Alliance Budget Update
Albany lawmakers have been busy today. They are moving quickly to print, vote, and pass budget bills to get this year’s budget enacted before the end of the weekend.
We are very pleased to announce the latest round of printed budget bills includes funding for some of the Alliance’s priorities, including money for Daniel’s Law pilot programs! Here’s what was included:
Up to $1.5 million available for a Daniel’s Law pilot: We are excited to see the legislature and Governor heard our calls to include this funding to begin offering New Yorkers experiencing a mental health crisis the appropriate health response. The Alliance and the Daniel’s Law coalition are very grateful for the hard work our legislative champions, Senator Samra Brouk and Assemblymember Harry Bronson, put in to get this funding in the budget. While it is not as much as we had asked for, this serves as a good first step in implementing a statewide health response for crisis calls. We will continue to advocate for the Daniel’s Law Task Force to expedite their work to submit recommendations to the state as well as push for the full passage of Daniel’s Law. We’d also like to thank all of you who sent messages to your lawmakers and provided testimony to the task force calling for pilot programs. Your participation, including sending over 600 messages to lawmakers, was key to us getting this funding into the budget!
$2.8 million for Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team (INSET) programs: We are thankful the Governor and Legislature continue to fund INSET programs to support people who would otherwise be eligible for Kendra’s Law Outpatient Commitment Orders. The Alliance will continue to advocate for the expansion of this program so more people receive the voluntary support they need instead of ineffective coercive treatment.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for human services agencies and workforce: We have more clarity on the final COLA agreement. Instead of the two separate COLAs we stated yesterday, the legislature has streamlined this to make it less complicated and easier to implement. The final COLA agreement added $31.345 million in funding to increase the Governor’s proposed COLA from 1.5% to 2.84%. Providers will be required to use a portion of this funding to increase non-executive staff’s wages by at least 1.7%.
Unfortunately, the available budget bills do not have any refences to additional Peer Bridger programs, suggesting the legislature was unable to fund this. We will continue to advocate for more of these programs to better support people as they transition from the hospital back to their communities of choice and reduce hospital readmissions.
Other budget adds of significance:
- $5 million increase for Intensive Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Teams, for a new total of $14.6 million)
- $2 million increase for Court Based Mental Health Navigators, for a new total of $8.2 million
- $2 million for shower buses.
- $1 million increase for a Law Enforcement and Mental Health Coordination Team
Thank you to our entire community for the great advocacy work you have done with us throughout the year! We could not have done it without you. We will continue to inform you of updates on the budget as we learn more information.
Luke Sikinyi
Director of Public Policy and Public Engagement
The Alliance for Rights and Recovery
194 Washington Ave. Suite 400
Albany, New York 12210
Cell: 518-703-0264
Office: 518-436-0008