[NYAPRS Enews] NYS Launches Process to Consider an OMH/OASAS Consolidation

Fri Jun 26 09:38:41 EDT 2015

NYAPRS Note: New York's mental health and addiction recovery state agencies (OMH and OASAS) are launching a process by which stakeholder input can be collected regarding the possibility of consolidating the 2 agencies into an "integrated and unified behavioral health services agency." See below for the announcement, the dates of regional forums and the list of Integration Study Steering Committee Members. NYAPRS is pleased to serve on this committee and will be seeking input from our members going forward at brianag at nyaprs.org<mailto:brianag at nyaprs.org>.

Public Forums on Behavioral Health Service Agency Integration

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) will host a series of fact-finding forums to consider the appropriateness of consolidating the missions of OASAS and OMH into an integrated and unified behavioral health services agency.

OASAS Commissioner Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez and OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan, MD, and Paul Samuels, Esq., Chair of the New York State Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council (BHSAC), are jointly chairing a Steering Committee which will assess and report its findings on the value of creating an integrated behavioral health services agency to improve service delivery, streamline the transition to Medicaid Managed Care, and enhance the treatment outcomes for people currently receiving behavioral health services in New York State. The Steering Committee is comprised of key OMH and OASAS stakeholders.

The Chairs seek public input into the question of whether a new behavioral health agency should be created and whether the creation would improve the care for populations currently served by both agency funded/licensed programs. Input from stakeholders including providers, consumers, families, local government units (LGUs), trade associations, and state and local legislators is sought and will be considered in making any forthcoming recommendations by the Steering Committee.

The public is invited to attend the following forums to be held throughout the State of New York this
summer:
* July 13th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) - OASAS NYC Field Office, 501 7th Avenue, Conference Room A, 8th Floor, Upper Manhattan, NY
* July 14th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) - OASAS Central Office, 1450 Western Avenue, 4th Floor Conference Room, Albany, NY
* July 22nd (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) - OCM BOCES Henry Center, CNYRIC, Rodax #8 Commercial Park Building, 6075 E. Molloy Road, Syracuse, NY
* August 18th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) - Molloy College, Suffolk Center, 7180 Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY
* August 20th (3:00-5:00 pm; 5:30-7:30 pm) - Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, The Mason O. Damon Auditorium, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY

Pre-registration is encouraged, as seating is limited, and a registration page will be available through
the OMH and OASAS websites shortly. Interested parties may also view video of a recorded public
forum after the initial meeting on July 13th.

In addition to the public forums, comments and recommendations from the public will be accepted via
web links that will be posted on both agency websites. All comments will be considered in the
deliberations of the Steering Committee, and a final report will be issued by December 31, 2015.

If you require any special accommodations to participate in this process, or have questions about the
format, you may contact OMH and OASAS representatives at:
OASAS-OMH-Integration-Study at omh.ny.gov<mailto:OASAS-OMH-Integration-Study at omh.ny.gov>

http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/public_notice/2015/service-agency-integration.pdf
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Integration Study Steering Committee Members

Dr. Gary Belkin

Executive Deputy Commissioner

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

42-09 28th St., CN 2

Long Island City, NY 11101-4132

347-957-0324

gbelkin at health.nyc.gov<mailto:gbelkin at health.nyc.gov>

Lauri Cole

Executive Director

NYS Council for Community Behavioral Health

911 Central Ave., #152

Albany, NY 12206

518-461-8200

nyscouncil at albany.twcbc.com

Amy Colesante

Executive Director

Mental Health Empowerment Project

3 Atrium Dr., Suite 205

Albany, NY 12205

518-434-1393 x11

Amymhep at aol.com

Kevin Connally

Executive Director

Hope House, Inc.

537 Livingston Ave.

Albany, NY 12206

518-482-4673

kevin at hopehouseinc.org

John Coppola

Executive Director

ASAP of NYS, Inc.

1 Columbia Place, Suite 400

Albany, NY 12207

518-426-3122

jcoppola at asapnys.org

Norwig Debye-Saxinger

President, TAC of NY

246 Merwin Lake Rd.

Kinderhook, NY 12106

518-653-6244

norwigdebye at gmail.com

Donna Mae DePola

President/CEO

The Resource Training Center

449 39th St.

Brooklyn, NY 11232

718-871-7433

donnamaedepola at resourcetraining.org

Julie Dostal, PhD

President/CEO, CANYS

Executive Director, LEAF Council on Alcoholism/Addictions, Inc.

80 Water St.

Oneonta, NY 13820

607-432-0090

julie at leafinc.org

Gay Hartigan

VP/C.O.O.

Arms Acres and Conifer Park

19 Spear Rd., Suite 304

Ramsey, NJ 07446

201-236-8880

ghartigan at libertymgt.com

Tino Hernandez

CEO

Samaritan Village

138-02 Queens Blvd.

Briarwood, NY 11435

718-206-2000 x122

Tino.hernandez at samaritanvillage.org

Scott LaVigne

Director

Seneca County Dir. of Community Services

31 Thurber Dr.

Waterloo, NY 13165

315-539-1980

slavigne at co.seneca.ny.us

Glenn Liebman

CEO

MHANYS

194 Washington Ave, Suite 415

Albany, NY 12210

518-434-0439 x220

gliebman at mhanys.org

Susan Matt

DCS Otsego County

242 Main St.

Oneonta, NY 13820

607-433-2343

MattS at otsegocounty.com

Stephanie Orlando

Executive Director

Youth Power!

737 Madison Ave.

Albany, NY 12208

518-598-2467

sorlando at youthpower.org

Paige Pierce

Families Together in NYS

737 Madison Ave.

Albany, NY 12208

518-432-0333 x12

ppierce at ftnys.org

Anthony Rizzuto

Families in Support of Treatment (FIST)

PO Box 315

Wantagh, NY 11793

516-316-6387

anthony at familiesinsupportoftreatment.com

Harvey Rosenthal

Executive Director

NYAPRS

194 Washington Ave., Suite 400

Albany, NY 12210

518-436-0008

harveyr at nyaprs.org

Phillip Saperia

CEO

The Coalition for Behavioral Health

90 Broad St., 8th Floor

New York, NY 10004

212-742-1600

psaperia at coalitionny.org

Allegra Schorr

President, COMPA

VP - West Midtown Medical Group

505 Eighth Ave., 4th Floor

New York, NY 10018

212-643-8811 x327

allschorr at westmidtownmedical.com

Andrea Smyth

Executive Director

NYS Coalition for Children's Mental Health Services

PO Box 7124

Albany, NY 12224

518-436-8715
andrea at asmythadvocacy.com
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