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Home My WebLink AboutCASSP Alert June 2014 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services DGS Annex Complex, Beechmont Building, 2nd Floor, P. O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17105 Phone: 717-772-7984; Fax: 717-705-8268; E-mail: c-hbicksle@pa.gov Beverly D. Mackereth, Secretary, Department of Public Welfare; Dennis Marion, Deputy Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Stan Mrozowski, Director, Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services; Harriet S. Bicksler, Alert Editor Volume 23, Number 6; June 2014 BULLETIN RELEASED ON ENROLLMENT AND PAYMENT OF BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST CONSULTANT SERVICES The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) recently released a new bulletin entitled “Enrollment and Payment of Licensed Providers that Provide Behavior Specialist Consultant Services to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” This bulletin sets forth the requirement that children with Autism Spectrum Disorders receive treatment from appropriately licensed staff beginning May 26, 2014. The bulletin was previously circulated in draft form for comment. Included in this bulletin is a service description format to be used by individuals seeking to enroll to provide BSC-ASD services. It is effective May 26, 2014. The bulletin is available at http://tiny.cc/x8t6gx. There is also a new version of Frequently Asked Questions specific to the implementation of ACT 62, the Behavior Specialist regulations, and BSC-ASD services: www.parecovery.org/documents/BSC- ASD_FAQ.pdf Over the past two years the children’s behavioral health system has put forth a concerted effort to ensure BSC staff working with youth on the autism spectrum become licensed. We know this sometimes meant changes in staff for families; additional paperwork, trainings and system communication for staff and providers; additional monitoring and reporting for the HealthChoices system, everyone learning to work with a new licensure system and everyone committing their time and efforts to ensuring that the implementationdate of May 26, 2104 came and went as smoothly as possible. For all this, we would like to say THANK YOU! SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS FEATURED AT BASEBALL GAME On May 16, 2014, The Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative (PAYSPI) and the Pennsylvania Adult/Older Adult Suicide Prevention Coalition (PAOASPC) teamed up with the Harrisburg Senators baseball team to raise awareness for suicide prevention. Also present were representatives from OMHSAS and the Office of Children, Youth and Families. More than 3,000 people attended the game. The Senators provided space to display suicide prevention resources for all those attending the game, including posters, wristbands, Lifeline cards, and other relevant materials. Many attendees stopped at the table to gain information or connect with one of the representatives present. Winners or representatives from each of the four categories of the 2014 PSA contest were also present. The winning videos were displayed on the jumbotron for all to see. The winners also received a certificate signed by Beverly Mackereth, Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare. Before the game, Matthew Wintersteen of PAYSPI and Rebecca May-Cole of PAOASPC were interviewed on the field; they talked about suicide prevention in Pennsylvania and provided information about other activities and upcoming events of both organizations. More information and photos are available at http://tiny.cc/veu9fx EARLY CHILDHOOD PBIS SUMMER INSTITUTES Sponsored by the PA Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), the Early Childhood Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Summer Institutes are designed for individuals who support young children and their families in center-based and home-based environments. The target audience includes early intervention and early childhood professionals, providers, caregivers, and practitioners serving infants, toddlers, and preschool age children primarily in a center- and home- based settings; and family members of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. In addition, the Administrators' Early Childhood Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Summer Institute will highlight the benefits of implementing program-wide PBIS and how to evaluate a center-based program's readiness. Attendees will hear from administrators about the impact on their staff, children and family members. Dates and locations for home-based practitioners: • June 10, PaTTAN King of Prussia • June 24, PaTTAN Pittsburgh • July 25, PaTTAN Harrisburg Dates and location for center-based practitioners: • June 11, PaTTAN King of Prussia • June 25, PaTTAN Pittsburgh • July 16, PaTTAN Harrisburg Dates and locations for center-based administrators: • June 11, PaTTAN King of Prussia • June 25, PaTTAN Pittsburgh • July 16, PaTTAN Harrisburg Program and registration information at http://www.pattan.net/category/Trainin g/Calendar/ (search for desired date) HELPFUL RESOURCES National Prevention Week: Although this week was observed in May, you can still check out the resources for increasing public awareness of, and action around, substance abuse and mental health issues: http://beta.samhsa.gov/prevention-week “Serious Mental Health Challenges Among Older Adolescents and Young Adults,” from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Available at: http://tiny.cc/pfu9fx “State of Child Welfare 2014,” from the Porch Light Project and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. From the report: “Pennsylvania’s child welfare system is serving more children today than it did five years ago, but we are relying much less on foster care placement as an intervention.” Available at http://tiny.cc/fgu9fx “Family and Community Engagement,” from PaTTAN’s Teacher’s Desk Reference Series. Available at http://pattan.net- website.s3.amazonaws.com/images/201 4/04/28/TDR_Fam_Engage_0414.pdf Factsheets from the 2012 School Health Practices and Policy Study (SHPPS) by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, including ones on suicide prevention and mental health and social services: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps /index.htm REMINDERS Combined Edition: July and August As is our custom, the July and August editions of the Alert will be combined and published near the end of July. If you aren’t already on the CASSP Alert listserv, you can join it and search the archives for back issues at http://listserv.dpw.state.pa.us/cassp- alerts.html. CONFERENCE/TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES June 23-24, 2014: “Strengthening Partnerships to Sustain Change,” PA System of Care Partnership Summer Learning Institute, Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College. More information at www.pasocpartnership.org/resources/trainin g-1. *June 24, 2014: “Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders,” Ramada Conference Center, State College. Sponsored by Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania. More information at www.bharp.org. June 27, 2014: “Poverty and Mental Illness: Can the Connection Be Broken?” 20th Pennsylvania Case Management Conference, Doubletree Hotel, Monroeville. Sponsored by OMHSAS and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. More information at www.wpic.pitt.edu/oerp/cmconf July 16-20, 2014: “Improving Children’s Mental Health Care in an Era of Change, Challenge and Innovation: The Role of the System of Care Approach,” National Training Institutes of National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, Washington, DC. More information at http://gucchdtacenter.georgetown.edu/Traini ngInstitutes.html *July 16-18, 2014: “Making Transition Happen: Dream, Believe, Achieve,” Pennsylvania Transition Conference, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Community on Transition. More information at www.pattan.net. *Aug 22-23, 2014: Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitator Training, Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, Harrisburg. More information at http://tiny.cc/p9u6gx. Sept. 18-20, 2014: “School Mental Health: Enhancing Safe, Supportive and Healthy Schools,” 19th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, Wyndham Grand Hotel, Pittsburgh. Sponsored by the Center for School Mental Health and the IDEA Partnership. More information at http://csmh.maryland.edu *Oct. 7-9, 2014: 30th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families, Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, St. Louis, MO. Sponsored by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. More information at http://www.dec- sped.org/content.asp?contentid=150 *Oct. 7-10, 2014: Annual Conference of the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association, Seven Springs Resort, Champion. More information at www.paproviders.org/Pages/annual_conferen ce.shtml Oct. 15-16, 2014: Pennsylvania Suicide Prevention Conference. Ramada Inn and Conference Center, State College. Sponsored by the PA Adult/Senior Adult Suicide Prevention Coalition and the PA Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. More information at www.payspi.org Oct. 16-17, 2014: Sixth Annual Pennsylvania Infant Mental Health Conference, Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey, Harrisburg. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health. More information at www.pa- aimh.org Nov. 5-7, 2014: Pennsylvania Conference on Juvenile Justice, Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, Harrisburg. Sponsored by the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission and others. More information at www.jcjc.state.pa.us. *Nov. 12-14, 2014: Early Childhood Summit, Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. Sponsored by Pennsylvania Child Care Association, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and Pennsylvania Head Start Association. More information at https://earlychildhoodsummit.org/ Nov. 16, 2014: “Navigating the Special Education Maze in a Time of Shrinking Resources: Obtaining Appropriate Services for Kids with LD, ADHD and Emotional/Behavioral Issues,” Holiday Inn Harrisburg, Harrisburg. Sponsored by the Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania. More information at www.ldapa.org/wkspandconf.html. *Nov. 16-18, 2014: “Building Circles of Wellness,” 25th Anniversary and Annual Conference of the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC. More information at www.ffcmh.org/conference Dec. 10-13, 2014: 29th National Training Institutes, Westin Diplomat, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Sponsored by Zero to Three. More information at www.zerotothree.org Note: Additional children’s mental health training is available from Drexel University; University of Pittsburgh Office of Education and Regional Programs, and Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center. (*new listing this month)