Establishes the community chemical dependence services expansion program

Title of bill

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the community chemical dependence services expansion program and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

Summary of provisions

The bill amends the Mental Hygiene Law to add a new section 26.01 to direct the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to use funds attributable to reductions in expenditures for medically managed chemical dependence detoxification to provide grants to fund the Community Chemical Dependence Services Expansion Program. Grants will be distributed directly from OASAS to non-profit entities, and to local governmental units in proportion to the unmet need for chemical dependency services. The act will sunset on March 31, 2014.

Justification

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and OASAS have undertaken efforts to reduce the over utilization of New York City's medically managed detoxification services by increasing the availability of, and incentives for patients to utilize less restrictive and less expensive alternatives. This substitution will result in more appropriate care as well as very significant savings for the State.

The proposed legislation will ensure that savings achieved by the substitution of less restrictive alternatives for medically managed inpatient detoxification will be reinvested in New York State's chemical dependency services system, and that community-based agencies receive the resources necessary to provide treatment and link clients to ongoing care.

The funds saved and reinvested will be necessary to fill any identified gaps, support initiatives that bring evidence-based treatment into practice in the community-based service sector, and improve the outcomes for people living with chemical dependency. Initiatives that should benefit from such reinvestment include: case management, shelter and ambulatory-based detoxification centers, buprenorphine and methadone treatment capacity expansion, and services for patients with co-occurring psychiatric and addictive disorders.

Prior legislative history

2008: S.7514 - Referred to Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities

Fiscal implications

This bill will be funded on projected savings resulting from the decreased reliance on hospital based detox services Providing more effective treatment will allow more people to get off of public assistance and increase revenues for the state.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately and expire on March 31, 2014.