Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and Congressman Tim Ryan Introduce the Breaking Addiction Act of 2014

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) introduced the Breaking Addiction Act of 2014 (H.R. 5136), which would establish a five-year demonstration project for 8-10 states in which federal reimbursement would be permitted for Medicaid services provided in certain residential settings known as “Institutes for Mental Disease” (known informally as IMDs).

Current law – known as the “IMD exclusion” – imposes a federal payment prohibition on Medicaid services provided to patients who are residents of such institutions, inpatient/residential facilities having more than 16 beds. Originally intended to prevent states from warehousing individuals with mental illness in institutions, the payment exclusion has posed a challenge for some residential mental health and substance use treatment centers. In a fact sheet accompanying the legislation, the bill’s authors state that “the IMD exclusion keeps nearly 15 million Medicaid beneficiaries from receiving the treatment they need, and indirectly, it limits the number of treatment beds available for more than 23 million Americans, regardless of health coverage status.”

The new legislation carves out a narrow exception to the IMD exclusion in the 8-10 states participating in the $300 million demonstration program. It allows federal reimbursement for Medicaid services provided to individuals receiving treatment for a substance use disorder in a “community-based Institute for Mental Disease.” “Community-based” refers to facilities such as chemical dependency treatment facilities or rehabilitation centers and excludes hospitals. The bill also requires an evaluation and report from the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the impact this change would have on the provision of substance use disorder services in the U.S.

The bill’s authors cite the growing heroin and opioid epidemic as an urgent rationale for making this payment change, stating that this demonstration offers a model to expand cost-efficient and timely community-based treatment options for opioid abuse and misuse.

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NYC Council Passes Increase in Income Eligibility Levels for DRIE

At the NYC Council’s Stated Meeting on July 24^th the Council passed legislation that will increase the income eligibility cap of the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) to the level of the Senior Citizens Rent Exemption (SCRIE) programs; something advocates for people with disabilities have been urging for nearly a decade.

The DRIE program helps shield certain eligible disabled individuals with low incomes from rising housing costs by freezing their rent at an affordable level. In return, the landlord receives a property tax abatement equal to the amount of the rent forgiven. The DRIE program was established in 2005 and is modeled upon the SCRIE program which allows certain senior citizens with low incomes and living in rent regulated housing to avoid rent increases. DRIE was established as an optional program under State law and localities must affirmatively choose to offer DRIE benefits to its residents and whether or not to adopt changes to program eligibility authorized by State law.

Until passage of the Council legislation, individuals that received State or federal disability related assistance were eligible to be exempted from future rent increases under the DRIE program if they: 1) had an annual household income no greater than $20,412 for a single-person household or $29,484 for households comprised of two or more people; 2) reside in a rent controlled or rent stabilized apartment, rent regulated hotel, or an apartment owned by a Mitchell-Lama development; and 3) spend more than one-third of their monthly income on rent. The maximum income level is determined by the amount at which an individual or household would be eligible to receive cash supplemental security income benefits under federal law during the applicable tax year.

The income threshold for DRIE eligibility had not been adjusted since the program’s inception in 2005. As part of the 2014-2015 Executive Budget, the State raised the maximum income level for SCRIE program from $29,000 to $50,000. It was this action that permitted the City to raise its income cap.

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CBC Awarded $2.2 Million BIP Fund Grant

Coordinated Behavioral Care (CBC) was awarded a $2.2 million grant through the Balancing Incentive Payment Innovation Fund to offer transition services to 150 individuals with serious mental illness from acute care hospitals, State Psychiatric Centers and State Operated Community Residences to less restrictive community housing. The goals are to shorten inpatient stays, reduce readmissions and ER visit, and connect individuals with community providers. These funds will pay for 2 transition teams operating weekends and evenings in Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn staffed with a Nurse practitioner or nurse, social worker and peer specialist.

Started in 2011, CBC is comprised of over 50 progressive, well-regarded New York City not-for-profit organizations that have for decades provided specialized case management, rehabilitation and supportive services, supportive housing, and neighborhood-based clinical treatment for medical, mental health and substance abuse disorders. The vast majority of the CBC founders and member agencies are Coalition Members and The Coalition is an honorary member of CBC’s Board of Representatives.

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Around the Water Cooler

The Children's Aid Society Board of Trustees, after a nationwide search, has appointed Phoebe Boyer as President and Chief Executive Officer effective October 1. Phoebe has worked in nonprofits, city government, and philanthropic foundations for more than 25 years, focusing on many of the issues that are fundamental to Children’s Aid mission, including child welfare, education, juvenile justice, and youth development. We welcome Phoebe to The Coalition family.

Children’s Village is partnering with Harlem Dowling on affordable, supportive housing in Central Harlem. The project will consist of new construction of 60 low-income residential rental units, including 12 apartments for young adults aging out of foster care, and approximately 16,000 square feet of community facility space for The Children’s Village and Harlem Dowling.

Coalition Member Fountain House has been selected to receive the 2014 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $1.5 million. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation presents the annual award, the world’s largest humanitarian prize, to an organization that is doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering. An independent international jury makes the final selection. The 2014 Hilton Prize will be presented at the annual Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize Dinner following a one-day Symposium at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on October 27, 2014. Kudos to Fountain House (and its partner recipient, Clubhouse International, which was founded by Fountain House)!

Congratulations to Rose Madden-Baer on her July 2^nd appointment as Senior Vice President, Population Health Management, at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY). In this newly created position, Madden-Baer will collaborate with senior leadership in the development and oversight of initiatives that ensure continual advances in patient service quality and best practices across the VNSNY enterprise. Her primary responsibilities will include development of new evidence-based programs and creation of clinical operations improvement strategies focused on care management and new population health models.

Palladia opened a new homelessness prevention site on the Lower East Side. Funded through DHS’s Homebase program and operated by Palladia, Homebase addresses a spectrum of issues such as substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, criminal justice and domestic violence, all of which have an effect on the ability to secure housing. The new office is more convenient for downtown residents and will serve the immediate area and all of Manhattan below Midtown. Palladia has operated the only other Homebase site in Manhattan, located in East Harlem, since 2004.

Todd Schenk, Chief Operating Officer of JBFCS, will be leaving to become CEO of the Jewish Social Service Agency, a $20 million non-profit organization serving Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Todd started at JBFC in 1994 as the supervisor of Intensive Case Management program on Staten Island. After holding succeeding positions of responsibility, he was promoted in 2011 to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for overseeing all of the agency’s programs, as well as Clinical & Medical Services, Facilities and Corporate Compliance. Todd is also a very active member of The Coalition (and a member of our Board of Directors). He will be sorely missed by his colleagues. We wish him good fortune in his new life.

Once again our own Amanda Saake, Senior Program Associate for The Coalition’s Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery, is being recognized in Briefs. Amanda is The Coalition’s representative on the NYS Inclusive Workforce Alliance—made up of 21 organizations that advocate for NYS to have a workforce development plan that includes all people, particularly people with disabilities. Recently, Amanda participated in conference that resulted in drafting a (soon to be released publicly) position paper that outlines the need for change, collaboration and commitment from state agencies, businesses and providers to foster, support and advocate for an Inclusive Workforce process in NYS. The position paper was recently shared with OMH. Good work, Amanda!

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Coalition Job Board

Coalition Members advertise staff positions for free on The Coalition’s Job Board!  Here's a sample: