PathWays PA Policy Blog

The Delaware County Crisis Connects Team (DCCCT) consists of services available to Delaware County residents who may be at risk for emotional crisis. The service continuum was developed in collaboration with Elwyn, The Delaware County Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health, and Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania, Inc. DCCCT 's goal is to provide crisis services that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. There are two forms of assistance that DCCCT can provide. The warm line, 1 (855) 464-9342, is if you need social support or someone to talk to. It is available Monday thru Friday from 6pm to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 7pm. The mobile crisis team, 1 (855) 889-7827, is for those who need immediate help with a mental, health or substance abuse issue. The crisis mobile team is available 24 hours a day, everyday and will come to you.

Special Alert During the Election Season, PathWays PA will send out a special email with important updates and services as we learn of them.  If you have a service or issue you would like us to discuss, please let us know by email at policy@pathwayspa.org .  For those of you who are interested in learning more about helping your clients register to vote, you may want to learn more about tomorrow's webinar from the Better Choices Coalition . Federal Policy Updates MEETING ON MEDICAID EXPANSION - 8/28 The Pennsylvania Health Access Network, Maternity Care Coalition,  the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, Community Legal Services, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, Resources for Human Development Inc, Consumer Health Coalition, and SEIU Healthcare PA would like to invite you to a strategy meeting about Medicaid expansion under the ACA. The Medicaid...

June 28, 2012 Update - Representative Murt has introduced an amendment that could save part of GA. If you support this amendment please call your state legislator immediately.  To learn more, visit http://bit.ly/NGz6UZ   Our friends at PA Cares for All are taking a last stand (or several last stands) against ending General Assistance, a program of last-resort that provides a bridge to stability and self-sufficiency for over 68,000 Pennsylvanians without children who are sick or disabled; domestic violence survivors fleeing abuse; and individuals who are in alcohol and other drug programs. If you are interested in keeping GA in Pennsylvania, please consider one of the following actions: Sign On to A Letter Against Cutting General Assistance:  Michael Froehlich at Community Legal Services is collecting signatures for the letter below, which will then be sent to Governor Corbett.  If you would like to sign on, please email him . The letter is below: Dear Gover...

Thanks to The Advocates Agenda for letting us repost. Corbett Administration and County Commissioners Association Going to the Mat for Human Services Block Grant PA House tweaks the Senate passed budget bill to spend more on early childhood care and education, domestic violence, rape crisis centers and public libraries June 5th – Tuesday brought stepped up debate and political posturing about Pennsylvania’s budget. The morning started with Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Jim Cawley putting forth a united front with the County Commissioners Association of PA (CCAP) touting the benefits of “a new way of doing business” that will result from block granting certain state funding. Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander said the “landmark block grant” would deliver real “innovation, control and flexibility” at the local level. Cawley stressed the Corbett Administration is committed to transforming “the relationship between the state and local governments.” Ber...

THE LATEST BUDGET INFORMATION FROM HARRISBURG While no new budget legislation has emerged from Harrisburg in the past two weeks,  constituents across the state are keeping up the pressure against budget cuts.  Here are some of the clips we've found detailing the potential impact of the budget throughout Pennsylvania: " Proposed Budget Cuts Would Hit Home " - the proposed cuts to the Human Services Development Block Grant could mean the end of Compeer, a Lehigh Valley organization that recruits and trains volunteers to build friendships with adults receiving mental health services.  According to the article, local programs that provide help to families dealing with autism and prevents the placement of children in foster homes may also be cut. " Pennsylvania budget cuts, policy changes are ravaging services, disability advocates say " - Despite 16,000 people waiting for services, agencies in Cumberland and Perry Counties are concerned that they will again hav...

SPECIAL EVENTS Make Calls Now in Support of Paid Sick Days! PathWays PA, a founding member of the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces, is working with the Coalition to pass a bill in Philadelphia that would ensure all workers have the right to earn sick days. This bill could come up for a vote as soon as this week, but to get there, it needs your support! Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces would create a minimum standard of sick days for the 210,000 workers in Philadelphia who must “choose” during an illness between the jobs they need and the families they love. Workers could earn 1 hour of sick time for every 40 hours they work, up to 56 hours per year in a business of 11 or more employees and up to 32 hours per year in a business of 10 or less employees. If you live in Philadelphia, please call your City Councilperson today to show your support for the bill. Here’s a script that you can use: “I am calling today to let Councilperson _____ know that I strongly su...