NYAPRS State Budget Advocacy Scorecard Summer/Fall 2010 NYAPRS Regional Forums

OMH Budget Office of Mental Health Budget State Operations budget supports 16,169 FTE (-128), 3,380 Adult inpatient beds, 538 Children & Youth (C&Y) inpatient beds, 715 Forensic inpatient beds and a projected SOMTA census of 230. Overall Summary Cuts: OMH Local Actions $31.7m; OMH State Operations Efficiencies $43m; OMH Inpatient Restructuring $9m; More state operations cuts unspecified at this time. No community cuts yet but, even with recently approved federal Medicaid enhancement (FMAP), we are vulnerable to some possible local service cuts

OMH Budget Preserve the Community Safety Net!: No Across the Board Cuts Yet but Some Possible even with FMAP extension; Some member item cuts Expand PROS, Employment and Recovery Centers Funding: $2 million cut to PROS, $3 million slowdown in residential development Overall, more for PROS, continued expansion of Recovery Centers and funding for Peer Recovery, Technical Assistance and Resource Center and $6 million for federal New York Makes Work Pay program.

OMH Budget Support Outpatient Clinic Restructuring: Budget included $10 million to enhance Medicaid managed care mental health clinic rates; Clinic restructuring to begin Oct Expand Peer Crisis Respite Programs Approved again by Senate Mental Health Committee; Not included in final budget deal

OMH Budget Provide funding to move 1,500 NYC adult home residents with psychiatric disabilities into supported housing, per federal Court ruling under appeal by New York State. A judicial panel determined that the state must take action while awaiting appeal’s outcome. While only $1 million has been officially committed, supported housing RFPs in development.

OMH Budget Extend Community Mental Health Reinvestment Program: Extended 3 years until March 31, 2013 Support OMH proposal to close or convert 250 state hospital beds: Approved. Keep prison mental health reform initiatives on pace: Marcy Regional Mental Health Unit opened; more reforms continue on pace.

OMH Budget Support efficiencies in OMH Sex Offender Program: Accepted except for expanded use of video teleconferencing (restored $1 million savings). Oppose OMH Assumption of SSI Rep Payee Status for State Hospital Inpatients Ultimately, the Legislature accepting this proposal, inserting an oversight role for Mental Hygiene Legal Services and agreeing to expand the use of qualifying Medicaid Exception Trusts.

Office of Mental Health Legislation Reject proposals to expand and/or make Kendra’s Law permanent: Kendra’s Law was extended until 2015 with expectations that voluntary approaches, esp. to communities of color, will be expanded. Eliminate Sec. 384B of MH Law that jeopardizes custody rights for parents with psychiatric disabilities by passing S.2835(Huntley)/A.6668(Rivera) No action; discussions continue between state officials and advocates following a recent MHANYS legal forum Support Veterans Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Act (A.11098/S. 7961) Approved by both houses; on Governor’s desk.

Department of Health Preserve Current Adult Home ENABLE and QUIP Funding Streams and requirement that winning proposals secure approval by Resident Councils: Funding was preserved but the streams were collapsed, resident council sign off lost under current language. Advocates will work for ‘cleanup bill’ that restores streams, sign off. Preserve Open Access to Medicaid mental health medications: Psychiatric and other previously protected drug classes were moved administratively into the Preferred Drug Program. However, beneficiaries will still have open access to them since DOH would need legislative approval to put them into the restrictive prior authorization process.

Department of Health Restore the Medicare Part D and Epic Wraparound: Restored Restore Personal Care Cuts: Restored Restrain Excessive OMIG Audits of Medicaid Providers: Rejected

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Protect SSI for New Yorkers with Disabilities: No cut Restore $4.6 million to OTDA’s SRO Support Services Program: Rejected

Other Legislation Support extending the exemption for social worker and mental health practitioner licensing requirements for an additional 4 years to allow more time to train and upgrade staffing to comply with licensing standards: Extended for 3 years till July 1, 2013 Support legislation adding 3 more consumer reps to the state’s Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council : No action

Expected 2011 Challenges More Cuts, Less Federal $! Increasing scrutiny of Medicaid, Possible state agency mergers Implementation of national health care reform initiatives (more Medicaid managed care, electronic records….).

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