Policy & Advocacy

Policy & Advocacy

The "bread and butter" of The Coalition is analysis and advocacy of public policy in the fields of community mental health and chemical dependence.

We evaluate state, city and federal budgets, regulations and proposed legislation; promote laws and policies that nourish and sustain community based providers, affording them the ability to deliver the highest quality care and service to residents of New York City and State.

The Coalition strives to make important contributions to the public policy debate that will improve access and delivery of care and end stigma and prejudice against people with mental illness and chemical dependencies.

Coalition Advocacy Days
March 2011

The Coalition blanketed Albany on Monday, March 7th and Tuesday, March 8th, with almost 50 meetings with Executive leadership, Senators and Assembly Members. We reiterated our support for Medicaid redesign proposal #93, establishing regional behavioral health organizations (BHOs). The BHOs will manage carved-out behavioral health services not currently covered under the state’s Medicaid managed care plans. The BHO will also be responsible for managing, and hopefully lowering utilization of inpatient care.

We expressed concern about Medicaid redesign proposal #26, posed as a utilization review. Instead, this provision would set across-the- board thresholds, resulting in actual rate cuts. We propose the institution of an authentic utilization review process that would reflect the State’s emphasis on personalized need and services. Some consumers episodically require periods of intensive service. Moreover, these rate cuts, which might result in less community based service availability, would contradict the whole philosophy of the MRT redesign proposals to lower the costs of high users of inpatient and emergency services.

Coalition members and staff held discussions with legislators on limiting the scope of the NYS Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) by supporting legislation to set fair auditing standards and procedures. We also focused on the value of residential services by opposing the cuts to eliminate the Family Based Treatment (FBT) and Supportive Housing for Families and Young Adults (SHFYA) programs. To see The Coalition’s advocacy materials, click here.

Coalition Receives NCCBH 2008 Grassroots Advocacy Award

The Coalition received the 2008 Grassroots Advocacy Award from the National Council of Behavioral Healthcare at its 38th annual conference in Boston on May 2, 2008, for its work on Article 31 clinic rate methodology reform.

Reform and Restructuring of Article 31 Clinic Reimbursement Methodology