The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports and the New York State Office of Mental Health Announce Integration Listening Sessions
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) jointly announce a series of public listening sessions regarding the potential integration of OASAS and OMH into a new single agency.
OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez and OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan invite service recipients, providers, members of the public, and other key stakeholders to provide feedback on integration, and the ways in which a unified State behavioral health agency could better support New Yorkers with substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental illnesses.
During these listening sessions, which will be jointly moderated by Commissioners González-Sánchez and Sullivan, New Yorkers are invited to provide testimony that will be reviewed and utilized by the two agencies during future integration discussions. The agencies would like to hear feedback that includes but is not limited to the following questions:
- The outcome of the last series of agency integration sessions, held in 2015, was that NYS wait to see the results of managed care and other system transformation implementation efforts, which were in process at that time. How have these transformation efforts worked or not worked to integrate services and systems, and to support the treatment of people who access both addiction and mental health services in the following:
- Integrated treatment program development
- Recovery outcomes
- Service and program efficiencies
- What are the organizational strengths, and/or growth opportunities among the two agencies?
- What could be the advantages and disadvantages of a unified behavioral health services agency?
- How do people seeking treatment for addiction, mental health concerns, or both access services now? What would be the ideal?
- How would agency integration impact delivery of or access to services, if at all? Should service delivery and access remain the same, or change, and in what ways?
- Local Governmental Units already combine administrative oversight and operation of mental health and SUD services. What can be learned from this organizational structure and how it supports integrated service planning, delivery, and access?
- Should some types of specialty or unique services/programs go unchanged?
- Discuss “prevention” approaches between mental health and addictive disorders. Are they unique to each field? Where are their commonalities?
OASAS and OMH will host four two-hour virtual Listening Sessions, and New Yorkers are invited to provide up to three minutes of verbal testimony directly to the Commissioners. The agencies also welcome written testimony, which can be submitted at https://www.ny.gov/programs/reimagining-behavioral-health. Any person planning to testify is requested to limit their testimony to only one of these sessions.
The dates and times for the listening sessions are listed below. Each session is associated with recommended regions to help manage registration volume and allow sufficient time for attendees across New York State. To register for a Listening Session or submit written comments please go to https://www.ny.gov/programs/reimagining-behavioral-health.
