Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association

12/29/2025

The lawsuit filed Tuesday by 19 states and the District of Columbia is a response to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' plan announced Thursday that would cut federal funding – including Medicare and Medicaid – to hospitals that provide puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to children and adolescents.

The proposed rules would cut Medicare and Medicaid funding to hospitals that provide puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to youth.

12/29/2025

Allegheny County will use a controversial legal tool for involuntary mental health care in the community starting Jan. 1, according to a letter county officials sent Tuesday to the state’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Called assisted outpatient treatment (AOT), it’s a law that no other Pennsylvania county has been able to successfully implement since state lawmakers voted for it in 2018.

Dalton and other human services officials explained the county’s reasoning during an interview Tuesday with Pittsburgh’s Public Source.

12/29/2025

York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler says the $10 million paid out to nonprofits fighting drug abuse over the last three years gives them a chance to better people’s lives.

The $5 billion settlement from pharmaceutical giants will go to funding groups aiding victims of substance abuse.

12/29/2025

Pennsylvania Budget Finally Clears, With Not Much Optimism Ahead (RCPA President/CEO Richard Edley Interviewed)
https://paproviders.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Mental-Health-Weekly-12-22-25.pdf

12/26/2025

Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.

Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.

12/23/2025

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging announced the latest performance results for two additional Area Agencies on Aging as part of a broader transparency push under its new Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation system. The results for the Clarion and Lebanon agencies bring the total number of evaluated agencies posted publicly to 16, covering 26 counties statewide.

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania officials last week unveiled a sweeping series of initiatives aimed at strengthening oversight of aging services, expanding community support for older adults, and accelerating research into …

12/23/2025

Researchers have pursued use of the drugs to help those suffering from a host of disorders and found significant success. Patients with PTSD, addiction, depression and even anxiety related to terminal illness, have all seen some relief through their use, and major research institutions like Johns Hopkins University have published extensively on their successes.

(The Center Square) - It has been difficult for lawmakers to draft policies that make a meaningful impact on mental health issues within the veteran community, including high rates of

12/23/2025

The funds will be awarded over the next three years and were approved by the York County Board of Commissioners last week.

York County Commissioners announced they are disbursing more opioid settlement grants, totaling over $3 million to local organizations.

12/23/2025

In Pennsylvania, progress for tens of thousands of 3- to 5-year-olds who qualify for special education under the category developmental delay (DD) is paused simply because they age out of a label that once captured their needs. The category applies when a child shows at least a 25% delay in chronological age or scores low in one or more developmental domains — cognitive, communication, physical, social-emotional or adaptive — which are often temporary in early childhood.

When Maya entered our preschool program at age 3, she struggled not only with academics — identifying colors, shapes and letters in her name — but with behavior. Transitions overwhelmed her. She often bolted from group activities, had difficulty regulating big emotions and sometimes reso...

12/23/2025

The lower prices for 10 brand-name medications negotiated between the federal government and drug companies will take effect starting Jan. 1.

Pennsylvanians will see their out-of-pocket costs for 10 medications drop by 53% on average, according to a new AARP report.

12/23/2025

The funding, administered by DOH, will be distributed through competitive grants to qualifying institutions conducting research on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and related disorders. Applications for the grant program are expected to open in early 2026. With world-class research institutions across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to translate scientific discovery into earlier detection, better treatments, and ultimately cures.

For the first time ever, Pennsylvania will spend $5 million on neurodegenerative disease research, marking a major step forward for older adults, caregivers, and families across the Commonwealth. “By making this first-ever investment in neurodegenerative disease research, we’re accelerating the ...

12/23/2025

Good Advice For Bad News
December 22, 2025 | Monica E. Oss
https://mailchi.mp/openminds.com/daily-executive-briefing-4324071?e=56f596e6fa

Article reprinted with permission from OPEN MINDS. To sign up for a free OPEN MINDS news feed on https://www.openminds.com/market-intelligence/, go to https://www.openminds.com/membership/.

There has been a fair amount of “bad news” in the health and human service field in the past few months. Everything from program closures, contract terminations, and funding changes have been covered by our team. Just a few of these stories include: