PACA MH/DS LEADERSHIP VOTE UNANIMOUS
PACA MH/DS held an election for officers at the annual meeting in November held at Bedford Springs. The following slate was unanimously approved as presented:
President - Dan Eisenhauer
Vice President - Gerard Mike
Treasurer - Jonna DiStefano
Immediate Past President - Don Clark
In addition, congratulations to Donna Duffy-Bell as the new Southeast Regional Representative!
BOARD APPOINTS AD HOC LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
PACA MH/DS reviews legislation on a regular basis and currently tracks over 85 bills. Member input has always been solicited depending on the legislative issue, but to assist in consistent review, an ad hoc Legislative Committee has been appointed and approved to review new bills and be a resource to staff. Members of the committee are:
CCAP PRIORITES AFFIRM HUMAN SERVICE NEEDS PRIORITY
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania selected their primary legislative priorities for 2018 at their November annual meeting. The top priority was human service funding and system reform in addition to other priorities that impact human services. The remaining priorities are preventing substance abuse and drug overdose; maintaining the shale gas impact fee; increasing forensic bed access for county inmate with mental illness; support veterans' services; funding for voting systems; and mandate reform. The 2018 CCAP Priorities are available
online.
PA SELECTED FOR EMPLOYMENT FIRST STATE LEADERSHIP MENTORING PROGRAM
Pennsylvania is one of 18 states to receive technical assistance in 2018 for the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program from the Office of Disability Employment Policy under the US Administration for Community Living. Webinars are held monthly on the second Wednesday from 3-4 Eastern Time.
Register for the EFSLMP Community of Practice
to join in the effort.
EMPLOYMENT FIRST BILL PASSES HOUSE
House Bill 1641
passed the House unanimously on December 11, 2017. The bill would require all governmental agencies, including counties, and publicly funded entities to support individuals of working-age to gain competitive employment regardless of severity of disability. The bill requires the governor to establish a cabinet to develop a three year plan to move towards this goal. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
PA LAUNCHES WEBSITE TO ASSIST IN FINDING SENIOR AND DISABILITY SERVICES
Governor Wolf announced on November 16, the
Pennsylvania Link to Community Care website.
The website is designed to help people who are elderly or have a disability find information that will connect them to supports and services in their community. The website includes resources for housing; in-home services; legal services; meals; protection from abuse information; support group listings; transportation; employment; finance; healthcare; behavioral health and advocacy.
IFO RELEASES FIVE-YEAR BUDGET OUTLOOK
On November 16, the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released
its annual long-term economic and budget
outlook
for Pennsylvania over the course of the next five years, through FY 2022-2023. While acknowledging the funding package adopted to balance the FY 2017-2018 state budget is expected to make approximately $2.3 billion of new revenue available for a positive ending balance for the current fiscal year, the IFO noted this impact is largely temporary as most of the proceeds are derived from borrowing and one-time transfers.
Long-term costs are expected to continue to grow, while long-term revenue potential is limited, with sales tax continuing modest growth and other revenues declining or flat. Together, this could lead to a potential budget imbalance of nearly $1 billion in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, which could be compounded if FY 2017-2018 revenues are not realized as expected. Assuming revenue estimates are correct, and assuming no other changes in policy, the IFO further estimated that the imbalance could grow to $1.87 billion in FY 2019-2020 and $2.19 billion in FY 2022-2023. The state's fiscal outlook is also constrained by demographics; the projected contraction of the working age population during moderate economic growth concurrent with an increasing senior population that adds health care and long-term care expenses.
ON JANUARY 10TH
WOLF DECLARED AN OPIOID EMERGENCY
Governor Wolf declared heroin and opioid addiction crisis as a statewide emergency. PA is the eighth state to declare an emergency due to public health problems associated with the increased heroin and opioid use, including the continued increase in deaths resulting in devastation to families and communities. PA ranks fourth in the nation of drug overdose deaths, with over 3,900 occurring in 2016.
2018 BID LIMIT THRESHOLDS RISE
The 2018 annual adjustments to the
bid limit thresholds
and telephonic quote thresholds were published in the Dec. 23, 2017, issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The state Department of Labor and Industry has advised that the change in the consumer price index for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2017 was 2.2 percent, and so the bid limit thresholds and telephone quote thresholds that took effect Jan. 1, 2018, are $20,100 and $10,900 respectively.
PA WELFARE SYSTEM REFORM PACKAGE PROPOSED
Representatives Kaufer (R-120) and Tobash (R-125) announced bills to reform current human services through three bills.
House Bill 1659
would prohibit waivers of the work requirement for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients requiring require able-bodied adults without dependents to work requirements. House
Bill 1788
would restrict Temporary Assistance to Needy Families to a cumulative 48-month lifetime limit. The third proposal has not been introduced, but is intended to establish a pilot program to encourage companies to hire individuals receiving welfare.
COMMUNITY LIVING WAIVER APPROVED EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2018
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the Department of Human Services application for the Community Living Waiver. The Office of Developmental Programs received funding for the FY 2017-18 to provide approximately 1,000 individuals with intellectual disability or autism and children under age 9 with a developmental disability with a high probability of resulting in an intellectual disability or autism. The approved waiver is available at the
DHS website
.
CMS TO ADUST COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES RULE ON COMMUNITY SETTINGS
During the November conference of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) stated that they expect to give more discretion to states in determining compliance for residential and employment sites. Specifically, in addition to permitting more time to reach compliance, states will be able to set their own interpretation and determination as to whether a setting is isolated. The announcement coincided with a survey to providers to ascertain the degree of compliance with the Community Setting Rule.
CMS RELEASES SCREENING TOOL FOR HEALTH-RELATED SOCIAL NEEDS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a 10-item screening tool to identify patient's social needs. Housing, food, transportation, utility and interpersonal safety are the five domains covered with the tool. The tool was created to support the CMS Accountable Health Communities Model which is exploring how well universal social needs screening and enhanced clinical-community linkages can improve health outcomes and impact costs of care.
FDA APPPROVES DIGITAL PILL
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a medication embedded with a sensor that digitally tracks where a medication has been ingested. There are more details in the
November 13 news release
. Abilify is approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder and as an add-on treatment for depression in adults. The Abilify MyCite will permit the pill's sensor to activate a wearable patch that can track the ingestion and send information to a smart phone or web-based portal. The prescribing information notes the ability of the product to improve patient compliance with treatment has not been demonstrated.
CONGRESS ACTIONS IMPACT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Congress passed the Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act (
H.R. 1
) with a 51-48 final Senate vote and 224-201 final House vote. The bill contains provisions that impact health and human service funding in the following provisions including repealing the
individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act and business credits for providing access to disabled individuals.
The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) authorized temporary funding through March 31, 2018. The CHIP was included in a continuing resolution to fund the government until January 19, 2018.
2018 DATES SET FOR STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)' Mental Health Planning Council meetings are scheduled 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The dates for 2018 are February 28, June 7, September 6 and December 6 at the Child Welfare Resource Center in Mechanicsburg.
The Office of Developmental Programs' Information Sharing and Advisory Committee will be meeting on February 8, June 14, August 16 and December 6 at the Red Lion Inn, Harrisburg.
The Office of Medical Assistance Programs' Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will be meeting at Temple University/Harrisburg from 10 a.m. to noon on the following dates:
January 25, February 22, March 22, April 26, May 24, June 28, July 26, September 27, October 25, and December 13.
SESSIONS REVOCATIONS IMPACT VARIOUS CIVIL RIGHTS
On December 15, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the revocation of more than two dozen guidance documents issued by the U.S. Justice Department. Numerous areas are affected including gun laws, fine enforcement on the poor and various issues clarifying the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA related issues include, but are not limited to service animals, accessible building practices, as well as a 2016 letter on employment of people with disabilities. Sessions called the revoked documents "improper or unnecessary" and said they were outdated or went beyond what the law called for. Furthermore, Sessions indicated that the Department of Justice may not issue guidance documents that purport to create rights or obligations binding on persons or entities.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Home Visiting Expansion
funding is available through the Department of Human Services' Office of Child Development and Early Learning to implement or expand evidence based home visiting programs during February 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. Solicitations are due January 22, 2018.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance
is a discretionary grant program. The grant is intended to
expand the availability of effective substance abuse treatment and recovery services, to reduce the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on individuals, families, communities and societies; to address priority mental health needs of regional and national significance; and assist children in dealing with violence and traumatic events through cooperative agreement projects. Grants range from $17,692 to $7,099,783 with an average of $417,410. It is estimated that 815 awards will be made.
Offender Reentry Program
is offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide 16 awards of up to $425,000 a year for five years. The grant targets adult offenders/ex-offenders with substance abuse or substance abuse co-occurring with mental illness returning to their communities from incarceration. Applications are due January 26, 2018.
RESOURCES
SAMHSA recently commissioned a report that examined the need for addressing serious mental illness with the same emphasis as other chronic medical conditions. The report was issued jointly by the National Association of Mental Health Program Directors and the Treatment Advocacy Center.
PA Planning for the Future Checklist
is an application to assist students ages 14 - 21 who have disabilities in preparing for employment. It features information about benefits and services, access to relevant resources and guidance on transitioning into the workforce. Users can find checklists outlining steps they should be taking each year based on their age.
The Way Forward: Federal Action for a System That Works for All People Living with SMI and SED and their Families and Caregivers
was released from the US Department of Health and Human Service to the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee as established under the 21st Century Cures Mental Health Report to Congress. There are 45 recommendations within five focus areas: strengthen federal coordination; improve access and engagement; treatment and recovery; increased diversion and improve care to individual with SMI or SED involved with the criminal justice systems; and develop financial strategies to increase availability and access to affordable care.
