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NYS Budget Deal: 5% Restoration, 1% COLA, Crisis Stabilization Centers, No Expansions of Involuntary Treatment, HALT Law

by The Alliance for Rights and Recovery

Budget Deal: 5% Restoration, 1% COLA, Crisis Stabilization Centers,
No Expansions of Involuntary Treatment, HALT Passage

NYAPRS 2021-22 Budget Summary
April 6, 2021

Here are some details of the just released mental health and several related agency budget agreements. We are very grateful to the leadership of our champions, Mental Health Committee Chairs, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and Senator Samra Brouk, who worked hard to maximize funding to address a number of our priorities.

At the same time, behavioral healthcare services have been central to supporting New Yorkers dealing with the extraordinary challenges posed by trauma, unemployment, racial strife of the last year. Yet, we are seeing apparently very little to none of the $5 billion in additional revenues that were identified by the Legislature and Governor Cuomo yesterday. We are looking to distribution of federal block grant and FMAP funding to address unfunded or underfunded priorities.

Great thanks are due to all of our NYAPRS members and member agencies and to our colleagues who worked so hard to secure these funds and, especially over the last few days, the 1% COLA.  Special thanks to MHANYS’ Glenn Liebman for his continued close collaboration and partnership.  

FUNDING

Restoration of 5% cut                                          $17.1 million

Rental Assistance for Supported Housing           $20 million

Maintenance & Restorations for Housing Units   $60 million

1% Cost of Living Adjustment  $15 million for OMH licensed/funded programs

  • The FY 2022 Budget includes $46.2 million to provide a 1 percent COLA to not-for-profits licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by OPWDD, OMH, and OASAS. The Budget also provides $5.6 million for a 1 percent COLA increase for other human services agencies, including SOFA, OTDA, and OCFS.

Minimum Wage Hike                                            TBA

Crisis Stabilization Behavioral Health Urgent Care) Centers

  • NYAPRS and our members and legal rights groups successfully advocated for a person-centered and driven model that features peer staff, fosters a harm reduction model and can only be accessed voluntarily, e.g. the Centers will not accept individuals who were transported and expected to be served involuntarily.

The Governor’s news release goes on to says that “On average, more than 100,000 individuals per year benefit from crisis intervention services. These centers will be open 24/7/365 and accept all admissions without referral, including direct drop-offs by law enforcement and other first responders. This effort will streamline stabilization and reintegration for individuals in crisis.

Crisis Intervention Teams                                    $1 million

Enhancing Social Service Crisis Intervention:     $10 million

  • to support of social service crisis intervention programs and providers disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. These funds will provide much needed financial relief to social service crisis intervention providers who have continued to maintain a quality of care despite the financial burden imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. DOH in consultation with OMH, SOFA, OCFS, OTDA.

Dwyer Peer to Peer Support for Veterans            $4.5 million restoration

Suicide prevention for high risk populations       $1 million

Self-Directed Care                                               

Community Reinvestment

  • The Community Reinvestment program was legally extended for the next 3 years, but the $22 million in funding for the current year was suspended for this year, a great disappointment, given the $18+ billion New York has accrued due to federal COVID relief and yesterday’s announcement about the newly identified $5 billion in revenues.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Credentialed OMH/OASAS Peers: was authorized thanks to the work of several of our colleague groups.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

  • HALT Bill Passage

    • Landmark program moving prisons and jails from the torture of solitary confinement to an infusion of rehabilitation staff and settings; see http://nycaic.org/legislation/.

  • Crisis Intervention Teams

    • $1 million; we are urging that the state use federal funding for teams of peer crisis counselors and emergency medical technician police alternatives.

RIGHTS AND CHOICE PROTECTIONS

  • Proposal to expand Kendra’s Law outpatient initiative: rejected

    • Since the law’s inception in 2000, NYAPRS has successfully worked with state legislators reject proposals to expand the coercive program.

  • Proposal to expand involuntary treatment criteria

    • NYAPRS is also very grateful for the legislature’s rejection of a proposal that would have expanded criteria for involuntary hospital admissions

  • Prescriber Prevails restoration of the $13.4 million cut

    • Once again, the proposal to vest decision making power over choice of medications with payers rather than people and prescribers was rejected.

 FEDERAL FUNDING

  • Grants to Strengthen and Enhance Home and Community Based Services: $160 million.

  • NYAPRS has made the following recommendations for some of these funds:

  • OMH is in the process of readying the rollout of ‘CORE’ services (peer and family support, psychiatric rehab and mobile treatment). Providers will have lay out start up expansion funds without assurance that this program will enroll enough people and billable services in the first year. These funds could be used to hire staff and deploy the new program, essentially as a front loaded one time only start up program during the first year.

  • Crisis stabilization programs will be funded by Medicaid: we could ensure they get off to a good start with ample rates and financing to succeed

  • Self-Directed care program is the most transformative model we know. It allows for strategic purchases to get ahead, for example the computer and router to look for jobs, the clothing and grooming to interview, the job coaching that may be necessary, the transportation costs. (see above for more details).

  • The state could use some of these funds to address the workforce, e.g. especially in offering sign up bonuses or higher pay to get and keep quality staff. 

  • Increased Block Grant Funding $50 million (see attached SAMHSA guidance)

SAMHSA guidance about this funding emphasize the expansion of crisis initiatives including: 

    • operation of an “access line,” “crisis phone line,” or “warm lines” to address any mental health issues for individuals;

    • training of staff and equipment that supports enhanced mental health crisis response and services;

    • Mental Health Awareness training for first responders and others.

    • hire of outreach and peer support workers for regular check-ins for people with SMI/SED;

    • prison and jail re-entry and enhanced discharge from inpatient settings in order to reduce risks of COVID-19 transmission; and

    • COVID-19 related expenses for those with SMI/SED, including testing and administering COVID vaccines, COVID awareness education, and purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

NYAPRS has also recommended that some of these funds be used to support the implementation of

  • the 988 first response system prior to its mandated 7/2022 start

  • Fund training on psychiatric advance directives, which provide guidance for how to engage and successfully serve someone in a crisis;

  • Expand OnTrack NY First Episode Programs

  • Peer Bridger and Forensic Peer Support Initiatives.