporting the hard work that providers do with youth in their communities.

A Learning: The National Council is introducing Youth Mental Health First Aid. These courses are designed to educate community members outside the service system about proper responses to the signs of mental illness. The Strengthening Families to Address Child Conduct Difficulties learning commu-nity will bring together 30 agencies to increase staff competency and engage families. The National Council Conference (April 8 – 10, 2013, Las Vegas) will have special speakers on childhood trauma and behavioral health.

A Practice: The National Council and Bristol Myers Squibb partnered with Southwest Counseling Solutions in Detroit to perfect the Cornerstone Model for Transition Age Youth. The final report and manual will be produced to encourage replication across the country. A report entitled Behavioral Health Homes for Children and Youth will be introduced this year that assists provid-ers and policymakers in integrating physical and behavioral health services.

A Advocacy: HR 5996 and S 3325 are the Mental Health First Aid Higher Educa-tion Act. These bills would establish a five-year demonstration program to fund Mental Health First Aid training at colleges and universities. The Na-tional Council is committed to amending federal policy to identify and close the gaps in coverage for youth experiencing the symptoms of early-onset schizophrenia.

2013 will be an exciting year for the National Council and its members. I look forward to these initiatives, for the betterment of our agencies and for the chil-dren and adolescents that we serve.

PCPA provider members can join the National Council at a greatly discounted rate. For more information contact Steve Neidlinger, membership and marketing coordi-nator (717-364-3280 or steve@paproviders.org). ■

As far as I can judge, not much good can be done without disturbing something or somebody. — Edward Blake

■ M E N T A L H E A L T H H E A D L I N E S

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Psychiatric Rehabilitation Regulations SignedSecretary Gary Alexander ap-proved and signed the Psychi-atric Rehabilitation Regulations (PRS) package October 16. The package was sent to the gov-ernor’s office for review, which generally takes about 30 days. After that approval the regula-tion will be submitted for final review to the Independent Regulatory Review Commis-sion. Publication as final-form rulemaking is anticipated in December with an effective date 90 days following publi-cation. After approval by the governor’s office, the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will initiate a PRS regulations implementa-tion team meeting with field office leads and PRS training vendors to review regulations and prepare plans for imple-mentation in 2013. Questions may be address to Bill Boyer (wboyer@pa.gov) or Jake Yeager (jayeager@pa.gov). ■

Staff Changes at OMHSASLynn Patrone is now the acting director, Bureau of Policy and Program Development at the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). The deputy secre-tary position is unfilled and will remain so for the foresee-able future. Kathy Jacobs is a fiscal officer for OMHSAS. ■

Resources for Peer SpecialistsThe Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities and the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearing-house will hold the first of several free webinars on the role of certified peer special-ists in promoting community inclusion on November 15, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. The four-part series, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provides a forum for discussion of roles that peer specialists and peer-run programs can play in offer-ing supports and services that individuals may need to participate more fully in the community.

The first webinar will focus on innovative services that peer-run programs have de-signed to promote community inclusion and will use data from a national survey of peer-run programs jointly conducted by the collaborative and the clearinghouse. Results of the survey (Into the Thick of Things: Connecting Consumers to Community Life – A Compendium of Community Inclusion Initiatives for People with Psychiatric Dis-abilities at Consumer-Run Programs) are available at www.tucollaborative.org/pdfs/ COMPENDIUM_of_Innovative_CI_Projects_11-29_10.pdf. Register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/502931257880380416. The remaining webinars will be held in 2013:

A January – Certified Peer Specialists: Promoting Community Inclusion in Rural Areas,A March – Certified Peer Specialists: Supporting Meaningful Employment, andA May – Certified Peer Specialists: Connecting to Spiritual Communities.

Address questions to Christa Burkett at cburkett@mhasp.org or 267-507-3811.

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) announced a new training curriculum, The Role of Peer Specialists in Supporting Employment Goals, that will be piloted in two formats; a two-day classroom session and an eight-hour e-learning course. Both methods are designed to cover the same material and develop the same skills. The curriculum was developed through an Employment Development Initiative grant from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Training will be provided by the Institute on Recovery and Community Integration and Recovery Opportunity, Inc.

Agencies that provide peer support services may recommend peers or supervisors for the two-day training December 12 – 13 or the online course. The online course may be completed at the convenience of the participant and agency, but must be finished by a specified end date. The deadline for applications is November 8. Teams of up to three peer specialists and two supervisors per agency are encouraged to participate. Only certified peer specialists who have completed the two-week training program and currently work in the field will be considered. Up to 30 participants will be selected for each pilot. There is no fee and a stipend of up to $450 per person for travel expenses is allowed. Agencies must cover reasonable costs beyond the stipend limit. After the pilot phase, it is anticipated that fees will be charged for the specialized training. Agencies should submit one bundled application for all peer specialists and peer supervisors applying for training from the agency. However, each applicant must respond to the questions in the application form. The form is available from the PCPA web site. Submit the form to aroland@pa.gov. Address questions to Angela Roland (aroland@pa.gov or 717-705-8280). ■

■ D R U G & A L C O H O L A C T I O N

IRETA to House National ATTC SBIRT

By Jessica Williams

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) announced that the Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions (IRETA) and The Danya Institute in Washington, DC are recipients of the five-year Ad-diction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) grants. IRETA will serve as a national focus center on Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and The Danya Institute will act as ATTC for Region 3, which includes Pennsyl-vania, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Mary-land. Between 2007 and 2012, IRETA served as the Northeast ATTC, comprised of Pennsylvania and New York. Now, IRETA will coordinate with The Danya Institute.

For the 2012 – 17 grant period, the national ATTC Network was reconfigured into 10 regions with four national focus centers: SBIRT, Frontier and Rural, Hispanic-Latino, and American Indian/Alaskan Native. Its purpose remains to develop and strengthen the workforce that provides addictions treatment and recovery support services to those in need.

Led by Dr. Holly Hagle, the National SBIRT ATTC at IRETA will ensure the coor-dination of multiple initiatives and produce a suite of services to advance the adoption of SBIRT practices within systems. IRETA’s work on the SBIRT ATTC will have a strong basis in the latest implementation science using the ATTC Network technology transfer model. IRETA will continue working to strengthen the addictions workforce, which has a vital role to play in the SBIRT model and can be used to extend services in a variety of settings. As health care reform progresses, an addiction workforce trained to use the SBIRT model will be pre-pared for jobs in non-traditional settings like primary care centers and hospital emergency departments.

IRETA will also continue offer a range of services related to behavioral health topics, including training and technical assistance, applied research and evalua-tion, curriculum development, and quality improvement consultation. Read more about ATTC-SBIRT at http://iretablog.org/2012/10/12/iretas-new-grants-spur-sbirt-advancement/ and the Region 3 ATTC at http://www.danyainstitute.org/2012/10/a-message-from-the-executive-director/and about the ATTC Network at http://www.attcnetwork.org.

On November 14 IRETA will host a free webinar “Introduction to the National SBIRT-ATTC - Who are we and what does that mean for you?” from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The webinar will:

A Introduce and discuss the goals of the SBIRT ATTC, A Define SBIRT at the individual and systems levels, andA Offer an update on National SBIRT projects and resources

Register at ireta.org/webinars. ■

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STAR Strategic Planning Webinar Held The STAR Data System offered by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Services (DDAP) that went live in July has presented challenges for PCPA members. At the September Drug and Alcohol Committee meeting, consensus was reached to host a web con-ference to identify the most im-portant issues and set a plan of action to improve the situation. The strategic planning session was October 24. Core Solutions, developer of the STAR system, participated and provided much needed input. The goal was to identify and prioritize issues most important to members. A number of challenges were iden-tified which included uploads, exports, imports, and interfacing with other agency systems/pro-grams. It was agreed that several additional webinars will be held. They will include:

A Introduction to STAR – Getting Started,

A Configuring Your STAR System to Optimize Performance, and

A How to Set Up a Data Upload.

A more detailed report will be shared with participants and the Drug and Alcohol Committee. In addition, a meeting will be held with the Department of Drug and Alcohol to discuss problems and request assistance for providers. ■

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ODP Deputy Secretary ChangesOffice of Developmental Programs (ODP) Deputy Secretary Kevin Friel resigned effective October 31. He accepted a posi-tion as financial officer at Passavant Memorial Homes, Allegheny County. PCPA has worked closely with Friel for two years, appreciated his participation at various meetings, and wishes him well in his new position.

The Department of Public Welfare has selected Fred Lokuta as the Acting Deputy Secretary. Lokuta has served the commonwealth for over 28 years, beginning his career as a direct sup-port worker and advanced through the ranks of ODP in a number of positions. For the past several years, he has served as White Haven Center’s facility director and more recently as the acting ICF/ID division director. In the past year he has also led the ODP/Office of Mental Health and Sub-stance Abuse Services joint dual diagnoses project. PCPA congratulates Lokuta on his appointment and looks forward to continuing to work with him in his new position. ■

System Overview Offered to Rep. MurtIntellectual and Developmental Disabilities Commit-tee Co-chairs Will Stennett, Dan Sausman, and Policy Specialist Linda Drummond met with Rep. Thomas Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia). Rep. Murt was interested in an overview of the state’s intellectual disability system. Conversation focused on the history of the system, how individuals enter the system, types of services available, reason for system changes in the past few years, and impact of budgets, fees, and rates. The listing of Office of Developmental Programs informational memos received

for this fiscal year was shared, requirements for direct service providers and sup-ports coordination monitoring were reviewed, issues with supports coordination’s inability to bill for travel and training time which are a job requirement discussed, and current delay in licensing authorization which also delays the providers ability to bill for services provided. Murt indicated his interest to involve PCPA with his intellectual disability subcommittee when it reconvenes in January 2013. This will offer members a way to provide recommendations for issues resolution. ■

ODP 2012/13 Rate BulletinsThe Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) released two bulletins available at www.odpconsulting.net and published 2012/13 rates in the October 13 Pennsylvania Bulletin.

A Bulletin #00-12-03: Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule for Consolidated and Person/Family Directed Support Waiver-funded Select Services, Targeted Service Management and Community Mental Retardation Base-Funded Program.

A Bulletin #00-12-04: Rate-Setting Methodology for Consolidated and Person/Family Directed Support Waiver and Base-Funded Services for Individuals Par-ticipating in the Office of Developmental Programs Service System. This bulletin makes obsolete previous bulletins #00-11-10 and #00-11-07. ■

BHSL Licensing GuidesThe Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL), a consolidation of children’s and intellectual disability regulatory chapters, has released its Licensing Reference Guide. A copy is available at www.paproviders.org (IDD Updates – Week of October 1, 2012). The guide is to help providers better understand licensing and inspection functions and interactions with the bureau. BHSL is also revising current licensing inspection instruments to provide clearer explanations of regulatory requirements. The revised documents, “regulatory compliance guides,” will provide detailed explanation of each regulatory requirement including expectations for compliance, guidelines for measuring compliance, and the primary benefit of the requirement. BHSL will create draft versions for public comment. Before the first draft is pro-duced and released, BHSL is asking providers to offer suggestions for changes, additional information, or constructive criticism. Comments will be accepted until December 1. Comments may be anonymous. Send by email to RA-pwarlheadquar-ters@state.pa.us with subject line “RCG Input” or fax to 717-783-5662, Attn: RCG Development Unit. ■

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O D P U P D A T E S

Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) updates are available at www. odpconsulting.net.

A Announcement #081-12: ODP Year 5 Cost Report Website User Account Request Form and Desk Review Assignment Mapping.

A Announcement #083-12: ODP Introductory Year 5 Cost Report Training Audio Replay/PowerPoint Presentation. The September 12 ODP webinar is now available for replay.

A Announcement #084-12: New Featured Story on OCS Website: Amber Communicates. The story is told by Amber’s mother. The video promotes the use of the Essential Life Style Plan to enjoy an “everyday life” and Amber’s use of non-traditional methods of communication to interact.

A Announcement #085-12: ODP’s Waiver Quality Strategy: Where Does IM4Q fit In? Webcast now available; required training for supports coordinators.

A Announcement #087-12: Additional Resources Now Available: Dental Health for Individuals with Disabilities. Professional development op-portunity for providers and supports coordinators.

A Announcement #088-12: Foundation of Incident Management and Risk Management Course Now Available. Required training for supports coor-dinators and supervisors.

A Announcement #090-12: ODP Year 5 Cost Report Changes Training Audio Replay/PowerPoint Presentation.

A Announcement #091-12: Provider Monitoring 2012/13 Tool and Re-sources Now Available. Review for changes and details on the provider self-reporting phase which concludes on November 30.

A Announcement #092-12: NCI Pennsylvania State Report Available.

A Announcement #093-12: ODP Year 5 Cost Report Submission Deadline Reminders.

A Announcement #094-12: New 2012 SC Curriculum Required Training “Understanding Safety and Your Responsibilities.” Required supports coordinator training to be completed by December 31.

A Announcement #095-12: ISP Manual 2012 Update Course Now Avail-able. Required training for supports coordinators and supervisors. Pro-vides four hours of training. Course also recommended for Administrative Entities and direct service providers.

A Announcement #096-12: Waiver Renewal Implementation – Reserved Capacity Webcast Now Available. This is required training for supports coordinators and Administrative Entities and strongly advised for direct service providers. ■

Dual Diagnoses Curricula UpdatePCPA is a member of the joint Offices of Developmental Programs (ODP) and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Work Group developing curri-cula addressing the needs of individu-als with intellectual disability and mental health issues. There are 15 modules and six prerequisite modules under developmental for trainings. Pilot testing is being implemented by three Health Care Quality Units. Draft curricula have been disseminated to PCPA members for feedback. Dina Mc-Falls, Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care, and Amy Nemirow and Cheryl Parker, ODP, provided three sessions at PCPA’s conference in October, as a kick-off for the newly developing cur-ricula. Presentations are available at http://www.paproviders.org/Pages/Con-ference_Archive_2012/workshop_hand-outs.shtml:

A Dual Diagnosis Basics—Elements of Support (W13). Audience input was solicited to create an outline for what the ideal program model might look like moving forward.

A Supporting People with Dual Diagnosis—Approaches from Community Mental Health (W18) reviewed community mental health supports which could be used to assist those with intel-lectual disability and mental health issues.

A Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Health—Developing Ef-fective Treatment and Support Plans (W24) addressed how to promote cross-system communi-cations and integration of mental health assessment and treatment plans into the Individual Support Plan. ■

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Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Recognition Week, nation-ally and statewide, was the week of September 9. PCPA mem-bers were provided with a variety of information to assist in recognition of these important staff and asked to share these events. PCPA thanks NHS Human Services for these stories.

NHS Human Services celebrated with a variety of activities at different service locations. DSPs at NHS/Allegheny Valley Schools (AVS) Clearview received personal, handwritten thank you notes from their house manager that included special qualities that each of them brings to the job and the reasons they are appreciated. In addition, employees were entered into drawings to win gift cards. Raffles also included a “get out of doing chores” prize. Winners gladly handed off their chores to the house manager. To help build staff spirit, DSPs at NHS/AVS Slippery Rock Program Center received thank you notes and they were treated to breakfast and lunch throughout the week. The week was topped off with a trip to Grove City Park for a picnic with 104 consumers and more than 50 staff.

NHS Cambrian Hills Center thanks DSP Jessica Long for her commitment to individuals in care. Long started working in a residential home in 2009 and transferred to New Ventures

The US Department of Labor has awarded over $20 million to seven states under the Disability Employ-ment Initiative. This effort focuses on improving education, training, and employment opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. New grants are being awarded to Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachu-setts, Minnesota, and Rhode Island. There are currently 16 other states with these projects.

The US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provided products to assist agencies in the recognition of Oc-tober as National Disability Employ-ment Awareness Month. This year’s theme was “A Strong Workforce is an

Inclusive Workforce: What Can You Do?” ODEP has launched an online “Workplace Flexibility Toolkit” to help workers with complex employment issues become more productive and is available at www.dol.gov/odep/workplaceflexibility.

The Ticket to Work web site has been redesigned for those who receive Social Security disability benefits and are interested in working (www.socialsecurity.gov/work). The site offers resources and program informa-tion regarding employment support programs, including success stories from individuals, employment network reports cards, free monthly work in-centive webinars, and a Ticket to Work helpline at 866-968-7842. ■

Adult Training Facility to work one-on-one with an indi-vidual with autism. Since then she has taken the lead to mentor new staff and is willing to take on any new chal-lenge handed to her. Ms. Long has decided to obtain a degree in the human services field and plans to graduate in 2013.

NHS’ The Association for Independent Growth (TAIG) showed appreciation to Laverna Rasheema Barber who has worked with NHS since 1999. She began working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Supported Living Program in Philadelphia and has since transitioned to TAIG. Individuals in Supported Living rely on direct support professionals to understand their need to balance independence with assistance as needed. Barber has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to sup-port individuals while encouraging self-advocacy and self directed supports. With her guidance, individuals in the program have gained and maintained competitive employ-ment, sought and maintained relationships with significant others, moved to less dependent living, learned self-med-ication administration skills, and learned to manage their own money. ■

NHS Celebrates Direct Support Professionals

US Labor Grants and InitiativesCLS Implementation CallsThe Office of Developmental Dis-abilities has scheduled a series of conference calls for providers regarding the Certification and Licensing System (CLS) imple-mentation, usage, and training materials. These calls are sched-uled the first Wednesday of each month (except January 2013) from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registra-tion and the schedule is available at http://documents.odpconsult-ing.net/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/4094e871-2769-48c2-8055-d489f575df69/Final_CLS_Call_Original_Select_05082012.html ■

■ C H I L D R E N ’ S C O R N E R

Fighting Teen Prescription Drug AbusePrescription drug abuse among teens is the fastest growing substance abuse problem in Pennsylvania. Many adolescents use YouTube, texting, and other social media to “learn” new ways to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, prescrip-tion drugs, and illegal drugs.

A Drug-Free Pennsylvania has begun work to counter the influence of young people’s online and social media experience through The Media Straight Up! Critical Thinking Skills for Pennsylvania’s Youth. Prevention specialists, school counselors, community leaders, and teachers get hands-on experi-ence learning new instructional practices that help create dynamic learn-ing environments in and out of school. Presenters are Renee Hobbs, an internationally-recognized authority on digital and media literacy education, and Dr. Brian Primack, a medical researcher and physician who specializes in understanding how media affects behavior choices and the specific impact of digital and media literacy education on substance abuse at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. More information and other useful tools are available at www.drugfreepa.org.

A Another resource for providers and families is available at Drugfree.org. The Partnership at Drugfree.org released Parents360 RX video, an 11-minute documentary on medicine abuse as told by five families who struggle with it. A toolkit is also available and contains the video and discussion guide, a prescription drug fact sheet, a tip sheet and more. The video and toolkit can be accessed at: http://pact360.org/programs/parents360rx. ■

OCYF Advances IV-E Waiver InitiativeThe Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) and key partners have been working the past three months to apply for a five-year federal Title IV-E waiver. IV-E funding has historically been authorized for use when a child requires out-of-home placement services. The proposed waiver provides OCYF and coun-ties with the opportunity to use federal dollars prior to placement on strate-gies that keep children safe, promote child well-being, and help achieve timely permanency while strengthening families. OCYF will evaluate strategies used and examine outcomes for children and families. Five counties (Allegheny, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Philadelphia, and Venango) self-selected to be a part of the waiver. Negotiations between the Administration for Children and Families and OCYF have culminated in an agreement granting the waiver and enabling this innova-tive initiative to move forward in Pennsylvania. ■

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Children’s Committee to Focus on Service RestrictionsMembers in many regions of the state have begun to report on new restrictions being placed on Behavioral Health Rehabilita-tion Services (BHRS) prescrip-tion activity, authorizations, and service billing. Many of the problems and barriers that impacted implementation of Summer Therapeutic Activity Programs still loom. While state officials describe these efforts as intended to improve clinical quality and regulatory compli-ance, the timing and context suggest that many of these actions are fiscally driven and negatively impacting consum-ers, schools, and other child-serving systems. In addition to the BHRS redesign initiative, members are struggling with the cost and other challenges related to the state’s call for all Behavior Specialist Consul-tants working with children on the autism spectrum to have or obtain an individual professional license in addition to the license held by the provider agency. The November meeting of the Children’s Committee will be an opportunity for members to discuss current experiences and identify approaches gauging and reporting questionable service reductions for children and pay-ment reductions to agencies. ■

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Mandated Reporting on ChildLineThe Department of Public Welfare has recently revised its web site to provide enhanced access and information for the reporting of suspected child abuse. Despite these enhancements, many will find that the web site is still hard to find. After accessing the department’s web site, find “For Children” then “Child Welfare Services” and then the link “Call 1-800-932-0313 to Report Child Abuse.” The site includes an in-formative brochure for mandated providers, Mandated Reporters, Professionals Who Work With Children. As the web site notes, “professionals who come into contact with children are re-quired to report when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child under the care, supervi-sion, guidance or training of that person or of their agency, institution or organization is an abused child.” In addition, any person may report suspected abuse, even if the individual wishes to remain anonymous. Each call is answered by a trained intake specialist who will interview the caller to determine the most appropriate course of action. Actions include forward-ing a report to a county agency for investigation as child abuse or general protective services, forwarding a report directly to law enforcement officials, or re-ferring the caller to local social services. ■

Legislators Work to Advance Child Protection from AbuseNovember is the month in which the state task force for child protection is scheduled to report and offer recommendations on comprehensive reforms and improvements in Pennsylvania laws and practices. In advance of that report state law makers have introduced or passed legislation to:

A Define and require mandated reporter training for educators,

A Expand or illuminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations on sexual abuse,

A Urge that the National Collegiate Athletic Association/Penn State University Task Force charged with decision-making about the $60 million endowment keep the funding in Pennsylvania,

A Call for some share of the endowment to be used to grow the reach of Chil-dren’s Advocacy Centers in Pennsylvania, and

A Redirect funds now sitting in a restricted account to the Pennsylvania Com-mission on Crime and Delinquency to fund “multidisciplinary” approaches to the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

PCPA will continue to track potential changes and work in collaboration with members and advocates to advance positive changes and provide enhanced re-sources to the child-serving systems and victims. ■

Groups Act to Halt PH 95 Co-paymentThe Department of Public Welfare (DPW) announced on October 5 that the depart-ment would delay the implementation of co-payments for the 48,000 “loophole” families that would have been impacted by the recently announced process. The announcement states that implementation of co-payments is being delayed while DPW pursues the review of a premium as an alternative to co-pays. In the mean-time, families will not owe a co-payment for any services until further notice. The delay will allow DPW to work with stakeholders toward a shared goal of find-ing the best cost-sharing proposal for Pennsylvania and then to subsequently seek approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A DPW spokes-person noted that the “department has long viewed a fair premium as a better approach to cost-sharing and upon hearing feedback over the last few weeks from families, stakeholders, legislators and other interested parties to the department’s proposal, we believe the option of a premium instead of a co-pay should be explored further.” PCPA is pleased to have worked with advocacy organizations, providers, and families in focusing attention on the complex problems and hard-ships a co-payment approach would have caused. The association is especially grateful to Rep. and Chairperson Gene DiGirolamo and Melanie Brown, executive director, House Human Services Committee, for their extraordinary efforts around this challenging issue. ■

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Advancing Early Childhood Mental HealthEven though the state’s Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Advisory Com-mittee has been dissolved the work of the members of that group can be found growing and inspiring. In recent weeks community providers and other ECMH professionals have seen:

A The second meeting of the Pennsylvania Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Network. More than 50 PCIT providers, clinicians, managed care, and state representative’s networked with each other and heard updates from around the state. PCIT continues to expand with 45 agencies in 23 counties providing PCIT.

A The University of Pittsburgh has received a grant from the National Insti-tute of Mental Health called “A Statewide Trial to Compare Three Training Models for Implementing an Evidence-Based Treatment (EBT).” The grant project will evaluate the effectiveness of three training models (learning collaborative, train-the-trainer, and web-supported self-study) to imple-ment a well-established EBT in real-world community settings. Behavioral health clinics across Pennsylvania will be asked to participate and receive training in PCIT. The research grant is $3.75 million over five years and will likely result in at least 70 more PCIT sites.

A The Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health, a newly formed organization that includes PCPA and many of its members as charter mem-bers, held its 4th Annual Pennsylvania Infant Mental Health Conference in Pittsburgh. The conference grows each year in the number of participants and presenters who work to advance the scope and skill of the providers of early childhood mental health services.

A Scores of experts, families, and community-based providers have offered comments and public testimony in opposition to changes in screening and evaluation practices proposed by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. ■

Policy Makers Meet With MembersLeaders from the state’s child-serving systems met at the PCPA conference for the Children’s Policy Maker Round Table. The Offices of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Child Development and Early Learning; Children, Youth and Families; and Developmental Programs along with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Commission of Children and Families, and the Bureau of Special Education all provided updates on challenges, especially fiscal constraints, faced by agencies. Panelists and attendees discussed the implementation of the block grant and range of collaborative projects underway across Pennsylvania. ■

STAFF PSYCHIATRIST

Sarah Reed Children’s Center, a JCAHO-accredited Sanctuary-certified children’s mental health organization in Erie seeks a permanent, full-time psychiatrist to join the clinical team. Caseload includes a combination of outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential treatment. Competi-tive salary and benefits, including paid medical malpractice insurance, paid vacation, CME time/allowance, and educational loan repayment options. Limited call schedule. Beautiful sur-roundings offering a variety of water sports and seasonal recreational activ-ities. Preference given to BC/BE Child Psychiatrist, but will consider BC/BE Adult Psychiatrist with child/adoles-cent experience. Must hold Pennsyl-vania medical license. Submit resume and cover letter to hr@sarahreed.org. Visit us at www.sarahreed.org. EOE.

November 9. Pace’s 2012 Evidence-Based Treatment for Child Mental Health Conference. Westin Conven-tion Center. Pittsburgh, PA. For more information and registration access http://2012pacemhconf.eventbrite.com.

November 27. Annual Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference, Expand-ing Specialized Police and Behav-ioral Health Response in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg Sheraton. Harrisburg, PA. For more information and to register access www.drexelmed.edu/bhe. ■

■ C O N F E R E N C E S / T R A I N I N G S

■ C L A S S I F I E D S

Wednesday, November 7 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Conducting a Compliance Investigation WorkshopWestmoreland Casemanagement and Supports, Inc., Greensburg

Tuesday, November 13 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

1:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Mental Health Committee Legislative Affairs Committee Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Committee Executive Committee (PCPA) Drug and Alcohol Committee Children’s Committee Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey

SCO Subcommittee Gilligans Grill, Swatara

Wednesday, November 14 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Membership CommitteeBoard MeetingSheraton Harrisburg Hershey

Thursday, November 15 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Conference Committee Outpatient Task Force PCPA

Tuesday, November 27 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Adolescent Forensic CommitteePCPA

Tuesday, December 4 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Criminal Justice Committee PCPA

Thursday, December 6 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Health Care Opportunities Task Force PCPA

Tuesday, December 18 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Children’s Steering Committee PCPA

Wednesday, December 19 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Executive Committee PCPA

Pennsylvania CommunityProviders Association2101 N Front StBldg 3, Ste 200Harrisburg, PA 17110

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PRSRT. STD.U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Harrisburg, PAPermit No. 24