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.
Webpage Link: http://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/integration-study/