News

April 2008

March 2008

February 2008

January 2008

December 2007

November 2007

October 2007

September 2007

August 2007

July 2007

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OMHSAS Advisory Committees
April 28, 2008

Attached please find information that will be referenced at the
Thursday, May 1st, 2008, Joint Session of the OMHSAS Advisory
Committees. Copies of all documents will be available that day in the meeting packets.

Because many of our listserv recipients have constraints on the
number/size of documents that they can receive in any one e-mailing, ONLY the Joint Session materials are attached to this mailing.

The Children's Committee documents were distributed last Friday; the Adult and Older Adult Committees documents were distributed yesterday, Sunday.




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OMHSAS Adult Advisory Committee
April 27, 2008

Attached please find the documents that will b e referenced at the
Thursday, May 1st, 2008, meetings of the OMHSAS Adult Advisory Committee and Older Adult Advisory Committee. Copies of these documents will be available the day of the meeting in the meeting packets.

Because many of our listserv recipients have constraints on the
number/size of documents that they can receive in any one e-mailing, ONLY the Adult and Older Adult Advisory Committees documents are attached to this mailing.

The Children's Advisory Committee documents were distributed this past Friday, April 25th, via selected OMHSAS listservs. The Joint Advisory Session documents will be distributed before Wednesday, April 30th, to all OMHSAS listservs.

Any questions regarding the attached Adult documents should be directed to Natalie Shaffer, OMHSAS Leadstaff, at natshaffer@state.pa.us.

Any questions regarding the attached Older Adult documents should be directed to Patty Clark, Dept. of Ag ing Leadstaff, at
patrclark@state.pa.us.


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Funding Awards for Mental Health Treatment Courts
April 22, 2008


TThe Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, have announced the funding awards for counties that submitted concept papers for the development of mental health treatment courts and related services. A total of eight (8) counties were funded in full, and one (1) county was partially funded.

Luzerne: $91,464
Montgomery: $57,300
Delaware: $199,981
Chester: $186,211
Franklin: $71,622
Lackawanna: $85,500
Lancaster: $79,799
Fayette: $103,437
Washington: $124,686


Questions about these funding awards may be directed to: Jessica
Bradley, OMHSAS Bureau of Community and Hospital Operations,
jebradley@state.pa.us.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
April 15, 2008


The latest Mayview State Hospital closure updates--for April 1st, 2008,and April 8th, 2008--are po sted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. The April 15th update will be posted on that website shortly.

Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones of OMHSAS at c-dajones@state.pa.us.There is one correction on the 03/24/08 update. On page 3, under the "Announcements" heading, the correct date for the MRSAP Stakeholders meeting is April 18, not May 18.

Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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PA's Second Annual Suicide Prevention Conference
April 15, 2008

Attached please find a "Save the Date" announcement for Pennsylvania's Second Annual Suicide Prevention Conference, co-sponsored by OMHSAS and a number of other agencies. P lease direct any questions you may have about this event to Deb Thompson of Drexel University College of Medicine/BHE, 215-831-6946 or DThompso@Drexelmed.edu.


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OMHSAS Presents a Statewide Teleconference
April 15, 2008

"How to Develop Your Medicaid-Funded Peer Support Service"
Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Information to be covered includes developing readiness for a
recovery-oriented service, setting up your peer support service, writing the service description, and provider perspectives on developing and implementing peer support, especially obstacles encountered and lessons learned.

Prior to the call, it would be beneficial to review the OMHSAS Medical Assistance Bulletin on peer support services, Frequently Asked Questions, and related information which can be accessed at http://parecovery.org. Other materials specific to the teleconference will be added prior to the call. If you have any questions, contact Kathy Townley at ktownley@state.pa.us or 717-772-7738.

Please see the attached SAVE THE DATE flyer for more information and call-in instructions.

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OMHSAS SAP Meetings
April 15, 2008

OMHSAS SERVICE AREA PLANNING (SAP) MEETINGS
Dates, Locations, and RSVP Contact Information

Thursday, April 17 - Torrance State Hospital 1:00-3:30 p.m.
Westmoreland County Community College Amphitheatre Founders Hall, 1st Floor Parking: available in Student Parking Lot
Contact: Holly Gallardy, 724-459-4411

Friday, April 18 - Mayview State Hospital 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh - Greentree in the North/South Ballroom.
Contact: Dorothy Owens, 412-257-6201

Tuesday, April 22 - Danville State Hospital 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Administration Building, Program Activity Center - 1st floor
Parking: Is available in front of Administration Building and a side
parking lot, parking will be marked for anyone not familiar with the
campus.
Contact: Louise Miller, 570-271-4510

Monday, May 5 - Warren State Hospital 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Gymnasium located in the Center (Main) Building
Parking: will be in the South Center Parking lot. Signs will be placed
to designate it. Additionally, security personnel will be available to
direct people.
Contact: Mary Beth Zdarko, 814-726-4258

Wednesday, May 7 - Allentown State Hospital 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Administration Building Boardroom on the ASH campus
Parking: will be available in front of the building in Lot A
Contact: Tiffany Hudock, 610-740-3400

Thursday, May 15 - Clarks Summit State Hospital 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Hilton Scranton Conference Center, 100 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Parking: available in Hilton Parking Lot
Contact: Sharon Grasso, 570-587-7250.

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Outpatient Gambling Treatment Providers
April 14, 2008

The Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs (BDAP) of the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has application forms for outpatient gambling treatment providers now available for downloading from the BDAP website.

Please read the attached announcement for complete details. Any questions should be directed to Meri Haunstein of BDAP at mhaunstein@state.pa.us.


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Purpose of Evaluation Committee
April 9, 2008

PURPOSE OF EVALUTION COMMITTEE: Purpose of committee is to evaluate and rate as many as three (3) proposals in order to award the HealthChoices Behavioral Health (HC BH) contract for Greene County.

TASK: Review a maximum of 3 proposals. Proposals will then be evaluated and rated.


COMPOSITION OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE: The evaluation committee will> include between 5 and 7 members, and will consist of up to 2 consumer and/or family representatives, a representative from the Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) in the Western region, a representative from OMHSAS policy, a representative of OMHSAS financial, a representative from OMHSAS Children's Bureau, and a representative from the Comptrollers office.

MEMBER COMMITMENT: Consumer and/or family representative(s) should be familiar with the HealthChoices managed care program. Members are expected t o read up to three (3) proposals and be involved in a group evaluation process. Reading time is estimated at two (2) full days. The day-long, face-to-face meeting to evaluate the proposals will be conducted in Harrisburg in June 2008. Consumer/family member representatives will be compensated for their time in reviewing and evaluating the proposals, as well as for travel and necessary lodging to
participate in the evaluation meeting.

MEETING: The face-to-face meeting will be held at the DGS Annex Complex (former Harrisburg State Hospital), Harrisburg, PA.

INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS should contact Justin Tappan at
jtappan@state.pa.us no later than Friday, April 25, 2008.


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Training for Certified Peer Specialists
March 31, 2008

OMHSAS ANNOUNCES TRAINING FOR CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS TO WORK WITH OLDER ADULTS

Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is pleased to announce the Transformation Transfer Initiative grant pilot project funded by SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This project offers training to PA
Certified Peer Specialists who want to develop specialized skills in
working with Older Adults.

Two different training opportunities are being offered. To learn more about the training and how to apply, please see the attached documents:

1) Cover Letter
2) Grant Project - Brief Overview
3) One-day Training Application
4) Three-Day Training Application & County MH/MR Questionnaire (2 pages total)

For more information please contact:
Bill Boyer
Bureau of Policy and Program Development
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Pennsylvania Depa rtment of Public Welfare
717-705-8297
wboyer@state.pa.us


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NASMHPD Suicide Prevention Report
March 27, 2008

The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
(NASMHPD) this week released a 51-page report: "Suicide Prevention Efforts for Individuals w ith Serious Mental Illness: Roles for the State Mental Health Authority." A copy of that report is attached in a pdf file. You are welcome to share this document with others in your organizations.

Questions about this technical report should be directed to Robert W. Glover, Ph.D., Executive Director of NASMHPD, at Bob.Glover@nasmhpd.org.


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DPW Cancels Plan to Privatize State Hospital Forensic
March 26, 2008

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare has decided not to move forward with the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the privatization of the forensic units at Norristown, Warren and Mayview State Hospitals. The services will remain state-operated: the Norristown and Warren facilities will stay at the current locations and the Mayview unit will move to Torrance following the closure of the Mayview civil section. Attached is the press release from March 21, 2008, announcing the decision.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
March 26, 2008


The latest Mayview State Hospital Closure Updates are posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org.

There is one correction on the 03/24/08 update. On page 3, under the "Announcements" heading, the correct date for the MRSAP Stakeholders meeting is April 18, not May 18.

Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
March 13, 2008


The Mayview State Hospital Closure Update for the week ending 01/18/2008 is posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. A report on the residential placements upon discharge has been added; this will be updated weekly as well.

Questions about this report may be directed to David Jones at
c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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House Passed Mental Health Parity
March 6, 2008

FROM: Robert W. Glover, Ph.D., Executive Director
Elizabeth Prewitt, Director, Government Relations

RE: House passes mental health parity Wednesday evening (Vote:
268-148)

As anticipated, the House of Representatives gave overwhelming
approval(268-148) last night to the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 (H.R. 1424), sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN). The bill would requi re that mental health benefits be equal to medical and surgical. A memo to commissioners sent last Friday included a slightly different version of the attached bill summary. NASMHPD's letter of support, which was one of eight letters included in the Speaker's pre-vote package, is posted on our web site at www.nasmhpd.org.

President Bush issued a statement in strong opposition to the House bill, saying the administration could not support "*any legislation that expands benefits and remedies beyond what is included in the Senate-passed S. 558." The Senate bill reflects an agreement supported by business, insurers and mental health advocates. After the House vote, one of the chief sponsors of the Senate bill, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) indicated that compromises beyond what has already been agreed upon are unlikely. However, Senator Kennedy (D- MA) as well as chief proponents of parity in the House, including the Senator's son
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), voiced a willingness to seek a consensus and pass a bill that can be sent to the President in this Congress. NASMHPD strongly supports passage of mental health parity legislation prior to the future health care reform deliberations.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Prewitt, NASMHPD's Director of Government Relations, at (703) 682-5196 or via e-mail at elizabeth.prewitt@nasmhpd.org.

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OMHSAS Joint Session - Part 2
March 4, 2008

Attached please find the documents that will be referenced at the OMHSAS Joint Session on Thursday, March 6th, at the Four Points Sheraton in Harrisburg. THIS IS PART 2 of 2 PARTS OF JOINT SESSION DOCUMENTS. They are being sent in 2 parts because of the size of the PowerPoint files.

Documents for the Children's, Adult, and Older Adult Advisory Committee meetings and the first 4 documents for the Joint Session were distributed earlier today.

Hard copies of the attached documents will be distributed to
participants at Thursday's Adult meeting.

ADULT SESSION
5) PowerPoint: "Adult Objectives" (This should have been part of the pri or e-mail with Adult Advisory Committee meeting documents attached; questions about this document before Thursday may be directed to Natalie Shaffer of OMHSAS at natshaffer@state.pa.us.)

JOINT SESSION
5) PowerPoint: "The OMHSAS Employment Transformation Project: Lessons Learned" (If you have questions about this document before Thursday's Joint Session, please contact Carol Colasante of OMHSAS at ccolasante@state.pa.us.)

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OMHSAS Joint Session - Part 1
March 4, 2008

Attached please find the documents that will be referenced at the OMHSAS Joint Session on Thursday, March 6th, at the Four Points Sheraton in Harrisburg. THIS IS PART 1 of 2 PARTS OF JOINT SESSION DOCUMENTS. They are being sent in 2 parts because of the size of the PowerPoint files.

Documents for the Children's, Adult, and Older Adult Advisory Committee meetings were distributed earlier today.

Hard copies of the attached documents will be distributed to
participants at Thursday's Adult meeting.


JOINT SESSION
1) Agenda for March 6th, 2008
2) Outcomes from January 3rd, 2008
3) Report: "A Call for Change: Employment--A Key to Recovery" (Word document)
4) PowerPoint: "A Call for Change: Employment--A Key to Recovery"

If you have questions about documents 3 or 4 above before Thursday's Joint Session, please contact Carol Colasante of OMHSAS at ccolasante@state.pa.us.

 

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Draft Policies Concerning PA's State Mental Hospitals
February 27, 2008

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services' (OMHSAS's) Bureau of Community and Hospital Operations is seeking feedback from a range of stakeholders on three draft policies concerning Pennsylvania's State Mental Hospitals (SMHs).

The three SMH policy subjects are:

1) Consumer Possession and Use of Cellular Telephones
2) Consumer Meeting Involvement
3) Therapeutic Leave Approval Process

You are invited to review each of these draft policies (see documents attached) and provide written comments on them to Jessica Bradley of the Bureau of Community and Hospital Operations at jebradley@state.pa.us. Deadline for submitting comments is Monday, March 17th, 2008.

 

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Governor's Report on State Performance
February 20, 2008


Governor's Report on State Peformance Shows Taxpayers How Pennsylvania Uses Their Money To Provide Essential Services

http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?Q=471103&A=11

The link above will connect you with a news release regarding Governor Edward G. Rendell's first "Governor's Report on State Performance."

The link below will connect you to the complete 184-page report.

http://ww.state.pa.us./papower/lib/papower/attachments/2006_07_

govperformancerept_web.pdf

You are welcome to distribute this information widely.

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OMHSAS Behavioral Health Subcommittee
February 20, 2008

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare (DPW) Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee is seeking applicants for seats on its new Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Behavioral Health Subcommittee.

Please review the attached document providing details about this call for applicants. Questions regarding this subcommittee/workgroup should be directed to Valerie Minnich, OMHSAS Chief Pharmacist, at vminnich@state.pa.us.

Deadline for applications is Monday, March 31, 2008.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
February 26, 2008

The latest Mayview State Hospital Closure update, dated 02/20/08, is posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. Questions about this report may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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Community Integration and Advocacy
February 13, 2008

The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration, in partnership with OMHSAS, announces a free training opportunity for consumers:

TOPIC: Community Integration and Advocacy for Persons Living with Psychiatric Disabilities

DATE: Friday, February 29, 2008

TIME: 9:15 to 12:15 p.m.

LOCATION: Clothes Tree Building #36, DGS Annex Complex, 25 Beech Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
January 28, 2008


The Mayview State Hospital Closure Update for the week ending 01/18/2008 is posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. A report on the residential placements upon discharge has been added; this will be updated weekly as well.

Questions about this report may be directed to David Jones at
c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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Recovering PA Conference Planning Workgroup
January 28, 2008


Applicants are now being sought for participants in the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) 2008 Recovering PA Conference Planning Workgroup. The attached document provides all relevant information.

In particular, OMHSAS is seeking no more than 20 workgroup members who will represent the following groups:

Drop-In Centers
Consumer/Family Satisfaction Teams
Certified Peer Specialists
Other peer support services
Advocates
County representatives
Provider representatives
OM HSAS and Drexel University Staff

Deadline for applying for consideration for a workgroup position is
Monday, February 4th, 2008. Application information is delineated in the attached document.

The contact person for this workgroup is: Anna Auch, Drexel/BHE, at AAuch@Drexelmed.edu. Any questions about this notice or the workgroup should be directed to her. he Mayview State Hospital Closure Update for the week ending 01/04/2008 is posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org/

When you get to this home page, look on the right side of the page and click on the link for the "OMHSAS Weekly Closure Report."

If you have any questions about the report, please contact David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings 1/03/08 Part 2

January 22 , 2008


This is Part 2 of 2 of the documents distributed at the OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings held in January. This part contains documents from the Children's meetings held on January 3rd and 4th, 2008.

CHILDREN'S SESSION
1) OMHSAS Children's Bureau 2007 Objectives (Jan. 3rd)
2) OMHSAS Quality Management Committee, Children's Behavioral Health Data (Jan. 3rd)
3) Pay for Performance Indicators for Children's Behavioral Health (Jan. 3rd)
4) Summary Report on the Respite Development Group (Jan. 3rd)
5) PowerPoint Presentation by Dr. Tom Seben, Dept. of Education (Jan. 4th)

Questions about any of these documents should be directed to Linda Williams in the OMHSAS Children's Bureau at linwilliam@state.pa.us

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OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings 1/03/08 Part 1

January 22 , 2008

This is Part 1 of 2 of the documents distributed at the OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings held January 3rd, 2008. This part contains documents from the Older Adult and Joint sessions. There were no documents distributed at the Adult meeting. Part 2 will contain documents from the Children's meetings on both January 3rd and 4th, 2008.

OLDER ADULT SESSION
1) Contact information on the presenters at the January 3rd, 2008, Older Adult Committee meeting.
2) PowerPoint from the Behavioral Health Laboratory on "Improving the Health of Seniors with Mental Health Problems."
3) Appendix 1: Introductory Letter to Patients.
4) Appendix 2: Script for Initial Contact.
5) Appendix 3: Cover Letter re: the Core Interview.
6) Appendix 4: Example of a Clinical Report.
7) Appendix 5: Example of a Patient Letter.
8) First Judicial District - Orphans' Court Division, 2006: A Year in
Review.

Questions about any of these documents should be directed to Patty Clark, patrclark@state.pa.us.

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Temple University Institute on Disabilities TDDP
January 15, 2008


The Temple University Institute on Disabilities now has a closed-
captioned video of a person using American Sign Language to introduce the Telecommunication Device Distribution Program (TDDP).


Pennsylvania's TDDP provides specialized equipment, without charge, to eligible Pennsylvanians with disabilities that impede independent access to telephone services. Created through PA ACT 34-1995, the TDDP is implemented by Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT), a program of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, in conjunction with the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and the PA Public Utility Commission (PUC).
 
Please visit this informative web site and pass on to others. Here's the link:

 http://www.temple.edu/instituteondisabilities/programs/assistive/tddp/
 
(You may need to copy the entire URL, which starts with http: and ends with tddp/, and place it into your TO: line, if "CTRL + click" does not activate or capture the entire URL for you .)
 
You can also get to the site by going to http://disabilities.temple.edu
and following the program link to Assistive Technology:TDDP.

 

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Volunteers for New OMHSAS Workgroup
January 16 , 2008

OMHSAS is seeking approximately 15 individuals to participate in a
workgroup to move forward the Transformation Transfer Initiative (TTI) Grant to develop training for peers working with older adults. Please see the attached information (3 documents) on the grant and the workgroup.

Workgroup volunteers should represent at least one of the following groups:

OMHSAS PA Department of Aging
OMHSAS Older Adult Advisory Committee
Certified Peer Specialists
Certified Peer Specialist Supervisors
Behavioral Health & Aging Coalition

Approved Peer Training Vendors

Curriculum Consultants

Representatives from PA Model Projects

Thank you for your help with this project. Because of tight grant deadlines, please contact Ginny Mastrine of OMHSAS at
vmastrine@state.pa.us no later than noon this Thursday, January 17th, if you are interested in being considered for a position on this workgroup.

 


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Department of Aging Town Meetings
January 11, 2008

Secretary Nora Dowd Eisenhower of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Aging has announced a series of town meetings on the State Plan on Aging. Aging has developed a "Discussion Guide" to help interested consumers and providers begin thinking in advance about some of the key issues to be discussed and questions that will be raised at the meetings.

Here are the seven meeting dates and locations:
Elizabethtown, Jan. 31st
Clarion, Feb. 7th
Pittsburgh, Feb. 8th
Nanticoke, Feb. 21st
West Chester, Mar. 14th
Williamsport, Mar. 17th
Huntington County/Raystown Lake, Mar. 28th

Town meeting flyers and posters, with complete meeting details, and the "Discussion Guide" may all be accessed at www.aging.state.pa.us. There are also updated translations of the town meeting flyers and posters at this website in traditional Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Khmer (Cambodian), and Spanish.

Copies of the "Discussion Guide" will be available at each of the town meetings. If you have any questions about the town meetings, after reviewing all the information available on the website, please contact Nicole Hooper in Aging at nhooper@state.pa.us.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
January 11, 2008


The Mayview State Hospital Closure Update for the week ending 01/04/2008 is posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org/

When you get to this home page, look on the right side of the page and click on the link for the "OMHSAS Weekly Closure Report."

If you have any questions about the report, please contact David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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Bureau of Children's Behavior Health Services Documents
January 4, 2008

A At the request of Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney and Stan Mrozowski, Director of the OMHSAS Bureau of Children's Behavioral Health Services, the attached two documents are being circulated:

1) OMHSAS Bulletin 08-01, Issue Date 01-04-08, "Guidelines for
Interagency Planning for Children in Need of Behavioral Health
Rehabilitation Services or Partial Hospitalization Services During the
School Day"

2) Report: "Access to Education in Pennsylvania Partial Hospitalization Programs (December 2007)" The Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare have jointly examined the challenge of providing educational services to children attending partial hospitalization programs. This white paper
summarizes the background data and outlines a strategy to meet these children's educational needs without imposing undue costs on local school districts.

If you have questions about either the bulletin or the report, please contact Sherry Peters, Children's Bureau, at shepeters@state.pa.us or 717-772-7855.


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Frontline "The Medicated Child"
January 4 , 2007


FRONTLINE will be airing a show titled, "The Medicated Child," on
Tuesday, January 8th at 9:00p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).
Please Note: NAMI has not had an opportunity to view the program in advance and did not provide any input into its content. However, here is information FRONTLINE provided us with about the show:

The program explores how in recent years, there's been a dramatic
increase in the number of children being diagnosed with serious
psychiatric disorders and prescribed medications that are just
beginning to be tested in children. The drugs can cause serious side effects, and virtually nothing is known about their long-term impact. FRONTLINE producer Marcela Gaviria confronts psychiatrists, researchers and government regulators about the risks and benefits of prescription drugs for troubled children. The biggest current controversy surrounds the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Formerly called manic depression, bipolar disorder was long believed to exist only in adults, but, in the mid-1990s, bipolar in children began to be diagnosed at much higher rates, sometimes in kids as young as 4 years old.

FRONTLINE has launched a Web site where you can watch a preview of the program an d read a full description. Here is the link to the Web site: http://www.pbs.org/frontline/medicatedchild

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Summary Report 07-08 County MH Plans
January 2 , 2008

Attached please find t he summary report, with cover letter from the Deputy Secretary, from the Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) for FY 2007-08 on the county mental health plans for adults and older adults with serious mental illness (SMI).

If you have any questions about these documents, please contact Natalie Shaffer at natshaffer@state.pa.us or by phone at 717-346-2614.

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SPBP's Medicare Part D Parter Plans
December 19, 2007

Please FORWARD the link below to intake workers, case managers, and social workers in your agencies who may be assisting Special
Pharmaceutical Benefits Program (SPBP) Mental Health clients with
Medicare Part D enrollment for 2008.

The link below connects to this year's list of SPBP's Medicare Part D Partner Plans. (NOTE: There are 7 fewer Partner Plans than last year.) SPBP will cover the premiums, up to the 2008 benchmark ($26.59),and co-payments and deductibles for SPBP/Medicare Part D clients who are enrolled with a Partner Plan.

Clients who are enrolled with any other Medicare Part D plan are
responsible for their own out-of-pocket premium payments; SPBP will continue to cover the co-payments and deductibles for appropriate clients.

General questions regarding enrollment with ANY Medicare Part D Plan should call: 1-800-225-7223.

The SPBP Partnering Medicare Part D Plan List has been posted:
 
http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ServicesPrograms/MedicalAssistance/

AIDSWaiverProgram/AIDSClozarilProgram/

 

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Proposal - Peer Support Services for Older Adults
December 14 , 2007

A proposal from Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) submitted to the Su bstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the development of Peer Support Services for Older Adults was selected for funding. Please see the attached SAMHSA news release for more details.

Questions about OMHSAS's selected proposal may be directed to Bill Boyer, OMHSAS Bureau of Policy and Program Development, at
wboyer@state.pa.us.


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Mayview State Hospital Closure Updates
December 13, 2007


The Mayview State Hospital Closure Updates are now being posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org/

When you get to this home page, look on the right side of the page and click on the link for the "OMHSAS Weekly Closure Report."

Questions about the closure reports should continue to be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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New OMHSAS Community Program Manager
December 12, 2007


We are pleased to announce the appointment of Julie E. Barley, M.S., as Community Program Manager, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Harrisburg Field Office, effective December 1, 2007.

Julie has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of child
welfare, case management, and behavioral health, most recently working as Chief of the Division of Service Delivery for the OMHSAS Bureau of Children's Behavior Health Services. She also worked in the Field Office from 1991 to 1997 as a Children's Program Representative. Julie has also worked closely with the HealthChoices program over the last 10 years. We are happy to be welcoming her back to the OMHSAS Bureau of Community and Hospital Operations.

Julie may be reached at the following address and telephone number:

Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Department of Public Welfare
Logan Building
DGS Annex Complex, 20 Azalea Drive
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105-267 5
Phone: 717.214-9076
Fax: 717.705.8386
jbarley@state.pa.us

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Position Description - Director, Youth and Family Training Institute
December 10 , 2007


HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION - POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Director, Youth and Family Training Institute
REPORTS TO: VP, Business Development

JOB PURPOSE

The Youth and Family Training Institute Director will be responsible for the development, implementation, and management of Pennsylvania's Youth and Family Training Institute, a five-year, grant-funded initiative of Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

The OMHSAS Children's Behavioral Health Services Bureau plans to
transform children's behavioral health services throughout the
Commonwealth. It will do this by establishing a training institute to
engage youth and families following the standards of the National
Wraparound Initiative (NWI), using the High Fidelity Wraparound model with Youth and Family Teams at the core. OMHSAS has selected the University of Pittsburgh/Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC and its partners to develop, implement, and manage the Pennsylvania Youth and Family Training Institute. This Institute will be the next phase in the evolution of the CASSP movement in Pennsylvania. It will replace, but build upon, the work of the former Pennsylvania CASSP Institute, and will be the centerpiece of OMHSAS's transformation effort. It will do this through the provision and coordination of training and technical assistance across the Commonwealth so that public; and private agencies and other child-serving systems work with youth and
their families (using Youth and Family Teams) in the treatment and
recovery process.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Experience/Skills/Requirements:

* An advanced degree in behavioral health, social work, public
administration, or a related field.
* A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible combined
experience in first and/or second line management or administration of a behavioral health child, youth, or family-serving agency.
* A combination of education and experience will be considered.
* The ability and desire to utilize the personal experience of
parenting a child with mental health issues preferred.
* Commitment to the full participation of youth/family in all areas of the development, implementation, and oversight of the Ins titute.
* Demonstrated experience in effectively facilitating or leading
community/county coalitions or service collaborations.
* Demonstrated experience with community outreach, resulting in
familiarity with and comfort in a wide variety of community environments and the ability to convey positive regard for any and all of Pennsylvania's diverse communities.
* Proven experience in budget development and administration,
management, training and education, information systems, research, and evaluation is strongly preferred.

* Proven experience in mobilizing a successful change effort.
* Experience with assisting young people and families in determining their own future through focusing on the strengths of the individual,family, and community.
* A balance of assertiveness and diplomacy, effective listening skills, and a good sense of team process as required to effectively lead and manage a statewide initiative.
* The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of
audiences, including parents, young people with mental health issues, community/county representatives, public and private agency directors, researchers, and policymakers.
* Experience effectively communicating with a culturally diverse
population; the demonstrated ability to value diversity by recognizing and embracing individual differences, including those that arise from varying backgrounds, life experiences, beliefs, and perspectives.
* The ability to accomplish goals with self-sufficiency in a
participatory culture, keeping others appropriately informed while
moving the work forward.
* Act 33/34 clearances required.
* Significant s tatewide and occasional out-of-state travel required. Valid PA driver's license and reliable transportation required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

* Provide support for the Youth and Family Training Institute advisory board.
* Provide vision, leadership, and management of the Institute's staff.
* Provide a direct interface and partnership with OMHSAS to support the development of statewide capacity and fidelity for the High Fidelity Wraparound model. Participate in OMHSAS-identified meetings.
* Serve as the responsible official for the fiscal and administrative
oversight of the Institute and assure accountability to the funded
community/entity for the proper conduct of the cooperative agreement.
* Assure compliance with all monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting requirements and assure accuracy of the information.
* Arrange for and assure compliance with all contracted training
partners.
* Partner with family and youth groups to assure meaningful
participation in and transformation of the children's mental health
system.
* Provide direct support for Pennsylvania's counties to establish
infrastructure and readiness, necessary conditions, and supports for High Fidelity Wraparound.
* Establish a high level of practice, performance, and productivity
standards; and, provide overall direction that ensures quality practices and methodologies for all services provided to young people and families consistent with the goals of the system transformation effort.
* Provide leadership and oversight in partnering with researchers and evaluators to ensure studies that document both fidelity and outcomes.
* Provide leadership and a ssure collaboration with statewide behavioral health, juvenile justice, child welfare, education, and other child-serving agencies.
* Ensure a high level of effective communications with all
stakeholders.
* Develop and distribute an annual report.
* Coordinate and oversee a biennial Institute conference.
* Become certified as a wraparound facilitator.
* Maintain familiarity with pending and/or established state and
federal legislation and county actions that may impact the initiative.
* Clearly establish and lead the initiative's vision of resiliency,
recovery, and cultural competency.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Apply on line (only) at UPMC.com. [Click on "Careers at UPMC"; Click on "Start my Job Search"; click on "Search and Apply for Openings"; Click on "Advanced Search"; enter 10268 87 in the Job Opening ID field].
Applications due by December 21, 2007.

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RFP for Development of Austism Service & Bazelon Call for Parity
December 6 , 2007

ANNOUNCEMENT #1
FROM: Bureau of Autism Services, PA Dept of Public Welfare

RE: Request for Proposals (RFP) for Development of Autism Service,
Education, Research, and Training (ASERT) Regional Centers Coming Soon.

ELIGIBLE BIDDERS: Existing or proposed consortia of academic centers, including universities, tertiary-care or university-based hospitals, and state agencies already involved in the care and research of adults and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.

The Bureau of Autism Services is seeking to fund three regional centers for Autism, Service, Education, Research, and Training (ASERT), in Eastern, Central, and Western Pennsylvania, as a cost-effective way to address the gap between research and quality diagnostic and treatment practices. This solicitation is a direct result of the work of the Autism Task Force, which recommended development and funding of regional centers as a means to leverage wor k from the research community.

Instructions for proposals and application materials will be available
in mid-December, online at www.autisminpa.org.

An informal bidder's conference, to solicit feedback on this RFP and to provide clarification where feasible, is scheduled for Friday, January 11, 2008, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg.

Questions about this information may be directed to Nina Wall Cote, Director of DPW's Bureau of Autism Services, nwall-co@state.pa.us.


ANNOUNCEMENT #2

Please see the attached notice from the Bazelon Center about a Call for Parity on December 7th, which OMHSAS is distributing as part of its general information sharing with OMHSAS Advisory Committees members and other OMHSAS stakeholders.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure 11/30/07
December 4 , 2007

Attached please find t he Unified Systems Weekly Narrative for the week ending 11/30/07 regarding the Mayview State Hospital closure. Questions about the report may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.
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CMS Final Report 8/23/07
December 4 , 2007

Attached is a report on the findings of a 3-year pilot grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Pennsylvania's Peer Specialist Program. This research was conducted by the University of Pennsylvania Collaborative on Community Integration in conjunction with the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP) and
Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS).

Questions about the research may be directed to Mark Salzer, Ph.D., at the University of Pennsylvania at mark.salzer@uphs.upenn.edu.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
November 8 , 2007


The Unified Systems Weekly Narrative for 11/08/07, for the week ending 11/02/07, regarding the Mayview State Hospital closure, is attached. Questions about the report may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us. ***

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OMHSAS 2008 SAP Meeting Schedule
November 12 , 2007

The dates for the Service Area Planning (SAP) meetings for
Pennsylvania's state hospitals are listed below. The meeting start
times and locations will be announced when those details have been determined.

2008 SAP MEETING SCHEDULE

Friday, April 4th - Norristown State Hospital
Friday, April 11th - Wernersville State Hospital
Thursday, April 17th - Torrance State Hospital
Friday, April 18th - Mayview State Hospital
Tuesday, April 22nd - Danville State Hospital
Monday, May 5th - Warren State Hospital
Wednesday, May 7th - Allentown State Hospital
Thursday, May 15th - Clarks Summit State Hospital

If you have any questions about the Service Area Planning for
Pennsylvania's state hospitals, please contact Karen Wright in OMHSAS's Bureau of Community & Hospital Operations at kawright@state.pa.us.

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Joint Session of the OMHSAS Advisory Committee
November 9 , 2007


We have determined that Part 2 of our anticipated 2 e-mails being sent to OMHSAS listserv stakeholders may be too large for some stakeholders' computer systems to receive. Therefore, the documents from the Joint Session of the OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings held November 1st, 2007, are being sent in two e-mails: Part 2A and Part 2B. This transmission is Part 2A.

Questions about this presentation should be directed to Stan Mrozowski, Director of the OMHSAS Children's Bureau, at smrozowski@state.pa.us.

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PCCD Funding Opportunities

November 7 , 2007

Last year OMHSAS issued a recommendation to promote mental health and substance use agency participation on Criminal Justice Advisory Boa rds (CJAB) to foster local communication and collaboration. CJABs provide the necessary cross-system collaborative structure at the county level
to transform our communities' responses to people with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders who become involved in the criminal justice system.

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) has
announced two (2) funding opportunities specifically for county Criminal Justice Advisory Boards. We encourage you to partner with others in your county to establish a CJAB if you do not currently have one or to initiate or enhance a project of your existing CJAB.

For your information, I have attached the most current list of existing CJABs and the primary contact person of each. I have also attached the minimum standards for CJABs issued by PCCD. nd finally, I've attached below the PCCD link to see the funding announcements. I want to thank you for th e good work you do and look forward to more exciting initiatives as a result of this funding opportunity. If I can be of any assistance to you as you consider this grant opportunity, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail.

Solicitation for Concept Papers for 2008 Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) Establishment Project http://www.pccd.state.pa.us/pccd/cwp/view.asp?a=1386&q=577202

Solicitation for Concept Papers for 2008 Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) Initiate/Enhancement Projects
http://www.pccd.state.pa.us/pccd/cwp/view.asp?a=1386&q=577209

Thank you,

Robbie Altenor
Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
717-346-9563
raltenor@state.pa.us

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
October 31 , 2007


The Unified Systems Weekly Narrative for 10/31/07 , regarding the Mayview State Hospital closure, is attached. Questions about the report may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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APPRISE Training date added for State College on November 28, 2007
October 28 , 2007

APPRISE TRAINING DATE ADDED FOR STATE COLLEGE ON November 28, 2007 The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is pleased to announce the addition of a sixth training date/location in State College to the Apprise training series previously announced in an e-mail distribution on 10/16/07. This series of statewide trainings is designed to provide information about serving Medicaid/Medicare Beneficiaries with Mental Health Issues. Please see the attachment, and for more information contact Jack Vogelsong at 717-772-0380 or jvogelsong@state.pa.us.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
October 23 , 2007


The Unified Systems Weekly Narrative for 10/23/07 , regarding the Mayview State Hospital closure, is attached. Questions about the report may be directed to David Jones at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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Revised OMHSAS County Plan Guidelines
October 22 , 2007

Attached is a REVISED COPY of the document "Guidelines: County Mental Health Plan for Adults, Older Adults and Transition-Age Youth with Serious Mental Illness and Co-occurring Disorders, Fiscal Years 2009-2012" that was distributed on behalf of OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney on October 9th, 2007.

This REVISED COPY is being issued since some of the recipients of the previous document informed us that document showed "tracked changes" which they were not able to get rid of. We believe that this happened because of the settings in their MS Word program. We also noted that there were a couple of typos in the previous document. Due to these reasons, we are reissuing the document in which we fixed the problem of "tracked changes" being displayed and also corrected the typos. Please replace the earlier version with the revise d document attached with this e-mail.

NOTE: This is a 61-page document.

If you have any questions about these Guidelines, please contact Natalie Shaffer at 717-346-2614 or by email at at shaffer@state.pa.us.

 

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
October 17 , 2007

According to David Jones, who's heading up the Mayview closure
leadership team, "There has not been much activity in the past week, so this week's narrative is rather short. Let me know if you have any
questions." He can be contacted at c-dajones@state.pa.us. ***

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APPRISE/Medicate Part D Training
October 16 , 2007

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging in conjunction with the
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, the PA Health Law Project, PA Community Providers Association, and the PA Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition has designed a series of statewide trainings to increase awareness and better understanding of APPRISE Health Insurance Counseling Program as it pertains to Mental Health Consumers with Medicare Benefits.

Please see the attached document offering training dates, locations, and registration information.

Any questions regarding these training sessions should be directed to Jack Vogelsong at 717-772-0380 or jvogelsong@state.pa.us.

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Mayview State Hospital Closure Update
October 11 , 2007

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) leadership team for the closure of Mayview State Hospital is providing weekly reports of their activities to brief Secretary of Welfare Estelle B. Richman and members of the stakeholder community served by the hospital and actively participating in the closure.

OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney has requested that these reports also be distributed regularly to OMHSAS Advisory Committees members and other stakeholders on OMHSAS listservs.

The Action Plan includes the items/steps the leadership team determined must be accomplished during the term of the closure. Target dates are assigned to each item, but sometimes these dates change based on circumstances. Each new report will contain areas highlighted in bold print; this is generally new information compared to the prior report. The Action Plan attached is dated September 14, 2007.

Th e Narrative Update changes frequently, focusing more on items worked on in the past week and that are being worked on in the current week. Some of the information in this update is in the Action Plan, and some is not. The Narrative Update attached is dated October 9, 2007.

If you have any questions about either report, please contact Dave Jones, who's heading the Mayview closure leadership team, at c-dajones@state.pa.us.

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17th Annual Case Management Conference
September 14 , 2007

The 17th Annual Case Management Conference sponsored by the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Office of Education and Regional Programming (WPIC/OERP), and Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is currently accepting workshop proposals for their conference which will be held June 17-19, 2008, at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, PA. Please see the two attached documents for further details. Contact Joanne Slappo, PhD, CPRP, Program Coordinator, WPIC/OERP, if you have any questions regarding the proposal submission. Dr. Slappo can be reached at 412-802-6918 or slappojm@upmc.edu. Thank you.

*** OMHSAS Advisory Committees Members: Please assist in your role of information sharing by distributing this notice broadly. *** *** OMHSAS Advisory Committees members and other stakeholders are encouraged to keep an e-mail folder on their computer in which to place all OMHSAS listserv announcements for at least one to two months prior to deletion. Your cooperation with this recommendation is appreciated.

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Hearing Loss Expo 2007
September 12 , 2007

The PA Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, or ODHH, will be hosting Hearing Loss Expo 2007: Bridging the Communication Gap in Harrisburg (at the Capitol) on Friday, Sept. 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.! Please see the attached flyer for more information.

If you are not able to view the flyer, please visit www.dli.state.pa.us/odhh and look under the "Special Announcements and Events" section.

It's the perfect opportunity to meet ODHH staff, get a free hearing screening, learn about programs and services — many of which are free — and explore assistive technology for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind.

If you have questions about the expo, please contact ODHH Director Sharon Behun, sbehun@state.pa.us or 717-783-4912, or 717-783-6381 VP.

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DPW Press Release - Computer Theft
September 11 , 2007

The Department of Public Welfare has begun notifying medical assistance consumers in the behavioral health system whose personal information may have been contained on two computers that were stolen from a DPW office building in Harrisburg. The burglary remains under investigation. There is no indication that any of the information on the stolen computers has been used inappropriately. "The burglary was an unfortunate event and we sincerely apologize to all of those who may be affected by it," said Public Welfare Secretary Estelle B. Richman. "The department is taking all appropriate steps to prevent an incident like this from occurring in the future and is working with both state and local authorities and community partners to help those potentially affected." The majority of information on the computers, which was protected by multiple security passwords, did not identify consumers by name and contained only coded information relating to the treatment of consumers in the behavioral health system. However, the information for approximately 1,819 consumers did include names and Social Security numbers. DPW has begun mailing notification letters to the approximately 375,000 individuals in the behavioral health system that could potentially be affected in order to explain what has happened and to assist them with any steps they will need to take.

Consumers with questions or those who believe they have been affected should call the DPW hotline toll-free, (800) 692-7462, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Consumers may also call the DPW Change Center toll-free, (877) 395-8930 statewide or (215) 560-7226 in the Philadelphia area, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information on identity theft, steps to take if you believe you have been a victim, as well as other helpful tips, go to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinqency's Web site, www.identitytheftactionplan.com.

Press release go to:
www.dpw.state.pa.us/general/computertheft/

For additional information, see Computer Theft Fact Sheet: www.dpw.state.pa.us/general/003676832.htm

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Mayview State Hospital Closure
August 15 , 2007

Department of Public Welfare Secretary Estelle B. Richman today announced plans to close the clinical services of the civil section of Mayview State Hospital in Allegheny County by December 31, 2008.

In keeping with the Department of Public Welfare's commitment to
reduce reliance on institutional care and improve access to home and community-based services for Pennsylvanians living with mental illness, the DPW plans to close Mayview State Hospital (MSH) by December 31, 2008.

Mayview State Hospital currently serves 225 individuals from
Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence, Greene and Washington counties on its 335-acre campus with a staff of approximately 502 people. The
hospital currently has a total operating budget of $63 million.

The department is also exploring the consolidation and privatization
of forensic services currently provided by the state hospital system.

The state hospital's forensic centers currently serve approximately
217 patients at three locations: Mayview, Norristown and Warren State Hospitals. In combination, these facilities serve the entire
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. DPW will issue a request for proposals to create two privately run, regionally based forensic facilities located in eastern Pennsylvania on the campus of Norristown State Hospital and in western Pennsylvania at Torrance State Hospital.

Mr. Dave Jones will be the project officer for this initiative.

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OMHSAS to Simpify the Guidelines for the County Mental Health Plan
August 6 , 2007

On In an effort by DPW's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) to simplify the guidelines for the County Mental Health Plan, OMHSAS had convened a workgroup composed of County MH/MR representatives, stakeholders, and OMHSAS staff. The attached draft document is the product of this workgroup. As recommended by the group, the new guidelines developed are for a three-year period covering fiscal years 2009/2010, 2010/2011, and 2011/2012.

NOTE: This is NOT a FINAL product. There are a few issues/areas that the workgroup is still addressing, and these are clearly identified in the attached document. (This document is currently 57 pages long.)

Please send your feedback/recommendations to: Natalie Shaffer at natshaffer@state.pa.us by Monday, August 20th, 2007.

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SAMHSA Awarded Funding for Continuation of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
August 6 , 2007

Last week, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that it has awarded $2,880,000 to Link2Health Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the Mental Health Association of New York City, for a Cooperative Agreement to operate the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a network of more than 120 crisis centers located in communities across the country that respond, 24 hours a day, to individuals in emotional distress or suicidal crisis. Since 2004, NASMHPD has operated under a subcontract with Link2Health Solutions, Inc. to help administer the Lifeline. We look forward to continuing this partnership.

SAMHSA and VA Partner to Provide Crisis Services to Veterans

This week, SAMHSA announced that it has partnered with the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that veterans have access to mental health services 24 hours a day through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK). Veterans and their family members and friends who call the Lifeline are given the option to select "1" at the main telephone menu to speak with a professionally staffed VA crisis worker. Callers who select this option are then connected to a mental health professional in Canandaigua, NY. Other VA centers with trained crisis workers will be added to the VA subnetwork shortly. Additional information about this new service may be found by going to:
www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1363

Should you have questions regarding either of these issues, please do not hesitate to contact Andrea Fiero at andrea.fiero@nasmhpd.org or 703-682-5184.

OMHSAS Advisory Committees members and other stakeholders are encouraged to keep an e-mail folder on their computer in which to place all OMHSAS listserv announcements for at least one to two months prior to deletion. You cooperation with this recommendation is appreciated.

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National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day
August 6 , 2007

On July 31st, 2007, the United States Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 285) co-sponsored by Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, which designates Sunday, September 9th, 2007, as "National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day."

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Draft Guidelines for Counties on Respite Service for Family with Children in the Behaviorial Health System
July 19, 2007

*** The deadline for submitting comments on the draft document circulated to you earlier today is JULY 27th, not June 27th. See corrected notice below. ***

The OMHSAS Children's Bureau is circulating this DRAFT of Guidelines for Counties on Respite Services for Families with Children in the Behavioral Health System for review and comment. This draft has been developed with the assistance of the OMHSAS Children's Advisory Committee.

All comments about the draft should be sent — by 4:00 p.m. next Friday, JULY 27th, 2007 — to Stan Mrozowski, Director of the OMHSAS Children's Bureau, at smrozowski@state.pa.us.

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OMHSAS Advisroy Committee meetings July 12, 2007
July 10, 2007

TO: OMHSAS Advisory Committees Members
Other OMHSAS Stakeholders

Attached please find copies of documents that will be considered at the OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings next Thursday, July 12, 2007. These meetings will be held at the Four Points Sheraton, 800 East Park Drive, Harrisburg. Sign-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The Children's, Adult, and Older Adult Committees will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The Joint Session will be held following the buffet luncheon, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

CHILDREN'S Advisory Committee

  1. Agenda for July 12th Meeting
  2. Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Children's Advisory Committee Meeting

ADULT Advisory Committee

  1. Agenda for July 12th Meeting
  2. Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Adult Advisory Committee Meeting

OLDER ADULT Advisory Committee

  1. Agenda for July 12th Meeting
  2. Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Older Adult Advisory Committee Meeting
  3. Priority Projects List
  4. USA Today Article
  5. Money Follows the Person (MFP) Report

JOINT SESSION

  1. 1) Agenda for July 12th Meeting
  2. 2) Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Joint Session
  3. 3) Protocol Revisions
  4. 4) CMHS Block Grant PowerPoint

Thank you.

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OMHSAS News Archive

 

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