Earlier this week, the Wolf Administration highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month  to raise awareness and understanding of mental health and wellness, mental illness, and substance use disorders and encourage people who are experiencing these to seek help.

Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important for Pennsylvania to invest in initiatives that provide support for vulnerable Pennsylvanians. Governor Tom Wolf’s budget proposal calls for $36.6 million increase in county mental health base funds as well as an additional $40 million in one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds to support efforts to provide critical behavioral health services. “Each of us can and must be a source of support for our loved ones and people throughout our lives. Think about the number of people you interact with every day – there are endless opportunities to foster connections, be a source of validation, and help people feel less alone in whatever they may be going through,” said Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Meg Snead. “Checking in on people, sharing resources, and helping people feel safe sharing their own experience are simple steps, but they can be the gentle support that someone needs to ask for help themselves.”
Pennsylvanians struggling with anxiety and other challenging emotions can contact the Persevere PA Support & Referral Helpline toll-free, 24/7 at 1-855-284-2494. For TTY, dial 724-631-5600. The helpline is staffed by skilled and compassionate caseworkers who will be available to counsel struggling Pennsylvanians and refer them to resources in their community that can further help to meet individual needs.
Individuals seeking substance use treatment or recovery resources for themselves or a loved one can call the toll-free PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). This helpline is confidential, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and staffed by trained professionals who will connect callers to resources in their community. Callers can also be connected with funding if they need help paying for treatment. A live chat option is also available online or via text message at 717-216-0905 for those seeking help who may not be comfortable speaking to a helpline operator.
“It cannot be overstated enough that help is always available. Please don’t hesitate to reach out; a pathway to recovery can begin with just one phone call,” said Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith. “The relationship between mental health and substance use disorders so often intersects, and it is more vital than ever that we bridge the divides between the two and that we take a holistic, coordinated approach when addressing both issues.”
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and the Affordable Care Act require that mental health and substance use disorder treatments be provided by insurers with standards of coverage that are no less restrictive than their coverage for general medical and surgical care. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) works to ensure that insurers operating within the commonwealth are following state and federal parity laws, allowing those struggling with mental health or substance use disorders continued access to the care they need.
“The Wolf Administration has made it a priority to be vigilant in ensuring that Pennsylvanians are receiving the benefits to which they are legally entitled,” said Pennsylvania Acting Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. “We urge consumers to contact PID’s Bureau of Consumer Services if they think their plan does not meet parity requirements for mental health and substance use disorder coverage or if they have questions about their health insurance benefits.”
For more information or to file a complaint or ask a question, consumers can visit www.insurance.pa.gov or contact the Insurance Department’s Bureau of Consumer Services at 1-877-881-6388.
Many other resources also remain available to Pennsylvanians in need of support, including:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Línea Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454
Crisis Text Line: Text “PA” to 741-741
Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-888-772-7227 or https://pcar.org/help-in-pa.
National Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233 or www.PCADV.org.
Available online resources include:
Pennsylvania’s mental health resource guide.
Mental Health America for general information and COVID-19-specific resources.
Get Help Now for substance use disorder treatment.
Additionally, uncertain economic climate and challenges making ends meet and accessing essential needs can create additional stress and anxiety, and resources are available in your community to help you meet these needs. The United Way of Pennsylvania can help connect you to these resources. Text your zip code to 898-211 to be connected to programs and resources in your community or visit www.uwp.org. People in need of assistance can also visit www.compass.state.pa.us to learn more and apply for assistance programs that can help with health care, food, rental and utility bills, and other needs.
More information on mental health resources can be found www.dhs.pa.gov/mentalhealth.
View the press release by clicking here.

On May 27, 2022, Bureau of Special Education Director Carole L. Clancy, disseminated a PennLink to all applicable local educational agencies (LEAs) titled, July 2022 Special Education Table 8A Submission. According to the communiqué, during July 2022 LEAs assigned to this year’s reporting cohort will submit their data for Special Education Table 8A, Report of Children with Disabilities Evaluated July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

Table 8A data is collected on a cyclical basis. Those LEAs that are to submit Table 8A to the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) will be informed of such in June this year. Regardless of their reporting status, all LEAs in the state must continue to collect and maintain data regarding timely evaluations so that the LEA can assess its on-going compliance and program effectiveness and be prepared to report data to the state when notified to do so.

 Table 8A is used for two purposes:

 1. To calculate and report to the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) an annual state rate of compliance with timelines for completing initial evaluations of students to determine their eligibility for special education under the State Performance Plan; and
2. To report to the public on the performance of LEAs in the commonwealth in complying with the required timelines.

 Data collected over the past several years on compliance with timelines for initial evaluations show that while many LEAs have achieved full compliance, others have not. When LEAs do not comply and improve performance, the overall state rate reported to OSEP is negatively affected. Further, any LEA that reports less than 100 percent compliance with timelines will be required to engage in quarterly reporting to the BSE to document correction of noncompliance. Therefore, it is imperative that all LEAs be as accurate as possible in collecting and reporting Table 8A data.

OSEP has advised that states should factor out from their Table 8A calculation those students whose evaluation timelines are affected by two exceptions in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations. Specifically, Section 300.301(d) allows that the 60-day timeline for completing initial evaluations does not apply to a public agency if (1) the parent of a child repeatedly fails or refuses to produce the child for the evaluation, or (2) a child enrolls in a school of another agency after the timeline has begun and prior to a determination by the prior agency as to whether the child is a child with a disability. This second exception applies only if the subsequent public agency is making sufficient progress to ensure prompt completion of the evaluation and the parent and subsequent agency agree to a specific time when the evaluation will be completed. To ensure accurate reporting, it is critical that when a delay in meeting timelines occurs, LEAs must correctly code the reasons for the delay in accordance with the exceptions above.

The Table 8A Template for the July 2022 submission is available on the Special Education Data Reporting website at https://penndata.hbg.psu.edu/ under the Data Management tab in the 2021-22 section; scroll down to Table 8A Template.

Applicable LEAs must submit their Table 8A to their Intermediate Unit Data Manager no later than July 8, 2022.

Questions regarding completion and submission of Table 8A should be referred to the Intermediate Unit Data Manager. Questions regarding this Penn*Link may be referred to Jodi Rissinger in the BSE at [email protected].

On May 23, 2022, a joint opposition letter regarding HB 2169 was sent by the Pennsylvanians Against Vouchers (POV) Coalition to the full PA Senate. Also attached was the HB 2169 FAQ from POV.
PAPSA signed on to the letter, which can be accessed by clicking here.
To view the FAQs, click here.

The Senate Education Committee sunshined a May 24th committee meeting to consider HB 2169. However, HB 2169 was pulled from the meeting agenda prior to the meeting.

Previously, on April 27th the PA House passed HB 2169 with a vote of 104-98. This was an unprecedented vote, since voucher legislation had never before passed the PA House. The bill has been considered a tuition scholarship program that uses public funds to provide private school alternatives for students enrolled in the state’s lowest-performing public school districts. Known as the Lifeline Scholarship program, the bill would allow an enrollee to be eligible to use their share of state funding for use at a private school. The proposed bill defines an eligible student as a child who has not yet received a high-school diploma, currently resides in the attendance areas of a low-achieving school (the bottom 15% of public schools as measured by performance on standardized testing); and one of the following: attending a public in PA in the preceding school year; received funds from the program in the preceding school year; will attend first grade for the first time in the next school year; a child in foster care; a child whose adoption decree is not more than one year prior to submission of an application, OR a child of full-time active duty military personnel. Federal funding and school district tax monies would not be available for use.

Updated May 24, 2022.

Governor Tom Wolf has honored Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) employee Melissa Hawkins with a Governor’s Award for Excellence in recognition of her work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate the delivery of critical, life-saving information to Pennsylvanians with disabilities through the services of certified deaf interpreters.

In her role as director of Pennsylvania’s Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (ODHH) within L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), Hawkins collaborated with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and Department of Health to bring critical information to Pennsylvanians who are deaf and hard of hearing to keep them informed of the latest information related to COVID-19.

At the start of the pandemic, to keep the deaf and hard of hearing community informed, Hawkins and ODHH teamed up with health officials to create educational videos in American Sign Language during the COVID-19 pandemic, including: “Coping and Mental Health Tactics,” “What is a Pandemic,” “How to Communicate with Your Children,” and many more developed by Commonwealth Media Services – ultimately empowering the deaf and hard of hearing community to make informed decisions for themselves and loved ones.

In 2020, ODHH created a COVID-19 Communication Card, geared toward Call Centers established as COVID-19 hotlines for individuals who needed information about vaccinations, hospitals, and Department of Health resources. As a result, the COVID-19 Communication Cards were used as a tool to help those answering the calls relay communication and health-related assistance to individuals during the pandemic. Hawkins also worked closely with L&I’s Unemployment Compensation office to implement assisted technology so people who are deaf or hard of hearing could apply for UC benefits.

For more information, visit the L&I website.