Gov’s Mental Health & Supportive Initiatives
New York Nonprofit Press January 23, 2014
Behavioral health providers and advocates are enthusiastic over Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget allocation of new funding for various community services and supported housing programs. Significant portions of the new funding are part of the State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) initiative to “rightsize” its inpatient psychiatric hospital system.
The budget calls for $25 million in increased funding to expand community services in anticipation of reduced inpatient hospital stays. These community services to receive funding include crisis/respite beds, home and community-based services waiver slots, supported housing, mental health urgent care walk-in centers, mobile engagement teams, first episode psychosis teams, peer-operated recovery centers, family resource centers, evidence-based family supports, suicide prevention services, community forensic and diversion services, telepsychiatry, transportation services, family concierge services and greater integration of physical and behavioral health services.
Going forward, these services would be funded through an investment of $110,000 on average for every inpatient State Psychiatric Center bed closed.
And, the budget provides funding for implementation of ongoing Medicaid Redesign initiatives, including Behavioral Health Organizations (BHOs), Health and Recovery Plans (HARPs) and Health Homes.
“We are pleased with the programs outlined in the budget narrative, although we still need to get more details,” said Phillip Saperia, Executive Director of the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies. “The reinvestment of $110,000 for every inpatient bed closed is good, if it represents the full reinvestment amount and not a smaller portion. We think all inpatient savings should be invested in community based care.”
“While it is still very early in the process of analyzing the Governor’s budget proposal, the NYS Council is pleased with the level of support we received for most of our sectors critical needs. I say ‘most’ because we are deeply concerned that our workforce is once again being asked to defer a COLA that is badly needed,” said Lauri Cole, Executive Director of the NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. “The Governor’s budget proposal does a good job putting together a package of investments that we hope will support the rollout of managed care in our service system. We are counting on the fact that it is enough money to continue New York’s commitment to guarantee access to care through adequate networks composed of behavioral health provider organizations who know best how to meet the complex needs of individuals challenged by an addiction or mental health issue.”
“NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year addresses numerous long sought budget priorities for NYAPRS members,” said Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. “Since our origins in 1981, we have long pushed for the state to move resources from institutional settings like state and Medicaid hospitals and adult and nursing homes into the expansion of community recovery services and supports. And we have worked hard over the past 2 decades to help championed the rise and growth of a broad array of rehabilitation, employment, housing and peer run initiatives. This year’s Executive Budget proposal represents the largest single investment and/or reinvestment in community recovery initiatives in decades. The OMH budget increases by 1.6% or $52 million.”
Supportive Housing
The budget also allocates funding to support an increase of $550 in the downstate rental stipend and development of 200 new supported housing units for nursing residents, 500 new units for individuals in adult homes and 300 units for homeless in New York City.
“This is a budget that shows a serious commitment to housing and supporting some of New York’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Ted Houghton, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York. “It will measurably reduce homelessness, and give people stuck in institutions an opportunity to live in the community with the supports necessary for them to succeed. Investing in supportive housing like this will not only improve the health of chronically ill people, it will save taxpayers money that would otherwise be spent on hospital emergency rooms, shelters and other expensive emergency interventions. Governor Cuomo understands investing in supportive housing is a win-win for all New Yorkers – tenants and taxpayers alike.”
“We are particularly pleased with the massive $260 million, two-year allocation for the DOH Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Program. This investment of State dollars will provide a stabilizing foundation of affordable housing and supports that will be particularly effective if and when the federal government approves the State’s waiver application to transform its Medicaid program.”
“The combined capital increase of $42 million at HCR and the OTDA Homeless Housing Assistance Program is the largest in more than a decade, and will result in the construction of hundreds of new, permanent homes for formerly homeless individuals and families across the state. The smaller, but still significant, increase to supportive housing operating funds at both OTDA and OMH is just as critical to nonprofits’ ability to continue housing formerly homeless people with disabilities.”
“We applaud the development of supported housing units for nursing home residents, homeless people and adult home residents,” said Phillip Saperia. “We appreciate the rental stipend increase, small but sorely needed.”
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