NYAPRS Note: New York’s mental health and addiction recovery state agencies (OMH and OASAS) are launching a process by which stakeholder input can be collected regarding the possibility of consolidating the 2 agencies into an “integrated and unified behavioral health services agency.” See below for the announcement, the dates of regional forums and the list of Integration Study Steering Committee Members. NYAPRS is pleased to serve on this committee and will be seeking input from our members going forward at brianag@nyaprs.org.
Public Forums on Behavioral Health Service Agency Integration
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) will host a series of fact-finding forums to consider the appropriateness of consolidating the missions of OASAS and OMH into an integrated and unified behavioral health services agency.
OASAS Commissioner Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez and OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan, MD, and Paul Samuels, Esq., Chair of the New York State Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council (BHSAC), are jointly chairing a Steering Committee which will assess and report its findings on the value of creating an integrated behavioral health services agency to improve service delivery, streamline the transition to Medicaid Managed Care, and enhance the treatment outcomes for people currently receiving behavioral health services in New York State. The Steering Committee is comprised of key OMH and OASAS stakeholders.
The Chairs seek public input into the question of whether a new behavioral health agency should be created and whether the creation would improve the care for populations currently served by both agency funded/licensed programs. Input from stakeholders including providers, consumers, families, local government units (LGUs), trade associations, and state and local legislators is sought and will be considered in making any forthcoming recommendations by the Steering Committee.
The public is invited to attend the following forums to be held throughout the State of New York this
summer:
• July 13th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) – OASAS NYC Field Office, 501 7th Avenue, Conference Room A, 8th Floor, Upper Manhattan, NY
• July 14th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) – OASAS Central Office, 1450 Western Avenue, 4th Floor Conference Room, Albany, NY
• July 22nd (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) – OCM BOCES Henry Center, CNYRIC, Rodax #8 Commercial Park Building, 6075 E. Molloy Road, Syracuse, NY
• August 18th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) – Molloy College, Suffolk Center, 7180 Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY
• August 20th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) – Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, The Mason O. Damon Auditorium, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY
Pre-registration is encouraged, as seating is limited, and a registration page will be available through
the OMH and OASAS websites shortly. Interested parties may also view video of a recorded public
forum after the initial meeting on July 13th.
In addition to the public forums, comments and recommendations from the public will be accepted via
web links that will be posted on both agency websites. All comments will be considered in the
deliberations of the Steering Committee, and a final report will be issued by December 31, 2015.
If you require any special accommodations to participate in this process, or have questions about the
format, you may contact OMH and OASAS representatives at:
OASAS-OMH-Integration-Study@omh.ny.gov
http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/public_notice/2015/service-agency-integration.pdf
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Integration Study Steering Committee Members
Dr. Gary Belkin
Executive Deputy Commissioner
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
42-09 28th St., CN 2
Long Island City, NY 11101-4132
347-957-0324
Lauri Cole
Executive Director
NYS Council for Community Behavioral Health
911 Central Ave., #152
Albany, NY 12206
518-461-8200
Amy Colesante
Executive Director
Mental Health Empowerment Project
3 Atrium Dr., Suite 205
Albany, NY 12205
518-434-1393 x11
Kevin Connally
Executive Director
Hope House, Inc.
537 Livingston Ave.
Albany, NY 12206
518-482-4673
John Coppola
Executive Director
ASAP of NYS, Inc.
1 Columbia Place, Suite 400
Albany, NY 12207
518-426-3122
Norwig Debye-Saxinger
President, TAC of NY
246 Merwin Lake Rd.
Kinderhook, NY 12106
518-653-6244
Donna Mae DePola
President/CEO
The Resource Training Center
449 39th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
718-871-7433
donnamaedepola@resourcetraining.org
Julie Dostal, PhD
President/CEO, CANYS
Executive Director, LEAF Council on Alcoholism/Addictions, Inc.
80 Water St.
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-432-0090
Gay Hartigan
VP/C.O.O.
Arms Acres and Conifer Park
19 Spear Rd., Suite 304
Ramsey, NJ 07446
201-236-8880
Tino Hernandez
CEO
Samaritan Village
138-02 Queens Blvd.
Briarwood, NY 11435
718-206-2000 x122
Tino.hernandez@samaritanvillage.org
Scott LaVigne
Director
Seneca County Dir. of Community Services
31 Thurber Dr.
Waterloo, NY 13165
315-539-1980
Glenn Liebman
CEO
MHANYS
194 Washington Ave, Suite 415
Albany, NY 12210
518-434-0439 x220
Susan Matt
DCS Otsego County
242 Main St.
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-433-2343
Stephanie Orlando
Executive Director
Youth Power!
737 Madison Ave.
Albany, NY 12208
518-598-2467
Paige Pierce
Families Together in NYS
737 Madison Ave.
Albany, NY 12208
518-432-0333 x12
Anthony Rizzuto
Families in Support of Treatment (FIST)
PO Box 315
Wantagh, NY 11793
516-316-6387
anthony@familiesinsupportoftreatment.com
Harvey Rosenthal
Executive Director
NYAPRS
194 Washington Ave., Suite 400
Albany, NY 12210
518-436-0008
Phillip Saperia
CEO
The Coalition for Behavioral Health
90 Broad St., 8th Floor
New York, NY 10004
212-742-1600
Allegra Schorr
President, COMPA
VP – West Midtown Medical Group
505 Eighth Ave., 4th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212-643-8811 x327
allschorr@westmidtownmedical.com
Andrea Smyth
Executive Director
NYS Coalition for Children’s Mental Health Services
PO Box 7124
Albany, NY 12224
518-436-8715