OMHSAS
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- 03/05: OMHSAS Announcements
- 03/03: Cultural Competency Training
- 02/19: ARRA Statewide Forensic Peer Support Funding Announcement
- 02/16: OMHSAS Announcements
- 02/05: OMHSAS Announcements
- 02/01: OMHSAS Announcements
- More»
Archive
October 2008
1.) Adult Autism Waiver Update and Frequently Asked Questions attached
2.) Invitation to the Housing Alliance Workshop:
Please consider attending the Annual Conference of the Pennsylvania Housing Alliance: Homes Within Reach, in Harrisburg November 17-19, 2008. A special workshop on November 18 will focus on the special housing needs and challenges of people who have mental illness and are involved or at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. Thank you.
Download:
1.) Attached is background material for the Special OMHSAS Children's Advisory Committee meeting of October 17, 2008. This material if from a national initiative involving SAMHSA and representatives of residental facilities. This work provides guidance for our thinking about the role of residential treatment as part of the service continuum.
1. Building Bridges Vision
2. Building Bridges Steering Committee and Workgroup Members
3. Building Bridges letter
4. Building Bridges Matrix
5. Self-Assessment Framework
6. Innovative Practices Paper
2.) Annual PA Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference that will be held in Hershey on December 2-5, 2008. This annual event is a collaborative between PA OMHSAS and PA DOC. See attachment for more information.
To access past Listserv messages visit the archives at:
http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us
Download:
- BBMissionVision
- BBSteeringComm
- BuildingBridgesLet
- BuildingBridgesMat
- SelfAssessmentFrame
- InnovativePractices
- ForensicBrochure
1.) 20th Children's Interagency Training Conference Workshop Proposal Deadline Extended - Poster Session Announced
Dear Potential Workshop Presenters,
Please be reminded that the deadline to submit a workshop proposal for the 20th Children's Interagency Training Conference from May 5-8, 2009 at the Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA is Today. Since we continue to get requests in regards to the deadline, we have extended it to Wednesday, November 5th. For more information about submitting a proposal, please visit www.wpic.pitt.edu/oerp/yfticonf, or contact Kyessa L. Brian at briankl@upmc.edu.
In addition, we are also accepting proposals for the poster session to be held on Tuesday, May 5th from 4-6 pm. The poster session will be held in the exhibit hall in conjunction with an ice cream social. Please visit www.wpic.pitt.edu/oerp/yfticonf for further information about the poster session and to download the Poster Session Application.
Registration information for the 20th Children's Interagency Training Conference will be available in early 2009.
We look forward to seeing you at the conference!
Sincerely,
Shannon M. Fagan
2.) Handouts from the Special Children's Advisory Meeting on 10/17/08 are attached
3.) Mayview closure updates week-ending 10/17 and 10/24 have been posted
online:
http://www.mayview-sap.org/html/MayviewClosureActivity.htm
Download:
- Training Evaluation
- Discussion Questions
- Sanctuary 101
- Sanctuary QA
- Creating Sanctuary
- PRTF Presentation
- OOS Presentation
Volunteers Needed
OMHSAS is seeking volunteers to serve on a workgroup to advise the Office on the development of a plan for improving behavioral health services for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning individuals. Please review the attached overview of the workgroup goals and the types of volunteers being sought.
Should you have questions, please contact Carol Ward-Colasante at ccolasante@state.pa.us or at 717-772-7913. Thank you.
Mayview Closure update week-ending 10/17/08 attached
To access past Listserv messages visit the archives at:
http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us
Download:
Attached is the finalized schedule for the Recovery Oriented Systems
Indicators (ROSI) training that will be held in various regions of the
state. The parking map of Westmoreland County Community College, where the
training for the Southeast region will be held on October 15, 2008, is also
included with this email. County representatives, Community Support Program
(CSP) Committee members, representatives of Behavioral Health Managed Care
Organizations, and other interested stakeholders are strongly encouraged to < BR>attend the training. County MH/MR administrators are requested to ensure
that at least one person from the MH/MR office attends the training. If you
have any questions regarding this, please contact Natalie Shaffer at
NatShaffer@state.pa.us.
This bulletin is to outline standards for Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs. This publication transmits the information necessary for the provision of ACT services in the Commonwealth. Please direct any questions regarding this bulletin to: bvarghese@state.pa.us
Download:
1.) RFP'S FOR ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT In keeping with our commitment
to promote the development of Evidence Based Practices in Pennsylvania, the
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse is pleased to announce the
issuance of two Requests For Proposals (RFP's) for Assertive Community
Treatment (ACT) Assertive Community Treatment is a team treatment approach
designed to provide comprehensive community-based psychiatric treatment,
rehabilitation and support to persons with serious and persistent mental
illness. The attached Requests For Proposals on ACT are intended to solicit
applicants for 1) pilot ACT teams and 2) a Pennsylvania ACT training and
technical assistance consultant. Please review the attached RFP's and share
them with anyone you know who might be interested in applying for these
initiatives.
*Applications for both RFP's are due by October 24, 2008.
*Should you have questions about these RFP's, please contact Benny Varghese
at bvarghese@state.pa.us or Carol Ward Colasante at ccolasante@state.pa.us.
2.) STATEWIDE CONFERENCE ON PROBLEM GAMBLING The Department of Health,
Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs, is attempting to reach out to as many
individuals and providers in the community that would be interested in
applying for a scholarship to attend the Annual Statewide Conference on
Problem Gambling sponsored by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of
Pennsylvania.
*If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Meri
Haunstein at mhaunstein@state.pa.us.
3.) TRAINING OF TRAINERS OP PORTUNITY ON THE ADOLESCENT CO-OCCURRING DISORDER
CURRICULUM This two-day training will allow the state to develop a cadre of
professional trainers to transfer knowledge on the treatment of co-occurring
disorders specific to the adolescent population.
*Please review the attached announcement describing the training event and
requirements, have any interested professional complete the Call for
Trainers information form, and submit by September 19, 2008 a. Due to the
significant interest in previous TOT opportunities that the Departments have
supported, no applications received after the due date will be reviewed by
the selection committee.
*If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Jean
Rush at jrush@state.pa.us.
4.) ANNOUNCEMENT - PA COUNTIES RECEIVE GRANTS TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR
CHILDREN
Download:
A
This bulletin is to outline standards for Assertive Community Treatment
(ACT) programs. This publication transmits the information necessary for the
provision of ACT services in the Commonwealth.
Please direct any questions regarding this bulletin to:
bvarghese@state.pa.us
Download:
Attached are the Fiscal Year 2008/2009 County Plan Report and the Cover
Letter signed by Deputy Secretary Joan Erney. If you have any questions
concerning this, please contact Natalie Shaffer at NatShaffer@state.pa.us.
Download:
The next meetings of DPW's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Services (OMHSAS) Advisory Committees will be THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, 2008,
from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Four Points Sheraton, 800 East Park
Drive, Harrisburg, PA. Sign-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The age-based meetings
(Children's, Adult, and Older Adult) will be held 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,
and the Joint Session will begin at 1:30 p.m. A buffet luncheon will be
held at 12:30 p.m. for all persons who pre-registered to attend the
meetings.
CHILDREN'S COMMITTEE DOCUMENTS
1) Outcomes from the July 10th meeting
2) Agenda for the September 4th meeting
3) FASD: What Policy Makers Should Know
4) FASD Intervention
5) FASD: What School Systems Should Know About Affected Students
6) FASD: What the Foster Care System Should Know
ADULT COMMITTEE
1) Outcomes from the July 10th meeting
2) Agenda for the September 4th meeting
3) CSP Regional Reports for September 4th
OLDER ADULT COMMITTEE
1) Outcomes from the July 10th meeting
2) Agenda for the September 4th meeting
3) LIFE (Living Independence for the Elderly) Program
4) Behavioral Health Connection
YOUTH SUBCOMMITTEE
1) Outcomes from the July 8th meeting
JOINT SESSION
1) Outcomes from the July 10th meeting
2) Agenda for the September 4th meeting
To access past Listserv messages, visit the archives at:
http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.
Download:
- Children's Outcomes
- Children's Agenda
- Policymakers
- Intervention
- Students
- Fostercare
- Adult Outcomes
- Adult Agenda
- CSP Regional Reports
- Older Adult Outcomes
- Older Adult Agenda
- Life Program
- BH Connection
- Youth Subcommittee
- Joint Outcomes
- Joint Agenda
The latest Mayview State Hospital closure update--for August 9th--is posted
at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. The updates for August 15th
and 22nd will be available there shortly.
Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones of OMHSAS
at c-dajones@state.pa.us.
The Sex Offender Assessment Board has announced the availability of on-line
training modules regarding the Sex Offender Containment Model. The
Commonwealth Containment Model was developed by the Sex Offender Management
Team, a collaboration of state and local agencies supported by a grant from
the US Department of Justice. OMHSAS staff participated in the development
of the Model and the technical implementation of the eLearning modules.
Training topics are now available online at the Pennsylvania Commission on
Crime and Delinquency's PCCD website
To access past Listserv messages visit the archives at:
http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us
Download: Sex Offender Containment
The Cambria-Somerset Council is coordinating a conference on "Behavioral
Health & Society: The Law, the Mind and Community Wellness" on Friday,
September 12, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The conference is jointly
sponsored by 10 organizations--including the Pennsylvania Office of Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)--and will be held at the
Chestnut Ridge Inn on the Green in Blairsville, PA.
Please read the attached conference brochure for program information and
registration details. Questions you may have that are not addressed in the
brochure should be directed to: jdhoff@pitt.edu or call 814-269-2948
Download: Behavioral Health 2008
DRAFT DPW BULLETINS ON NO PRONE RESTRAINTS RELEASED FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT
Attached are two Department of Public Welfare Bulletins for review and
comment. Both bulletins will be effective six months after final release.
The no prone bulletin clarifies that 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3800, relating to
Child Residential and Day Treatment Centers, prohibits prone restraints. The
policy bulletin describes in m ore detail strategies to reduce and eliminate
restraints in child serving programs. As part of the Alternatives to
Coercive Techniques restraint-free initiative, the Department will be
developing core competencies and training opportunities for providers. In
addition, we recommend that providers work with their current safe crisis
training vendors to ensure that the curriculum includes the no prone ban.
Please send any comments to: RA-policyoffice@state.pa.us with a subject line "no prone comments" no later than Monday, September 15, 2008.
Download: Prone Restraints
Download: Strategies & Practices
PEER SPECIALIST & PROVIDER TRAINING ON OCTOBER 24TH
The Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is sponsoring a training on Friday, October 24th, for Peer Specialists and Providers. For details, please go to the
WPIC training opportunities website: www.wpic.pitt.edu/oerp.
If you have any questions about this training after reviewing the website information, please contact:
Joanne Slappo, Ph.D., CPRP
Program Coordinator
Office of Education and Regional Programming
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
412-802-6918
slappo jm@upmc.edu
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You are invited to attend a two part training event that highlights
Pennsylvania's Behavioral Health Connection and Working With Older
Adults Living With Mental Health Concerns. Behavioral Health Connection is a
brand new program that assists ALL mental health consumers in accessing
necessary treatment, especially prescription medication. The training will
assist all mental health professionals working with consumers and provide
access to this unique resource. Behavioral Health Connection serves
consumers of all ages. There is no cost for the training but seating is
limited!
Lynn Patrone
lynn@olderpennsylvanians.org
Pennsylvania Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition
Behavioral Health Connection
525 South 29th St.
Harrisburg, PA 17104
(717)541-4219 Office
(717)649-2104 Mobile
(717)541-4217 Fax
Download: Fall 2008 Training
SAVE THE DATE - SEE FLYER ATTACHED
PA Peer Support Service Teleconference
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Telephone call-in number 1-800-369-0860
and Participant Code 54120#
This next in a series of OMHSAS-sponsored teleconferences related to PA
Peer Support Services will highlight information about the newly formed
statewide PA Peer Support Coalition as well as offer OMHSAS updates to
include new information on telephone billing for peer support services.
Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the call!
Download: Save the Date
The latest Mayview State Hospital closure updates--for July 22nd and 29th, 2008--are posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org.
Special Notes for the July 22nd report: There will be no Land Reuse Task Force Meeting or a family meeting in August. The new date for the family meeting is in the report, and the task force meeting date will be communicated as soon as it is known.
Special Notes for the July 29th report: The next unit is scheduled to close by August 6th, which will leave 4 units. The number of employees still needing a placement is now at 160.
Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones of OMHSAS at c-dajones@state.pa.us.
COMMENTS INVITED BY AUGUST 8, 2008,
ON REVISIONS TO "ROSI" MEASURES
A workgroup of the OMHSAS Advisory Committees recently completed
revisions to the Recovery Oriented Systems Indicators (ROSI)
administrative measures. These revisions were made based upon a
piloting of six (6) of the ROSI administrative measures as part of the
county planning process.
These revised measures will be distributed to counties for completion by
the spring of 2009. Please provide any comments/feedback on this
document to Mary Kohut at mary@pmhca.org no later than August 8, 2008.
Download: ROSI Admin
DREXEL OFFERING CO-OCCURRING DISORDER SERIES 2008-2009
IN STATE COLLEGE AND WEST CHESTER
The Drexel College of Medicine, Behavioral Healthcare Education, is
presenting its 2008-2009 Series on Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use
Disorders. The series is being offered at two convenient locations in
Pennsylvania: State College and West Chester.
Please review the attached document for more details. A registration
form is on page 9 of the attachment. If you have any questions about
this educational program, contact: Anne Finan of Drexel University
College of Medicine at anne.finan@drexelmed.edu.
Download:
A
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE OF FINANCIAL EDUCATION?
The Office of Financial Education is a special program developed by Governor Edward G. Rendell in the Department of Banking that offers free classes, information, and resources to help adults and youth learn about managing money, budgeting, and other practical financial matters. The information is free and presented in a user-friendly format.
Here is the home page that will link you to a variety of financial education topics and resources:
http://www.moneysbestfriend.com/default.aspx?id=110
Providers, county staff, and advocates may wish to share this information with consumers/clients--as well as reviewing it for their own potential benefit.
GAMBLING TREATMENT INFORMATION FROM THE BUREAU OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL
PROGRAMS
The Pennsylvania Department of Health's Bureau of Drug and Alcohol
Programs (BDAP) is attempting to reach out to individuals and providers
in the community that would be interested in applying to become approved
Providers for Outpatient Gambling Counseling Services. Please read the
attached notice about BDAP's Gambling Services Manual and Participating
Provider Agreement.
Questions about the attached document can be directed to Meri Haunstein
of BDAP at mhaunstein@state.pa.us
Download:
The latest Mayview State Hospital closure updates--for June 24th and July 2nd, 2008--are posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org.
The July 8th and July 15th updates will be posted on that site shortly.
Please note that, as of the July 2nd report, the number of staff needing a placement has been adjusted. Previous narratives included employees eligible for retirement and the total number of positions available at Torrance, state-operated services, and the stay-behind crew. Starting with this narrative, the number will reflect those staff that have actually been placed to date and only the retirements where staff have
given notice with a date they intend to retire.
Please also note that, for the July 15th report, there were no discharges for the prior week.
Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones of
OMHSAS at c-dajones@state.pa.us.
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Attached is a DRAFT copy of a Bulletin, Best Practices Guidelines for
Family Involvement with Youth who are in Residential reatment
Facilities." Please submit comments on this DRAFT document to Crystal
Doyle of the OMHSAS Bureau of Children's Behavioral Health Services at
crdoyle@state.pa.us. Deadline for comments is Friday, August 1, 2008.
Download:
Attached please find Part 1 of 2 parts of the documents being
distributed prior to the OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings to be held
this Thursday, July 10th, at the Four Points Sheraton, 800 East Park
Drive, Harrisburg. Part 1 contains documents for the Children's
Advisory Committee, Youth Subcommittee, Older Adult Advisory Committee,
and Joint Advisory Session. Part 2 will contain documents for the Adult
Advisory Committee.
Pre-registration is required for ALL participants in Thursday's meetings
to ensure sufficient meeting materials, seating, and food and beverages.
Sign-in will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., with the age-based committee
meetings beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continuing until 12:30 p.m. A
buffet luncheon will be provided 12:30-1:30 p.m., with the afternoon
Joint Session getting underway at 1:30 p.m.
CHILDREN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1) Outcomes from 05/01/2008 Meeting
2) Agenda for 07/10/2008 Meeting
YOUTH SUBCOMMITTEE
1) Outcomes from 04/30/2008 Meeting
OLDER ADULT COMMITTEE
1) Outcomes from 05/01/2008 Meeting
2) Agenda for 07/10/2008 Meeting
3) OMHSAS Data Reporting
JOINT SESSION
1) Outcomes from 05/01/2008 Meeting
2) Agenda for 07/10/2008 Meeting
Download:
- Children's Outcomes
- Children's Agenda
- Youth Subcommittee
- Older Adult Outcomes
- Older Adult Agenda
- OMHSAS Data
- Joint Outcomes
- Joint Agenda
Please read carefully the attached 2-page document regarding the
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team Workgroup that is to be
developed for OMHSAS. Interested applicants must respond with complete
information requested no later than Friday, July 25th, 2008.
Questions about this document may be directed to Carol Ward-Colasante in
the OMHSAS Bureau of Planning, Policy, and Program Development (BPPPD)
at ccolasante@state.pa.us.
Download:
MESSAGE FROM SPEAKER Dennis M. O'Brien to Autism Advocates
I am proud to report that the House of Representatives today made
several small but fundamental improvements to House Bill 1150 that will
strengthen its scope of mandated coverage for autism services. I can
now say in confidence that House Bill 1150 is the best autism insurance
reform bill in the country.
This success was made possible by the tireless efforts of hundreds of
autism advocates from across the state and beyond who made their voices
heard h ere in Harrisburg.
With your full support, I offered an amendment to include in this
legislation precise definitions of mandated care. These definitions
ensure than the bill will cover essential autism services, including
those to prevent regression.
The House heard your voices, and accepted my amendment unanimously. In
accordance with my agreement with Senate leaders, the Senate is expected
to concur with my amendment and send the bill to the Governor Rendell
for his signature in the next few days.
Thank you all - this bill was a long time in coming, and we could not
have done it without your support.
--Denny
The Behavioral Healthcare Education Division of the Drexel University
College of Medicine has announced that registration is still open for
Pennsylvania's Second Annual Suicide Prevention Conference, to be held
September 9th-10th at the Holiday Inn, Grantville.
If, after reading the attached brochure, you have any questions about
registering for this conference, please contact Anne Finan at
AFinan@Drexelmed.edu.
Download:
The latest Mayview State Hospital closure update--for June 3rd, 2008--is
posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. The June 10th and
17th updates will be posted on that site shortly.
Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones of
OMHSAS at c-dajones@state.pa.us.
Joan L. Erney, J.D.
Deputy Secretary, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Commonwealth Department of Public Welfare
This e-mail is being sent on behalf of Joan L. Erney, Deputy Secretary
of Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
(OMHSAS).
OMHSAS is planning to issue a Request for Concept papers (RFC) for an
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) training and technical assistance
pilot project in state fiscal year 2008-09. Through this pilot, OMHSAS
would provide targeted training and technical assistance to two new ACT
programs and to two Community Treatment Teams that are interested in
converting to the fidelity-based ACT model. A limited amount of
start-up funding will also be available; however, full ongoing funding
for the program must be identified by the applicant.
Training and technical assistance offered through this pilot would be
provided by a national consultant and would include: classroom training,
technical assistance around program start-up, staffing, fidelity, and
other issues specifically identified by the consultant and the team
leader, shadowing of an experienced ACT team, as well as telephone and
e-mail consultation.
OMHSAS intends to issue the RFC sometime in July or August 2008, along
with the final OMHSAS Bulletin on Assertive Community Treatment.
At this time, OMHSAS would like to determine the level of interest in
this initiative by identifying counties, behavioral health managed care
organizations, and their provider partners that might be interested in
applying for this pilot initiative.
If you are interested in applying for the ACT pilot initiative, or would
like more information, please send an e-mail expressing interest to:
Carol Ward-Colasante at ccolasante@state.pa.us by Thursday, July 3,
2008.
The attached message regarding the transition of Forensic Center
services from Mayview State Hospital to Torrance State Hospital is sent
on behalf of:
Joan L. Erney, J.D.
Deputy Secretary, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Commonwealth Department of Public Welfare
Thank you.
Download:
TRANSFER OF MAYVIEW FORENSIC UNIT TO TORRANCE STATE HOSPITAL
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - May 2008
1. How many patients are in the Mayview Forensic Unit? Are there both
men and women?
This number varies from day to day. However, on May 15, 2008, there
were 42 men and 10 women being served.
2. When will these patients be transferred?
The transfer is expected to be completed by December 31, 2008. No
specific date will be announced in advance, in order to ensure the
safety of the community and the patients during the actual transfer.
3. What is the profile of these patients? Where are they from? Why
are they there?
The Mayview forensic unit serves individuals who are incarcerated in
county jails and who are determined to need a psychiatric evaluation to
determine if they are competent to stand trial, or who are determined to
be incompetent and need treatment focused on restoration of competency
to stand trial, or who have been tried and need psychiatric evaluation
to aid the court in sentencing, or who have been tried and determined to
be "not guilty by reason of insanity."
They can be from any county but are generally from the counties now
served by Mayview State Hospital: Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, Lawrence,
and Washington.
Inmates referred to the forensic unit are typically awaiting trial for a
crime and are determined to need inpatient psychiatric evaluation and/or
treatment. A small number of individuals served have had their trials,
have been found guilty and sentenced to a county sentence, and are in
need of inpatient psychiatric treatmen t. Another small number have been
determined by the court to meet criteria for "not guilty by reason of
insanity" and need involuntary inpatient treatment.
4. Why are they being transferred to Torrance State Hospital?
Mayview State Hospital is closing. Regional forensic services can best
be provided as part of a functioning hospital. The Torrance location is
more centrally located for the area served.
5. Where will they be housed at Torrance? Will the unit be secure?
They will be housed in the Beistel Building. The unit will be secure.
6. How many forensic patients can be accommodated at Torrance?
The current capacity at Mayview's forensic unit is 55 men and 15 women.
At Torrance State Hospital there will be 55 men on 2 wards and 20 women
in another ward. There is the potential of adding another ward within
one year.
7. Will the Mayview Forensic staff be transferred also?
Mayview staff has the option and the first opportunity to bid on jobs at
Torrance. Other staff will be hired to fill the state positions not
filled by employees wishing to transfer from Mayview.
8. Will the unit called the Sexual Responsibility & Treatment (SRTP)
program continue to be at Torrance? If so, where will that unit be
located?
The SRTP is currently located in the Beistel Building and will relocate
to the Weisman Building when the renovations there are complete.
9. How will the transfer occur to ensure safety of all concerned?
The actual details of the plan for transferring the patients will be
confidential to ensure safety of all. The transfer plan will be
developed and approved by the c ourts, law enforcement, and county
corrections prior to the move.
10. Will the Mayview Forensic unit stop taking admissions at some point
prior to the transfer?
This will be determined with input from the criminal justice partners
and based on the individual legal and clinical needs of the patients and
potential patients at the time. Should an interruption of admissions be
deemed necessary, it is expected to be a duration not to exceed several
weeks.
11. Will forensic patients at Torrance be from the same service area
now served by Mayview?
It is expected that Torrance will serve the same area now being served
by Mayview. However, OMHSAS will consider requests from counties to
identify another forensic center as their primary hospital. The three
regional forensic centers are equally capable of serving ind ividuals
from any county as the need arises.
12. Will the county criminal justice systems be informed of the
transfers? If so, when?
Beginning in June, OMHSAS will implement the communication strategic
plan with a goal of informing all stakeholders of the transition plan
and how it may affect local communities. Updates will be done primarily
through e-mail. Members of the transition team will be available to
meet with stakeholders at their request to discuss the plan and services
provided at the regional forensic center.
Any other questions about the transfer of the Mayview Forensic Unit to
Torrance State Hospital may be directed to Robbie Altenor, Special
Assistant to the OMHSAS Deputy Secretary, at raltenor@state.pa.us.
The latest Mayview State Hospital closure updates--for May 13th and May 20th, 2008--are posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. The May 27th update will be posted on that site shortly.
The May 20th report is the first to include an update of employee
status that includes the forensic staff. OMHSAS expects all of the
52 stay-behind positions to be assigned through contract placement. OMHSAS also anticipates the 92 forensic positions will be allocated to the current forensic employees at Mayview who wish to transfer to Torrance State Hospital, and that any residual vacancies will be filled by civil employees at Mayview who wish to transfer to forensics at Torrance. For those reasons, the total number of employees without a placement opportunity stood at 209 in the May 20th report.
Questions about the closure reports may be directed to David Jones.
Here is the schedule of the bimonthly OMHSAS Advisory Committees (AC) Meetings for FY 2008-09. Please enter these dates in your calendars now. All are Thursdays:
July 10th, 2008
September 4th, 2008
November 6th, 2008
January 8th, 2009
March 5th, 2009
May 7th, 2009
We anticipate holding the remainder of the 2008 AC meetings at the Four Points Sheraton, 800 East Park Drive, Harrisburg, PA. The site for the 2009 meetings will be announced later this year.
Sign-in for the AC meetings begins at 8:30 a.m.
The morning session runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. This is usually when the three age-based committees (Children's, Adult, and Older Adult) meet.
A buffet luncheon is provided at noon for pre-registered participants who receive tickets at sign- in.
The afternoon session runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. This is usually when the Joint Session is held, concluding with an update by OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney.
Notifications and RSVP requests for these meetings are sent to all
OMHSAS listservs 3 to 4 weeks in advance of a meeting. These meetings are open to interested members of the public under the state's "sunshine" law. However, in order to have sufficient seating, meeting materials, etc., we must request an RSVP from each participant.
1) SAMHSA RELEASES REPORT ON TEEN DEPRESSION
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service s Administration (SAMHSA)
released a new nationwide report showing that one in every 12
adolescents, about 2.1 million teens, experienced major depression in
the past year. The survey also revealed that adolescent females are
twice as likely as adolescent males to experience a major depressive
episode.
For almost half of the teens, depression drastically reduced their
abilities to deal with aspects of their daily lives.
The full report is available on the web at
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/youthdepress/youthdepress.cfm.
2) DEPRESSION ON PBS; SCHIZOPHRENIA ON MTV
Please see the attached document "Tune In" about some upcoming
television productions that PBS and MTV made in collaboration with NAMI.
3) CHILDREN'S CONTINUUM OF CARE
There is one additional document that is being distributed as follow up
to the May 1st, 2008, meeting of the OMHSAS Children's Advisory
Committee. It is from the Pow erPoint presentation made to the group
that morning by OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney, OCYF Deputy
Secretary Richard Gold, and Angie Logan of the Office of Policy
Development. The presentation is called "Continuum of Care - OMHSAS and
OCYF Coordination" and covers the Children's Commission Meeting held
April 9th, 2008.
If you have any questions about this presentation, please contact Stan
Mrozowski, Director of the OMHSAS Bureau of Children's Behavioral Health
Services, at smrozowski@state.pa.us.
4) NEWS FROM CHILDREN AND FAMILY FUTURES
A two-part Webinar Series is being offered on "Substance Abuse and Child
Welfare in Tribal Communities." Please see the attached document for
details on the June 10th and June 26th events.
Download:
Attached please find documents distributed at the OMHSAS Older Adult
Advisory Com mittee meeting and the Joint Session of the Advisory
Committees, both held May 1st, 2008.
OLDER ADULT COMMITTEE
1) PowerPoint on "Nursing Home Transition Program"
2) pdf of "State Aging Plan - Town Hearing Schedule"
Questions about these documents should be directed to Patty Clark, Dept.
of Aging Leadstaff to the Older Adult Advisory Committee, at
patrclark@state.pa.us.
JOINT SESSION
1) PowerPoint on "Understanding the Needs of LGBTQ People in Recovery"
by Michael Lewis and Mark Davis
2) PowerPoint of OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney's presentation,"Systems Transformation: Toward a Unified System"
3) pdf of "OMHSAS Personal Care Board Home Policy - DRAFT - October
2007"
Questions about the two PowerPoints should be directed to Shelley
Bishop, Executive Assistant to the OMHSAS Deputy Secretary for Consumer
and Family Issues, at shebishop@state.pa.us.
Comments about the draft PCB H policy should be submitted to Shelley
Bishop no later than Tuesday, May 27th, 2008, at shebishop@state.pa.us.
Download:
- Nursing Home Transition
- State Aging Plan
- PPT LGBTQ
- PPT Systems Transformation
- Personal Care Board Home Policy
Attached please find documents distributed at the OMHSAS Children's and
Adult Advisory Committees meetings held May 1st, 2008.
A second e-mailing later today will include follow-up documents from the
Older Adult Committee meeting and the Joint Session.
CHILDREN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1) PowerPoint of School-Based Behavioral Health (SBBH) Workgroup's Draft
Summary
2) Word file of SBBH White Paper Summary Draft with comments
Questions/comments about these documents can be directed to Wendy
Luckenbill, Co-Chair the SBBH Workgroup, at wluckenbill@mhapa.org.
ADULT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1) BHS Sedative-Hypnotic Use for 2004/2007
2) Number of Patients Restrained: Behavioral Health Unit, FY 2001-2002
through FY 2007-2008
3) PA Peer Support Coalition: Fact Sheet
4) Criminal Charges Data for HSH Closure Population (as of 11/26/07)
5) OMHSAS Home and Community Services Information System (HCSIS) Summary
6) TeleSage Outcomes Measurement System: Minimizing Burden to Achieve
Sustainability
7) TeleSage Outcomes Measurement System Adult Survey (v. 1.10)
Questions about these documents should be directed to Natalie Shaffer,
OMHSAS Leadstaff to the Adult Advisory Committee, at
natshaffer@state.pa.us.
Download:
- School Based Powerpoint
- White Paper Summary Draft
- BHS PRN
- # of Patients Restrained
- PA Peer Support Coalition
- Criminal Charges Data
- HCSIS Summary
- TeleSage Outcomes
- TeleSage Adult
It is time once again for the Block Grant Steering Workgroup to convene
to develop the Block Grant. We are seeking 1-2 volunteers each from the
three committees (Children's, Adult, and Older Adult) and from the Youth
Subcommittee.
The first meeting will be held Wednesday, June 25th, 2008, from 9:30
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Room 145 of Beechmont Building #32 on the grounds
of the DGS Annex Complex (former Harrisburg State Hospital). Lunch will
be provided. Travel expenses will be covered for participating
consumers and family members who usually qualify for such reimbursements
(be sure to pick up a voucher form that day to be completed).
Attached is a document explaining the purpose and timeline of the
workgroup. Please contact Natalie Shaffer, Community Mental Health
Services Block Grant Planner for OMHSAS, before Monday, June 2nd, 2008,
if you are interested in being considered for one of the openings on
this workgroup. Her e-mail address is: natshaffer@state.pa.us. Please
provide Natalie with the following information:
Your Name:
Advisory Group You Serve On: ___ Children's ___ Adult
___ Older Adult ___ Youth Subcommittee
Interests/Constituencies You Represent:
Postal Address
(including City, State, Zip):
Phone Number:
E-Mail Address:
Strengths You'd Bring to This Block Grant Steering Workgroup:
Download:
Attached please find the complete program and registration
The latest Mayview State Hospital closure update--for April 22nd,
2008--is posted at this website: http://www.mayview-sap.org. The April 29th and May 6th updates will be posted on that website shortly.
Attached please find the complete program and registration information
for Pennsylvania's Second Annual Suicide Prevention Conference,
"Outreach to Diverse Populations: Finding What Works."
This conference will be held Tuesday-Wednesday, September 9th-10th,
2008, at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, PA. This conference is
co-sponsored by OMHSAS along with several other state agencies.
If after reading the complete information attached you have any
questions about registration for this event, please contact Anne Finan
of the Drexel University College of Medicine Behavioral Healthcare
Education Office: AFinan@Drexelmed.edu.
Download:
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.
Download:
- 05-01-08 Joint Agenda
- JOINT Outcomes 03-06-2008
- BDAP re Confidentiality
- BH LGBT Recommendations for DBH-MRS
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.
Download:
- ADULT Agenda 05-01-08
- ADULT Outcomes 03-06-2008
- Regional CSP Reports for 05-01-08
- OLDER ADULT Agenda 05-01-08
- OLDER ADULT Outcomes 03-06-2008
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.
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.
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.
Download:
"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.
Download:
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.
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.
Download:
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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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
Download:
- TTI Cover Letter
- Grant Project - Brieft Overview
- One-Day Training Application
- Three-Day Training Application
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.
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
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.
Download:
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.
back to top
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
Download:
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.
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.
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
Download:
- 2007 Objectives
- Advis Committee Request
- Pay for Performance
- Summary Report on Respite
- Seben Presentation
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.
Download:
- Presenter Contact Information
- PHL PACE
- Appendix 1
- Appendix 2
- Appendix 3
- Appendix 4
- Appendix 5
- First Judicial District
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.
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.
Download:
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.
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.
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.
Download:
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
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.
Download:
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/
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.
Download:
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.
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
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.
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.
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
Download:
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. ***
Download:
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.
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.
Download:
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
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
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.
Download:
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.
Download:
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. ***
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
Download:
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.
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.
Download:
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
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.
Downloads:
- rls-DPW-mayviewfinal-0815071
- Mayview talking points FINAL 0815071
- Mayview Frequently Asked Questions FINAL 81507
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.
Download:
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.
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."
Download:
*** 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.
Download:
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
- Agenda for July 12th Meeting
- Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Children's Advisory Committee Meeting
ADULT Advisory Committee
- Agenda for July 12th Meeting
- Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Adult Advisory Committee Meeting
OLDER ADULT Advisory Committee
- Agenda for July 12th Meeting
- Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Older Adult Advisory Committee Meeting
- Priority Projects List
- USA Today Article
- Money Follows the Person (MFP) Report
JOINT SESSION
- 1) Agenda for July 12th Meeting
- 2) Outcomes from May 3rd, 2007, Joint Session
- 3) Protocol Revisions
- 4) CMHS Block Grant PowerPoint
Thank you.
Downloads:
- Childrens 07 12 07 Agenda
- Childrens Outcomes 05 03 2007
- Adult Agenda 07 12 07
- Adult Outcomes 05 03 2007
- Older Adult Agenda 7 12 07
- Older Adult Outcomes 05 03 2007
- Older Adult Priorities Bus Plan June 07
- Lifespan
- Money Follow Person Report
- Joint Agenda 07 12 07
- Joint Outcomes 05 03 2007
- MHPC Protocol Revision July 07
- CMHSBG NATIONAL CONFERENCE
OMHSAS PROVIDES FAQs DOCUMENT (PART 2) AFTER PEER SUPPORT SERVICES BULLETIN ISSUED
OMHSAS has become aware of some issues/questions that have arisen in the field since the Peer Support Services Bulletin was issued. Please find attached a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document (Part 2) that includes 9 questions and answers regarding Peer Support Services as a Medicaid service in Pennsylvania. We fully anticipate that there will be additional questions as the program rolls out across the state, and we will be issuing periodic updates to insure that there is clear communication about the facts statewide.
We ask that you review this information prior to the upcoming Peer Support Specialist technical assistance sessions scheduled for July.
OTHER QUESTIONS??
Should you have any other questions, please contact Karen Morton of OMHSAS at kmorton@state.pa.us or by telephone at 717-346-0752.
Download:
Applications are now being accepted for participation on the Governor's Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities. Background information about the Governor's Advisory Committee and how to apply are in the attached document.
Please distribute this information broadly to your networks so that people interested have opportunity to apply. Thank you.
Ginny Rogers
Executive Policy Specialist
PA Department of Public Welfare
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675
717-346-4481
virrogers@state.pa.us
Downloads:
To: Members of the OMHSAS Adult, Children's, and Older Adult Advisory Committees
Attached please find updated membership lists for each of the age-based OMHSAS Advisory Committees, which together form the Commonwealth's Mental Health Planning Council for federal block grant purposes.
The names in purple on each list are of those appointed in May 2007 by OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney to serve new 3-year terms on the Advisory Committees (AC). These individuals will be attending their first AC meetings as appointed members on Thursday, July 12, 2007, at the Four Points Sheraton, 800 East Park Drive, Harrisburg.
We welcome the following new appointees:
- Adult Committee: Cindy Boore, Carol Caruso, Carl Coleman,
and Patrice Terrance. Adult Committee List - Children's Committee: Bernadette Cameron, Kelly Cook-
Boyd, Christine Kuhn, Nancy Priester, and Elizabeth Starks. Children’s Committee List - Older Adult Committee: Susan Bartholomew-Palmer, Brad
Gebhart, Susan Saler, Joan Schmehl, and Ann Stuart
Thacker. Older Adult Committee List
Just a reminder that these lists are provided to enhance communication and networking among OMHSAS AC members and should not be used or further distributed for any other purposes.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is pleased to announce technical assistance sessions for counties and providers for the development and implementation of Medicaid Funded Peer Support Services. Please see the attached document for complete details.
If you have additional questions regarding the technical assistance sessions, please contact Bill Boyer in OMHSAS by e-mail at wboyer@state.pa.us or by telephone at 717-705-8181.
For information regarding registration, please send all questions directly to Drexel University staff.
In response to additional requests to provide Peer Specialist training, the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is now accepting applications for participation in a Peer Specialist Training and Technical Assistance Initiative. The attached document outlines project goals and objectives, as well as selection criteria and project requirements. If you are interested in participating, please review and submit your application as directed by July 13, 2007. Please contact Karen Morton with any questions related to this initiative. She may be reached via e-mail at kmorton@state.pa.us or by phone, 717-346-0752.
To: OMHSAS Advisory Committees Members (Children's, Adult, & Older Adult), OMHSAS Youth Advisory Subcommittee Applicants, OMHSAS Lead staff, Other Stakeholders
WORK GROUP TO FORM:
The Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' Association (PMHCA) will be hosting the New Freedom Initiative Consumer Driven System Summit on Wednesday and Thursday, July 18-19, 2007. The purpose of this consumer driven system summit is to bring together statewide consumer leaders to engage in planning in order to achieve the goal of mental health care becoming consumer driven in PA.
Please see the attached notice with additional information.
CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, contact Pat Madigan, PMHCA, at pat@pmhca.org.
To: OMHSAS Stakeholders
Attached is the revised list of meeting dates for the OMHSAS Advisory Committees for Fiscal Year 2007-2008.
You will receive e-mail notification of RSVP deadlines for these meetings in the month before they are to occur.
Attached please find a letter from OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney announcing the distribution of and request for feedback on a draft OMHSAS bulletin on Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).
All comments about the draft ACT bulletin should be sent—by Monday, June 18th, 2007—to Benny Varghese at Bvarghese@state.pa.us.
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is pleased to release the Bulletin and Medical Assistance Provider Handbook pages for the implementation of Peer Support Services as a Medicaid reimbursable service in Pennsylvania.
The Peer Support Services Bulletin and Provider Handbook pages outline the information necessary to commence implementation. Guidance pursuant to enrollment, billing, and programmatic reviews are also included in this mailing. Providers that can demonstrate compliance with the Peer Support Services Bulletin and Provider Handbook effective 11/01/06 will be eligible to retroactively bill for services back to this date.
Please contact Karen Morton (kmorton@state.pa.us) (717-346-0752) any questions related to the Peer Support Services Bulletin, Provider Handbook pages.
Downloads:
- Peer Support Services Medical Assistance Bulletin
- Peer Support Services Provider Handbook Pages
- Peer Support Services Supplemental Provider Agreement
- Peer Support Services Frequently Asked Questions
- SMI Adult Priority Group Bulletin
- Peer Support Services Service Description Requirements Checklist
Attached please find pages 1-6 of the latest issue (Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 2007) of the newsletter, People First, with news and feature stories for the consumers, supporters, and providers of Pennsylvania's behavioral health system.
[NOTE: The file size of this document is, unfortunately, large and can only be e-mailed to OMHSAS listservs if sent in two parts.]
To request a free, hard-copy-mailed-in-the-postal-service-to-you subscription, please print out page 12 (which will be on the second e-mail to you later this afternoon), complete the form, and follow the instructions for mailing it.
Questions about the information in this newsletter may be directed to Shelley Bishop, OMHSAS Consumer & Family Issues, at shebishop@state.pa.us.
Attached please find pages 7-12 of the latest issue (Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 2007) of the newsletter, People First, with news and feature stories for the consumers, supporters, and providers of Pennsylvania's behavioral health system.
[NOTE: The file size of this document is, unfortunately, large and can only be e-mailed to OMHSAS listservs if sent in two parts.]
To request a free, hard-copy-mailed-in-the-postal-service-to-you subscription, please print out page 12 from the attachment above, complete the form, and follow the instructions for mailing it.
Questions about the information in this newsletter may be directed to Shelley Bishop, OMHSAS Consumer & Family Issues, at shebishop@state.pa.us.
Attached please find information presented during the Joint Session of the OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings May 3rd, 2007, on Housing Workplan Outcomes. This turns out to be Part 3 of the follow-up e-mailings sent to OMHSAS listservs.
If you have any questions about this document, please contact John Ames in OMHSAS-Consumer & Family Issues at joames@state.pa.us.
Download:
Attached please find documents that are being distributed as follow up to the May 3rd, 2007, OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings.
Because of the size of the files, two follow-up e-mailings are being sent to our listservs. This is #2 with the Joint Session documents.
JOINT SESSION
- "Assertive Community Treatment" (20 slides) presented by Benny Varghese, bvarghese@state.pa.us
- "OMHSAS Advisory Committee Update" (47 slides) presented by OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney. If you have any questions about the Deputy's presentation, please contact Shelley Bishop, shebishop@state.pa.us
This concludes the Part 2 follow-up distribution. Thank you!
Attached please find documents that are being distributed as follow up to the May 3rd, 2007, OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings.
Because of the size of the files, two follow-up e-mailings are being sent to our listservs. This is #1; the Joint Session documents will follow in #2 later today.
OMHSAS Advisory Committees Members: If you have any questions about these documents, please direct them to your committee co-chairs or lead staff, or the individuals indicated.
CHILDREN'S COMMITTEE
The first two documents were provided by Wendy Luckenbill, with the request that they be distributed AFTER the May 3rd Children's Committee meeting. The third document was distributed at the May 3rd meeting.
- "Response to Intervention: Overview" by Chuck Haley, PDE/BSE, 4/2007 (9 pp.)
- "Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth: 2004/2005 Annual Report for Public Schools, PDE, October 2006" (36 pp.)
- "Recruitment/Retention/Training Subcommittee Notes and Summary of Discussions, August 2006 - February 2007" (6 pp.; p. 6 is blank)
ADULT COMMITTEE
No attachments.OLDER ADULT COMMITTEE
- "Money Follows the Person" (2 pp.) presented by Dan Hoy, dahoy@state.pa.us
- "OMHSAS Quality Management" (22 slides) presented by Mike Jeffrey, mjeffrey@state.pa.us
This concludes the Part 1 follow-up distribution.
Attached is a copy of the draft regulations being developed by Pennsylvania's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) for Residential Treatment Facilities (RTF). This draft has brought together program regulations, payment regulations, and health and safety regulations onto one package. Also included is the draft Preamble which is required when the proposed regulations are published in the PA Bulletin. We are considering several issues, and we welcome your critique of the enclosed draft as well as your perspective on secure RTFs, other models, and accreditation.
Please share with interested stakeholders and return comments to ra-rtfcomments@state.pa.us. Thank you.
Downloads:
CORRECTION: The Deaf Sensitivity Training event publicized yesterday is being held ONLY for Dauphin County adult and children's Mental Health providers. We apologize for forwarding the notice and ask that you notify anyone to whom you may have sent it, that it was distributed in error. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.
Attached are two announcements that may interest you:
1) The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Invites Public Comments on State Plan, and
2) A Deaf Sensitivity Training Session will be held March 20, 2007.
Please read the attachments for complete details about each
announcement.
Thank you.
Downloads:
OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney is pleased to announce that Beaver, Berks, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and York/Adams counties have been chosen to receive targeted Supported Housing technical assistance through OMHSAS from the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC). These counties have indicated an interest in increasing Supported Housing in their communities utilizing HealthChoices reinvestment dollars to work in partnership with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to develop supported housing solutions. Other counties who decide to commit reinvestment funds to supported housing may be added to this group at a later date.
This initiative builds on the OMHSAS document, "A Plan for Promoting Housing and Recovery-Oriented Services" that was released in November 2006. This plan is available at the website.
In addition to this specific technical assistance, OMHSAS will continue to offer general housing technical assistance to county MH/MR offices, in order to assist in developing other activities addressed in the Housing Plan that promote meeting the housing needs of people served in the Pennsylvania public welfare system.
Attached please find an article about a program in Denver, Colorado,that demonstrates the success of Supported Housing.
For more information on the OMHSAS Housing Plan, or to learn more about technical assistance opportunities, contact John Ames at joames@state.pa.us. Thank you.
Download:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Feb. 7, 2007 Department of Public Welfare
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
CONTACT: Rita Frealing-Shultz
Stacey Ward
(717) 787-4592
SECRETARY OF PUBLIC WELFARE ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMS
HARRISBURG - In an effort to continue addressing the needs of Pennsylvanians with disabilities, Department of Public Welfare Secretary Estelle B. Richman today announced the creation of the Office of Developmental Programs.
Richman said the new office was created through a reorganization of the Office of Mental Retardation and the establishment of the Bureau of Autism Services.
"Families have made great strides in the past few years in alerting us to the growing number of children and adults being diagnosed with autism, and they have helped us to prepare a path in which to
provide for their unique needs," said Richman. "By establishing this new office, we're taking an important step to help families access information and supports that are so vital for their loved ones."
Autism is a lifelong brain disorder that affects as many as 1-of-every-166 children born in the U.S., or one child every 21 minutes. The number of people across the U.S. diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder over the past 15 years has risen by a staggering 2,000 percent.
Creating the new Office of Developmental Programs within DPW was one of the core recommendations of the Autism Task Force, whose findings were released in December 2004. In its initial stages, the Office of Developmental Programs will house a Bureau of Mental Retardation Services and a Bureau for Autism Services, as well as necessary support bureaus.
Kevin Casey, currently the deputy secretary for the Office of Mental Retardation, will continue as the deputy secretary of the Office of Developmental Programs. Nina Wall-Cote will serve as the director for the Bureau of Autism Services, which will provide expertise and supports for all state agencies which serve Pennsylvanians with autism.
For more information about the department or services available to Pennsylvanians with autism, visit www.dpw.state.pa.us.
OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan L. Erney invites you to a briefing of all stakeholders of the mental health and substance abuse system on the FY 2007-2008 budget, as recommended by Governor Edward G. Rendell in his budget address of February 6, 2007.
The briefing will be conducted in conjunction with the regularly scheduled OMHSAS Advisory Committees meetings at the Four Points Sheraton, 800 East Park Drive, Harrisburg, beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 1st, 2007.
Due to limited space, the Deputy Secretary requests that a maximum of two people attend from each of the stakeholder groups. Those attending the budget briefing only are asked to RSVP to Deb Hodges at dehodges@state.pa.us by noon on Monday, February 26th. We look forward to seeing you at this budget briefing. Thank you.
Attached is a DRAFT OMHSAS policy for Pennsylvania's state mental hospitals (including its restoration center) on "Psychiatric Levels of Intensive Treatment," which is being sent for your review and comments.
Please contact Timothy Corcoran of the Clarks Summit State Hospital if you have any questions, ph. 570-587-7260.
Comments on the draft should be sent to Mr. Corcoran at tcorcoran@state.pa.us, no later than Tuesday, February 20, 2007. Thank you.
Download:
As recommended by the OMHSAS Children's Advisory Committee, OMHSAS is moving forward with a Youth Advisory Membership Workgroup and is requesting participants for this workgroup. The goal of this workgroup will be to develop the process by which the youth voice will be represented and supported on the OMHSAS Children's and Adult Advisory Committees. Please see the attached document for additional information, including the date of the first meeting of this workgroup.
The workgroup will consist of two (2) members from the Adult Advisory Committee; two members from the Children's Advisory Committee; ten (10) youth from various cross systems; Shelley Bishop, Executive Assistant for Consumer and Family Issues in OMHSAS; and Doris Arena, Transition Specialist from the Children's Bureau in OMHSAS.
While the composition of this workgroup will be limited to those individuals listed above, the product of this workgroup will be distributed for broad review and comment, including presentation of recommendations to the Children's and Adult Advisory Committees for further review and consideration.
If you are interested in being considered for a position on this workgroup, please respond via e-mail to Doris Arena at darena@state.pa.us no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7, 2007. Thank you.
Download:
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will host two no-cost regional forums—on COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-GANG PLANNING—later this month. These forums will be a starting point for increasing awareness, imparting tools, and facilitating local gang intervention and prevention efforts.
Please read the attached notice for complete details, including registration information and e-mail links for travel directions to the meeting sites. If you have any questions after reviewing the document, contact Dena Jarrah at 610-969-2589.
Thank you.
Download:
Attached is information regarding the 2007 Pennsylvania Aging and Behavioral Health Forums. If you have any questions about the material, please contact Joann Roesner at 215-831-7804 or jroesner@drexelmed.edu.
Download:
Attached are three (3) documents sent on behalf of Sabrina Tillman-Boyd, Director of the Bureau of Policy & Program Development, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). They are:
- Letter from Ms. Tillman-Boyd announcing the ACT Forum on February 23rd, 2007.
- Save-the-Date notice about the ACT Forum.
- Registration Form for the ACT Forum.
Space for this event is limited. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you have any questions after reviewing all three documents, please contact Benny Varghese of the OMHSAS Bureau of Policy & Program Development at 717-772-7283 or by e-mail at bvarghese@state.pa.us.
OMHSAS Advisory Committees Members: Please assist in your role of information-sharing by distributing this notice broadly.
Below is a notice with information about the 2007 Behavioral Health and Aging Forums funded by the Department of Public Welfare's Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), in collaboration with Drexel University, the PA Department of Aging, and the PA Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition. Questions? Contact Dawn Comly in the OMHSAS Bureau of Policy & Program Development at dcomly@state.pa.us.
Download:
"Through Deaf Eyes," a two-hour PBS documentary exploring nearly 200 years of Deaf life in America, will air in the spring. The film was inspired by the exhibition, "History through Deaf Eyes," curated by Jack R. Gannon of Gallaudet University. The documentary will air nationally on PBS on Wednesday, March 21st, at 9 p.m. ET (check local listings).
The film presents the shared experiences of American history, family life, education, work, and community connections—from the perspective of Deaf citizens. Interviews include community leaders, historians, and Deaf Americans with diverse views on language use, technology and identity. Bringing a Deaf cinematic lens to the film are six artistic works by Deaf media artists and filmmakers: Wayne Betts, Renee Visco, Tracey Salaway, Kimby Caplan, Arthur Luhn, and Adrean Mangiardi.
Poignant, sometimes humorous, these films draw on the media artists' own lives and are woven throughout the documentary. But, the core of the film remains the larger story of Deaf life in America-a story of conflicts, prejudice, and affirmation that reaches the heart of what it means to be human.
Major funding for "Through Deaf Eyes" is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS, The Annenberg Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Private individuals have also contributed to the funding of this project. The extensive outreach campaign is funded in part by Sign Language Associates. Outreach partners are the National Association for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, and California State University-Northridge.
As part of the outreach campaign, numerous local organizations, some in association with their public television stations, will mount events and discussions exploring the issues raised in the film. A comprehensive Web site, found at www.pbs.org accompanies the film. The site includes interviews with the deaf filmmakers whose work is featured in the documentary, while also inviting viewers to submit their own stories, photographs, and films. These will become part of the archival collection of Gallaudet University. A companion book is being published by Gallaudet University Press.
Source: PBS
REVISED ANNOUNCEMENT
TO: OMHSAS Advisory Committee Members and Other Stakeholders
The Membership Work Group of the OMHSAS Advisory Committees is actively seeking NEW membership applicants. For details, see the attached revised announcement and the attached application form. Please share these documents with individuals and groups whose members would meet criteria for membership on the OMHSAS Advisory Committees. Thank you.
Download:
- Advisory Committees Now Seeking Applications for Membership
- Application for Membership on OMHSAS Advisory Committees
TO: OMHSAS Advisory Committee Members and Other Interested Stakeholders
The following information was presented at the January 4, 2007, meetings of the OMHSAS Advisory Committees. You are encouraged to distribute it to other interested persons.
CHILDREN'S COMMITTEE
- BCBHS January 2007 Cross-System Initiatives and Partnerships. Questions about any information contained in this document? Please contact Linda Williams at linwilliam@state.pa.us
ADULT COMMITTEE
No attachments.
OLDER ADULT COMMITTEE
- Data Analysis of Older Adults
- Beneficiary Fact Sheet: Using Your Medicare Drug Coverage in 2007. Questions about any information contained in these documents? Please contact Dawn Comly at dcomly@state.pa.us or Patricia M. Clark at
patrclark@state.pa.us.
JOINT SESSION
- PRO-ACT Presentation
Questions about this information? Please contact Beverly Haberle of PRO-ACT at bhaberle@bccadd.org. - Special Pharmaceutical Benefit Program (SPBP) Presentation
Presenter Daneen Williams wrote: "There was a question posed as to why SPBP worked with the 12 plans that were chosen. I have elaborated on one of the slides to answer that question."
Questions about this information? Please contact spbp@state.pa.us. - Deputy Secretary's Presentation
Questions about this information? Please contact Shelley
Bishop at shebishop@state.pa.us.
CALL FOR WORK GROUP MEMBERS FOR TWO (2) STEERING COMMITTEES
- See attached notice, as announced at the January 4th meetings. Questions about this information? Please contact Jerry Goessel at ggoessel@state.pa.us.
Download Notice.
Thank you.
The DPW Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), in collaboration with other agencies, is pleased to announce a Suicide Across the Age Span Conference to be held Wednesday, September 12, 2007, at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, PA.
To be put on a list to receive more information about this conference, please contact Joann at 215-831-7804.
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This is the link on the DPW Web site to the document titled, "Strategies for Promoting Recovery and Resilience and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices." It has been referred to informally as "the Mercer White Paper." This document was already distributed on November 16, 2006, to the majority of the OMHSAS listservs. This link is being provided to facilitate communication among stakeholders who may not be able to receive or send pdf files.
Any questions about this document may be directed to Linda Zelch, OMHSAS Bureau of Community Operations, at lzelch@state.pa.us
Thank you.