Alliance Note: Statewide Advocates for programs serving people with mental health, substance use, and trauma related challenges continue to urge the legislature and Governor to enact an across the board 3.2% Cost of Living Adjustment to support agencies and the workforce so they can continue providing essential services to New Yorkers.
Last night, Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS), joined Capital Tonight to explain why the 3.2% COLA should not have restricted language attached. His three major reasons were:
- It would unnecessarily impact supervisory staff that in many cases are doing the work of direct care. Also, we know that there are huge wage differentials in our field and many in leadership positions in agencies have relatively low salaries. Why would we or should we bifurcate hard working staff when we are in a mental health workforce crisis?
- The COLA is flexible so that the costs of doing business that impacts the workforce such as health insurance costs and other costs can be addressed by the leadership of the agency to help support the workforce in other ways without having to raise insurance costs for individuals.
- It is an administrative nightmare to implement. Staff of state agencies will have to go position by position to figure out who gets the COLA. This will delay the much-needed funding getting out the door by months.
We ask that you continue to send messages to the legislature and governor asking for an unrestricted COLA in the final budget. Use the link below to send these messages.
Click Here to Tell Your Legislators We Need a Flexible 3.2% COLA in the Final Budget!
Visit the following webpage to watch Glenn Liebman’s full interview with Susan Arbetter on Capital Tonight: N.Y. budget proposals for behavioral health staff (spectrumlocalnews.com)