Newsletter Archive

In September 2019, CMSU (Columbia/Montour/Snyder/Union) was awarded a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) continuation grant on behalf of the 23 BHARP counties. As with the first SAMHSA grant, the counties are differentiated into Tier-One and Tier-Two counties. There are 14 Tier-One counties, which will be implementing the evidence-based practice targeted in this grant. That practice is the Savannah Family Institute’s Parenting with Love and Limits (PLL) program developed by Dr. Scott Sells and it will be implemented within the Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) level of care within the counties.

The BHARP Trauma Institute Learning Collaborative had its final meeting in December 2017. This wrapped up a 16-month process with 9 Drug & Alcohol and 12 Men­tal Health providers participating across 30 sites. Clinical providers in the Learning Collaborative made significant and meaningful organizational change regarding Trauma-In­formed Care. Each provider established Quality Improve­ment Teams (QIT), which met regularly to effect change in the areas of screening and assess­ment, training and education, environmental changes to their clinic settings, and imple­ment policy changes to better reflect Trauma-Informed practice.

The devastating effects of the opioid crisis have been evident in Pennsylvania. Rural communities are not sheltered from the many ways the crisis can manifest and strain resources. While the challenges vary from one rural community to another, some of these include increased costs in treating individuals for addiction, ongoing health problems, homelessness, exposure to HIV and HEP C, increased crime and incarcerations, domestic violence, child abuse/neglect, sex trafficking, and drug overdoses.

The Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program provides project-based rental assistance for extremely low income persons with disabilities. In February 2013, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded 13 states, including Pennsylvania, funding under the 811 Program. The first round of HUD funding provided assistance for 200 units. In July 2014 funding was awarded for an additional 200 units.

On September 12, 2016, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration {SAMHSA) will be formally recognizing select organizations and communities across the nation for their wellness efforts to improve health outcomes for individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders in a webinar titled “Innovative Approaches to Wellness in Behavioral Health” Among those chosen to receive the 2016 Recognition of Excellence in Wellness award is The Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (SHARP) for the Behavioral Health Home Plus (BHHP) model that was developed and implemented within 23 counties by Community Care Behavioral Health.

For many months no one could get away from hearing two words throughout Pennsylvania – “Budget Impasse.” It all began July 1, 2015 when the State legislators failed to come to agreement on the 2015/2016 state budget. As lawmakers talked about how far apart the two sides were , the rural counties began to discuss how they would manage the impact of not having state funding for human services for some of the most vulnerable populations. This article highlights the strategies employed, as well as the impact of the impasse on two of our rural county’s Drug and Alcohol programs.

In April 2015 a team of BHARP staff and BHARP member county staff, with the consultative support of the state Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and System of Care Partnership, came together to develop a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) System of Care Grant (SOC) application. In July 2015 the grant host county program, Columbia/Montour/Snyder/Union county joinder, received notification that the grant was funded. SAMHSA funded the full requested amount: $1,000,000 per year for 4 years.

Over the past five years the North Central State Option Health Choices contract has seen many successes.

The Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural PA has found a new place to call home. In Early February our office was moved across town to the newly renovated Match Factory building at 192 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte PA.