Act 54 of 2022 established the Behavioral Health Commission for Adult Mental Health as an interdisciplinary body comprised of leadership from state agencies, communities around Pennsylvania, and the behavioral health field as well as individuals with lived experience with behavioral health. The commission is charged with establishing recommendations for funding in the following categories:
- Delivery of services by telemedicine;
- Behavioral health rates, network adequacy, and mental health payment parity;
- Workforce development and retention; expansion of certified peer support specialist and peer-run services;
- Development and provision of crisis services;
- Integration of behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment;
- Cultural competencies when providing behavioral health care;
- The impact of social determinants of health on behavioral health;
- The intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system; and,
- Establishing an integrated care model to deliver timely psychiatric care in primary care settings.
The legislature appropriated $100 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for adult mental health programs. Per Act 54 of 2022, no funding shall be expended until enabling legislation is enacted by the General Assembly. The Commission shall produce a report with funding recommendations.
The Commission was charged with convening no less than two meetings with county mental health administrations to review the provision of behavioral health care and identify recommendations for improvements in coordination of care. The Commission shall hold at least one meeting with representatives from a rural county mental health administration and related entities and at least one meeting with representatives from a mental health administration from either an urban or suburban county and related entities. Act 54 of 2022 defines related entities as including but not limited to, county commissioners, managed care organizations, behavioral health managed care organizations, single county authorities, hospitals, law enforcement, district attorneys, county child welfare agencies and county jails.
The Commission voted to select Dauphin County as the urban/suburban county and Centre County as the rural county. More information will be posted here and disseminated publicly as it becomes available.
Membership
Insurance Commissioner | Michael Humphreys, Co-Chair |
Secretary of Human Services | Dr. Dale Adair, Co-Chair |
Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs (or a designee) | Ellen DiDomenico |
Secretary of Health | Muneeza Iqbal |
Representative of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency | William F. Ward |
Individual appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate | Dr. Noreen M. Fredrick |
Individual appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate | Senator Maria Collett |
Individual appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives | Representative Wendi Thomas, Bucks County |
Individual appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives | Representative Michael H. Schlossberg, Lehigh County |
Active member of the Mental Health Planning Council | Kathy Quick, Schuylkill County |
Active member of the Mental Health Planning Council | Lisa Kennedy, York County |
Behavioral health consumers or family members with lived experiencing navigating diagnosis, treatment, and recovery | Jason Rilogio |
Behavioral health consumers or family members with lived experiencing navigating diagnosis, treatment, and recovery | Reverend Dr. Michelle Anne Simmons |
Individual recommended by the Pennsylvania Association of County Administrators of Mental Health and Developmental Services | Tina Clymer |
Representative of a behavioral health managed care organization serving a rural county | Dr. Matthew O. Hurford |
Representative of a behavioral health managed care organization service an urban county | Dr. Faith Dyson-Washington |
Individual recommended by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania | Dr. Maria A. Oquendo |
Individual member of local law enforcement certified in crisis intervention recommended by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association | Chief Edward M. Cunningham |
Psychologist specializing in mental, social, and emotional development recommended by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association | Dr. Jeanne M. Slattery |
Licensed clinical social worker recommended by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers | Dr. Stephanie Diez-Morel |
Individual who is a subject matter expert in evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment modalities and trauma-informed approaches | Dr. Hasshan Batts |
Individual who specializes in culturally-competent behavioral health care | Dr. Kenneth Thompson |
Individual who is a subject matter expert in treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders with experience in behavioral health matters recommended by the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association | Dr. Dale Klatzker |
Individual who is a subject matter expert in behavioral health recommended by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers | Jillian M. London Hamilton Health Center, Dauphin County |
Meeting Minutes
- 09-16-2022: BH Commission
- 09-08-2022: Centre County
- 09-01-2022: Dauphin County
- 09-01-2022: BH Commission
- 08-18-2022: BH Commission
Public Testimony
9/1 - Dauphin County
- Mike Alexander, Dauphin County Community Support Program
- Andrea Kepler, Dauphin County Mental Health Administrator
- Scott Suhring, Capital Area Behavioral Health Collaborative
- Gregory Briggs, Dauphin County Prison
- Dauphin County Single County Authority
- Dr. Erika Saunders, Penn State Health
- Noreen Frederick, UPMC Western Behavioral Health
- Charles Hooker, Keystone Human Services
- Kim Freeman, Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute
- Darrell Reider, Swatara Township Public Safety
- Ted Dallas, Merakey
- PrimeCare Medical
9/8 – Centre County
- Felicia Stehley, Community Care Behavioral Health
- Val Barner, Skills of Central PA
- Dr. Lucas Malishchak, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
- Beth Gillan, Center for Community Resources
- Catherine Arbogast, Centre County Drug and Alcohol
- Centre County Task Force on Mental Health Crisis Service Final Report (November 2020)
- Erin Crown, Oasis LifeCare, LLC
- Tyler Jolley, Patton Township Police Department
- Captain Kevin Creighton, Pennsylvania State Police