As you know, NYAPRS has been an ardent advocate for people’s rights, self-determination and choice and for effective and engaging voluntary services for people with major mental health, addiction and trauma related challenges throughout our history. Accordingly, we have been a strong opponent of coercive measures like New York’s Kendra’s Law outpatient commitment orders since its inception in 1999.
In 2016, we were asked by NYS Assembly mental health staff to recommend an approach that would serve as an alternatives to Kendra’s Law’s use of outpatient treatment orders. We developed a prototype design and, along with the Mental Health Association of Westchester, created a new model called INSET that centered around a peer led approach to successfully engage and support individuals who met all of the criteria for a Kendra’s Law order.
Thanks to funding from the Assembly, the MHA of Westchester launched the first INSET program which, by 2022, had successfully engaged and served 145 out of 186 (almost 80%) of individuals who were otherwise deemed to be candidates for coercive court mandated outpatient treatment.
This morning, OMH sent out a request for proposals for 4 INSET programs that were proposed by Governor Hochul in her Executive Budget, approved by the Legislature and included in the enacted 2023-24 state budget. The funds are for “an experienced program administrator/agency/community-based organization to implement Intensive and Sustained Engagement Teams (INSET) in four locations throughout New York State.””
“The Office of Mental Health anticipates INSET programs being administered in Western New York and in the Hudson River, on Long Island and in New York City regions. The Office of Mental Health will entertain proposals from any regions of New York State.
Applicants wishing to apply for more than one region, county or neighborhood should submit separate applications for each region, county or neighborhood.
A total of four awards will be made in the amount of $800,000.00 per year, per program, for each of five years.”
The full RFP can be found at: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/rfp/
All applicants must be Prequalified by the due date/time of the RFP.
All applications/proposals must be submitted through the Grants Gateway.
Great thanks are due to the Governor’s groundbreaking nationally acclaimed leadership via her support for new models that engage people in major states of distress and disconnection through the voluntary power of peer support.