[NYAPRS Enews] Hogan Letter Conveys Commitment to PROS, Call for Leadership to Advance Service Reforms

[Harvey Rosenthal]

NYAPRS Note: The following was released yesterday afternoon by OMH
Commissioner Michael Hogan, conveying his commitment and calling
attention to the programmatic reforms available under the new PROS
design. While recognizing the uncertainties of the current Medicaid
environment, he calls for leadership and collaboration in raising the
level of service provided to New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities
who rely on state licensed/funded day programs for support for their
recoveries. He also commits OMH to providing considerable technical
assistance and support to providers and peers as PROS implementation
accelerates.

 

There is and will continue to be lots of understandable controversy on
Medicaid, PROS, housing and a host of other key policy issues we
currently face. And there've been questions raised about the past
regularity and adequacy of OMH's communication and assistance. But while
the need for change has rarely been clearer and the future looms rather
uncertain, the opportunities are promising. Taken together with Monday's
memo from Bob Myers seeking public input on OMH housing reform policies,
it is clear that the Hogan Administration will be engaging in a more
candid, transparent and inclusive style promised by Governor Spitzer
last January. 

 

 

 
May 3, 2007

 

Dear Colleagues:

 

        I have been in New York State now for about three months and
have met with many individuals and organizations.  I have learned a lot
about the mental health service system and have much more to absorb.  I
have been asked several times about the future development of
Personalized Oriented Recovery Services (PROS)-since PROS is clearly a
well-designed program yet questions exist about Medicaid coverage.

 

        PROS offers a significant opportunity to address two major
challenges faced by many people working to recover from mental illness
in New York: the absence of a recovery and consumer choice framework,
and the fragmentation of the system. PROS may also offer an approach to
address the limitations of continuing day treatment-both with respect to
a recovery orientation and Medicaid accountability-as outlined by the
Commission on the Quality of Care.  

 

        PROS pulls together clubhouse-like and rehabilitation services,
interventions to facilitate employment, and in some cases clinical care.
It is a more integrated and continuous approach than much of what
exists. It incorporates a person-centered approach and funds additional
intervention when intensive or focused individualized work is needed.  

 

        Currently, there are PROS-licensed programs in Clinton, Orange
and Suffolk counties. We appreciate the leadership and energy of the
"early adopters" in these communities.  The Office of Mental Health is
committed to move forward with PROS implementation and will be engaging
county government and local providers to do so.  We intend to focus
technical assistance in the areas of program design to advance recovery,
a person-centered focus, and also on Medicaid requirements (e.g.
documenting medical necessity, interventions, and progress toward
recovery).  

 

We are aware that the Medicaid environment at the Federal level is in
flux, and indeed there are changes we must make in Medicaid in New York.
As Governor Spitzer has said, we must move toward a person-driven, not
an institutionally centered system. In my view, PROS fits within both
state and federal agendas. The Executive Order that created The
President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health listed 5 principles
to guide that work:

1)    Reduce the impact of disability on people's lives,

2)    Reduce fragmentation,

3)    Maximize utilization of existing resources,

4)    Increase the quality of services delivered, and 

5)    Follow the principles of Federalism.

 

The PROS design, even with possible uncertainties about the details of
federal Medicaid activities, fits this agenda and our commitment
exceptionally well. The existence of an approved Medicaid State Plan
Amendment (SPA) for PROS signals this.

 

        For PROS to achieve its potential to advance a recovery-focused
system, your leadership is essential.  Change is never easy or risk
free. But of course, neither is standing pat.  The Office of Mental
Health looks forward to partnering with you to advance recovery, the
consumer's role in health care, and accountability. I believe PROS is a
way to address those goals.

 

                                                Sincerely,

 

 

 

                                                Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D.

                                                Commissioner

 

cc:    OMH Executive Leadership

        Field Office Directors

 

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