The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

DHS, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) recently joined Black Maternal Health Caucus members Representative Morgan Cephas and Representative Gina Curry for a panel discussion centered on improving maternal health outcomes in Pennsylvania. During the panel, the Shapiro Administration met with maternal health advocates and community members at North10, Philadelphia to collect feedback and develop strategies for Pennsylvania’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan addressing health disparities, the high rates of maternal mortality – especially among Black women – and helping pregnant women in Pennsylvania get the prenatal and postpartum care they need to live healthy lives for both themselves and their children.   The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is taking action against the state’s high maternal mortality rate, and we are hosting community events like this panel throughout Pennsylvania this fall in order to listen to input from Pennsylvanians with lived experience in maternal health. Your voice matters! Help us inform and expand the planned strategies to improve maternal health outcomes across the state with our Maternal Health Strategic Plan survey: https://lnkd.in/eTxuf-23. Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH

“Every Pennsylvanian with intellectual disabilities and autism has health care and daily living needs that are unique to them, and they each deserve the dignity and autonomy of receiving the supports they need when they need them. Jefferson Health’s Honickman Center is an example of what we can achieve when we consider a person’s unique needs and embrace meeting these needs as an opportunity to build more welcome, accessible systems of care.” - DHS Secretary Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH https://lnkd.in/eKWDqkcw

Are you someone who thrives on challenges and is passionate about making a difference? Join Pennsylvania's Bureau of Juvenile Justice (BJJS) and be a part of something meaningful. We're looking for individuals who have strength, compassion, and a genuine desire to bring positive change to the lives of at-risk youth across Pennsylvania.   BJJS offers support and treatment programs for Pennsylvania's most troubled young population, helping them overcome their past and build a better tomorrow. We have BJJS facilities in Perry, Franklin, Montour, Luzerne, Huntingdon, and Montgomery Counties, and we are hiring for Juvenile Justice Specialist and Trainee Positions! Help provide support for court-ordered youth in state facilities while developing essential skills with on-the-job training. Explore our open opportunities and take the first step toward making a positive impact in your community today: employment.pa.gov/BJJS. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you are feeling alone, scared, or unsafe because of a partner or family member, you are not alone. Help is available. 💜 Call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or chat online: thehotline.org.

Workplaces are better when they are inclusive, and Pennsylvanians with disabilities can get services and resources to help them find a career they love, including: ⚕️ Benefits counseling 💼 Career Assessments 🔎 Finding a Job 🤝 Job Coaching ➕ and more at https://bit.ly/3ZRCA5t #NDEAM

🏠 If you’re a veteran with a disability you may be eligible for an exemption on your real estate taxes! Even if you were previously denied you are encouraged to re-apply as a new state law recently went into effect that excludes all veterans’ benefits from the income assessment! Start here: https://lnkd.in/ejaTQenA

We want to hear from you! The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL), with support from Mercer Government Human Services Consulting (Mercer), part of Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, is conducting a rate study survey for the following Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS): • Adult Day • Structured Day Habilitation • Employment and Training • Personal Assistance (Agency) • Personal Assistance (Participant Directed) • Residential Habilitation   Please submit the survey by Friday, November 15, 2024. Additional Information and a preview of the survey questions are available on the Home and Community Waiver Providers ListServ: https://bit.ly/4elc88K

Workplaces are better when they are inclusive, and Pennsylvanians with disabilities can get services & resources to help them find a career they love, including: ⚕️Benefits counseling 💼Career Assessments 🔎Finding a Job 🤝Job Coaching ➕and more: https://lnkd.in/eVXx7r_9 #NDEAM

"Working effectively across different systems of care can be very challenging. So I am thrilled to congratulate the first-ever graduating class of the Pediatric Capacity Building Institute (PCBI) for Youth with Complex Needs and their Families, which brought together professionals from a number of sectors with the goal of improving everyone’s ability to support and care for these youth and their families.    "PCBI is an interactive learning opportunity designed to remove silos and foster conversation, creativity, and solutions that we can put to action around the Commonwealth and, ideally, be a starting point for positive change. Together, we will continue to realize our goal of a stronger, more responsive and accessible system of care for children, youth, young adults, and their families.   "Congratulations to the class of 2024!" - DHS Secretary Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH   If you are interested in participating in PCBI, we are now accepting interest surveys! PCBI will accept 50 participants for the Year 2 Cohort. Each interested person must submit an interest survey by October 9, 2024. Participants will be notified of their selection status by November 1, 2024.   Visit our website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eszwu7Qd Complete the interest survey: https://lnkd.in/ekqCn9ig The Columbus Organization Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)

Shapiro Administration Increases Medicaid Behavioral HealthChoices Rates Through Mid-Year Adjustment to Support Behavioral and Mental Health Care: https://bit.ly/4eItcW4 “Access to mental and behavioral health care is essential to our overall health and wellbeing. If we cannot get the care we need, our ability to participate in and engage fully in our responsibilities like work, school, and family will not be possible,” said DHS Secretary Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH. “Maintaining access to care requires rates that reflect the cost of providing care, and this mid-year adjustment for Behavioral HealthChoices managed care organizations (BH-MCOs) is necessary to maintain a Medicaid program that meets our current needs and challenges, and helps Pennsylvanians continue to get the care they deserve.”