LBD09785-03-1
S. 5084--A 2
HEALTH, shall be known as the "office of MENTAL HEALTH, addiction
[services and supports] AND WELLNESS." Nothing in this subdivision
shall be construed as requiring or prohibiting the further amendment of
statutes or regulations to conform to the provisions of this subdivi-
sion.
§ 2. Section 5.01 of the mental hygiene law, as amended by chapter 281
of the laws of 2019, is amended and two new sections 5.01-a and 5.01-b
are added to read as follows:
§ 5.01 Department of mental hygiene.
There shall continue to be in the state government a department of
mental hygiene. Within the department there shall be the following
autonomous offices:
(1) office of mental health, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS; AND
(2) office for people with developmental disabilities[;
(3) office of addiction services and supports].
§ 5.01-A OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS.
(A) THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS SHALL BE A NEW
OFFICE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT FORMED BY THE INTEGRATION OF THE OFFICES OF
MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS WHICH SHALL FOCUS ON
ISSUES RELATED TO BOTH MENTAL ILLNESS AND ADDICTION IN THE STATE AND
CARRY OUT THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE IN ESTABLISHING THE OFFICES
PURSUANT TO ARTICLES SEVEN AND NINETEEN OF THIS CHAPTER. THE OFFICE OF
MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS IS CHARGED WITH ENSURING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN THE AREA
OF RESEARCH, PREVENTION, AND CARE AND TREATMENT, REHABILITATION, EDUCA-
TION AND TRAINING, AND SHALL BE STAFFED TO PERFORM THE RESPONSIBILITIES
ATTRIBUTED TO THE OFFICE PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 7.07 AND 19.07 OF THIS
CHAPTER AND PROVIDE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE RECOVERY FOR INDI-
VIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, OR MENTAL ILLNESS
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
(B) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND
WELLNESS SHALL BE VESTED WITH THE POWERS, DUTIES, AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE
OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND
SUPPORTS. ADDITIONALLY, TWO EXECUTIVE DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS SHALL BE
APPOINTED, ONE COMMISSIONER TO REPRESENT ADDICTION SERVICES AND
SUPPORTS, WHICH SHALL BE PROMINENTLY REPRESENTED TO ENSURE THE NEEDS OF
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER COMMUNITIES ARE MET, AND ONE COMMISSIONER TO
REPRESENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
(C) THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS MAY LICENSE
PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL
ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, OR MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATIONS ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
SUCH DIRECT LICENSING MECHANISM ALLOWS FOR RESOURCES TO GET TO COMMUNI-
TY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN AN EXPEDITED MANNER.
(D) THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS SHALL HOUSE
EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF MEDICAID INSPECTOR GENERAL WHO SHALL WORK IN
A COORDINATED MANNER WITH THE RELEVANT STATE OVERSIGHT AGENCY FOR THE
PROGRAM THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE AUDIT TO ENSURE THAT ACCESS TO
SERVICES IS NOT ADVERSELY IMPACTED. AUDIT FINDINGS CONCERNING THE LACK
OF MEDICAL NECESSITY AND AUDIT FINDINGS CONCERNING MISSING OR INACCURATE
PATIENT CASE OR TREATMENT RECORDS SHALL NOT BE EXTRAPOLATED UNLESS FRAUD
AND/OR ABUSE ARE DETECTED.
(E) THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS SHALL ESTAB-
LISH A TASK FORCE ON MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS TO ENSURE THE
INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE IS FULFILLED IN ESTABLISHING SUCH OFFICE. SUCH
TASK FORCE SHALL CONSIST OF PROVIDERS, PEERS, FAMILY MEMBERS, INDIVID-
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UALS WHO HAVE UTILIZED ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS AND/OR MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR UNIONS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF
OTHER AGENCIES OR OFFICES AS THE COMMISSIONER MAY DEEM NECESSARY. SUCH
TASK FORCE SHALL MEET REGULARLY IN FURTHERANCE OF ITS FUNCTIONS AND AT
ANY OTHER TIME AT THE REQUEST OF THE DESIGNATED TASK FORCE LEADER.
§ 5.01-B OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS.
UNTIL JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO, THE OFFICE OF MENTAL
HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS SHALL CONSIST OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL
HEALTH AND THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS.
§ 3. Section 5.03 of the mental hygiene law, as amended by chapter 281
of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
§ 5.03 Commissioners.
The head of the office of mental health, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS shall
be the commissioner of mental health, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS; AND the
head of the office for people with developmental disabilities shall be
the commissioner of developmental disabilities[; and the head of the
office of addiction services and supports shall be the commissioner of
addiction services and supports]. Each commissioner shall be appointed
by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to
serve at the pleasure of the governor. UNTIL THE COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL
HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS IS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND
CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE, THE COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE
COMMISSIONER OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS SHALL CONTINUE TO OVER-
SEE MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES RESPECTIVELY, AND WORK COLLABO-
RATIVELY TO INTEGRATE CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH BOTH MENTAL HEALTH AND
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.
§ 4. Section 5.05 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chapter 978
of the laws of 1977, subdivision (a) as amended by chapter 168 of the
laws of 2010, subdivision (b) as amended by chapter 294 of the laws of
2007, paragraph 1 of subdivision (b) as amended by section 14 of part J
of chapter 56 of the laws of 2012, subdivision (d) as added by chapter
58 of the laws of 1988 and subdivision (e) as added by chapter 588 of
the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
§ 5.05 Powers and duties of the head of the department.
(a) The commissioners of the office of mental health, ADDICTION AND
WELLNESS and the office for people with developmental disabilities, as
the heads of the department, shall jointly visit and inspect, or cause
to be visited and inspected, all facilities either public or private
used for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with
mental illness, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER and developmental disabilities in
accordance with the requirements of section four of article seventeen of
the New York state constitution.
(b) (1) The commissioners of the office of mental health, ADDICTION
AND WELLNESS AND the office for people with developmental disabilities
[and the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services] shall
constitute an inter-office coordinating council which, consistent with
the autonomy of each office for matters within its jurisdiction, shall
ensure that the state policy for the prevention, care, treatment and
rehabilitation of individuals with mental illness, SUBSTANCE USE DISOR-
DERS and developmental disabilities[, alcoholism, alcohol abuse,
substance abuse, substance dependence, and chemical dependence] is
planned, developed and implemented comprehensively; that gaps in
services to individuals with multiple disabilities are eliminated and
that no person is denied treatment and services because he or she has
more than one disability; that procedures for the regulation of programs
which offer care and treatment for more than one class of persons with
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mental disabilities be coordinated between the offices having jurisdic-
tion over such programs; and that research projects of the institutes,
as identified in section 7.17 [or], 13.17, OR 19.17 of this chapter or
as operated by the office for people with developmental disabilities,
are coordinated to maximize the success and cost effectiveness of such
projects and to eliminate wasteful duplication.
(2) The inter-office coordinating council shall annually issue a
report on its activities to the legislature on or before December thir-
ty-first. Such annual report shall include, but not be limited to, the
following information: proper treatment models and programs for persons
with multiple disabilities and suggested improvements to such models and
programs; research projects of the institutes and their coordination
with each other; collaborations and joint initiatives undertaken by the
offices of the department; consolidation of regulations of each of the
offices of the department to reduce regulatory inconsistencies between
the offices; inter-office or office activities related to workforce
training and development; data on the prevalence, availability of
resources and service utilization by persons with multiple disabilities;
eligibility standards of each office of the department affecting clients
suffering from multiple disabilities, and eligibility standards under
which a client is determined to be an office's primary responsibility;
agreements or arrangements on statewide, regional and local government
levels addressing how determinations over client responsibility are made
and client responsibility disputes are resolved; information on any
specific cohort of clients with multiple disabilities for which substan-
tial barriers in accessing or receiving appropriate care has been
reported or is known to the inter-office coordinating council or the
offices of the department; and coordination of planning, standards or
services for persons with multiple disabilities between the inter-office
coordinating council, the offices of the department and local govern-
ments in accordance with the local planning requirements set forth in
article forty-one of this chapter.
(c) The commissioners shall meet from time to time with the New York
state conference of local mental hygiene directors to assure consistent
procedures in fulfilling the responsibilities required by this section
and by article forty-one of this chapter.
(d) [1.] (1) The commissioner of mental health, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS
shall evaluate the type and level of care required by patients in the
adult psychiatric centers authorized by section 7.17 of this chapter and
develop appropriate comprehensive requirements for the staffing of inpa-
tient wards. These requirements should reflect measurable need for
administrative and direct care staff including physicians, nurses and
other clinical staff, direct and related support and other support
staff, established on the basis of sound clinical judgment. The staffing
requirements shall include but not be limited to the following: (i) the
level of care based on patient needs, including on ward activities, (ii)
the number of admissions, (iii) the geographic location of each facili-
ty, (iv) the physical layout of the campus, and (v) the physical design
of patient care wards.
[2.] (2) Such commissioner, in developing the requirements, shall
provide for adequate ward coverage on all shifts taking into account the
number of individuals expected to be off the ward due to sick leave,
workers' compensation, mandated training and all other off ward leaves.
[3.] (3) The staffing requirements shall be designed to reflect the
legitimate needs of facilities so as to ensure full accreditation and
certification by appropriate regulatory bodies. The requirements shall
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reflect appropriate industry standards. The staffing requirements shall
be fully measurable.
[4. The commissioner of mental health shall submit an interim report
to the governor and the legislature on the development of the staffing
requirements on October first, nineteen hundred eighty-eight and again
on April first, nineteen hundred eighty-nine. The commissioner shall
submit a final report to the governor and the legislature no later than
October first, nineteen hundred eighty-nine and shall include in his
report a plan to achieve the staffing requirements and the length of
time necessary to meet these requirements.]
(e) The commissioners of the office of mental health, ADDICTION AND
WELLNESS AND THE office for people with developmental disabilities[, and
the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services] shall cause to
have all new contracts with agencies and providers licensed by the
offices to have a clause requiring notice be provided to all current and
new employees of such agencies and providers stating that all instances
of abuse shall be investigated pursuant to this chapter, and, if an
employee leaves employment prior to the conclusion of a pending abuse
investigation, the investigation shall continue. Nothing in this section
shall be deemed to diminish the rights, privileges, or remedies of any
employee under any other law or regulation or under any collective
bargaining agreement or employment contract.
§ 5. Section 7.01 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chapter 978
of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
§ 7.01 Declaration of policy.
The state of New York and its local governments have a responsibility
for the prevention and early detection of mental illness and for the
comprehensively planned care, treatment and rehabilitation of their
mentally ill citizens.
Therefore, it shall be the policy of the state to conduct research and
to develop programs which further prevention and early detection of
mental illness; to develop a comprehensive, integrated system of treat-
ment and rehabilitative services for the mentally ill. Such a system
should include, whenever possible, the provision of necessary treatment
services to people in their home communities; it should assure the
adequacy and appropriateness of residential arrangements for people in
need of service; and it should rely upon improved programs of institu-
tional care only when necessary and appropriate. Further, such a system
should recognize the important therapeutic roles of all disciplines
which may contribute to the care or treatment of the mentally ill, such
as psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, special education and
other disciplines in the field of mental illness, as well as psychiatry
and should establish accountability for implementation of the policies
of the state with regard to the care and rehabilitation of the mentally
ill.
To facilitate the implementation of these policies and to further
advance the interests of the mentally ill and their families, a new
autonomous agency to be known as the office of mental health, ADDICTION
AND WELLNESS has been established by this article. The office and its
commissioner shall plan and work with local governments, voluntary agen-
cies and all providers and consumers of mental health services in order
to develop an effective, integrated, comprehensive system for the deliv-
ery of all services to the mentally ill and to create financing proce-
dures and mechanisms to support such a system of services to ensure that
mentally ill persons in need of services receive appropriate care,
treatment and rehabilitation close to their families and communities. In
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carrying out these responsibilities, the office and its commissioner
shall make full use of existing services in the community including
those provided by voluntary organizations.
§ 6. Section 19.01 of the mental hygiene law, as added by chapter 223
of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
§ 19.01 Declaration of policy.
The legislature declares the following:
Alcoholism, substance abuse and chemical dependence pose major health
and social problems for individuals and their families when left
untreated, including family devastation, homelessness, and unemployment.
It has been proven that successful prevention and treatment can dramat-
ically reduce costs to the health care, criminal justice and social
welfare systems.
The tragic, cumulative and often fatal consequences of alcoholism and
substance abuse are, however, preventable and treatable disabilities
that require a coordinated and multi-faceted network of services.
The legislature recognizes locally planned and implemented prevention
as a primary means to avert the onset of alcoholism and substance abuse.
It is the policy of the state to promote comprehensive, age appropriate
education for children and youth and stimulate public awareness of the
risks associated with alcoholism and substance abuse. Further, the
legislature acknowledges the need for a coordinated state policy for the
establishment of prevention and treatment programs designed to address
the problems of chemical dependency among youth, including prevention
and intervention efforts in school and community-based programs designed
to identify and refer high risk youth in need of chemical dependency
services.
Substantial benefits can be gained through alcoholism and substance
abuse treatment for both addicted individuals and their families. Posi-
tive treatment outcomes that may be generated through a complete contin-
uum of care offer a cost effective and comprehensive approach to reha-
bilitating such individuals. The primary goals of the rehabilitation and
recovery process are to restore social, family, lifestyle, vocational
and economic supports by stabilizing an individual's physical and
psychological functioning. The legislature recognizes the importance of
varying treatment approaches and levels of care designed to meet each
client's needs. Relapse prevention and aftercare are two primary compo-
nents of treatment that serve to promote and maintain recovery.
The legislature recognizes that the distinct treatment needs of
special populations, including women and women with children, persons
with HIV infection, persons diagnosed with mental illness, persons who
abuse chemicals, the homeless and veterans with posttraumatic stress
disorder, merit particular attention. It is the intent of the legisla-
ture to promote effective interventions for such populations in need of
particular attention. The legislature also recognizes the importance of
family support for individuals in alcohol or substance abuse treatment
and recovery. Such family participation can provide lasting support to
the recovering individual to prevent relapse and maintain recovery. The
intergenerational cycle of chemical dependency within families can be
intercepted through appropriate interventions.
The state of New York and its local governments have a responsibility
in coordinating the delivery of alcoholism and substance abuse services,
through the entire network of service providers. To accomplish these
objectives, the legislature declares that the establishment of a single,
unified office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] MENTAL
HEALTH, ADDICTION AND WELLNESS will provide an integrated framework to
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plan, oversee and regulate the state's prevention and treatment network.
In recognition of the growing trends and incidence of chemical dependen-
cy, this consolidation allows the state to respond to the changing
profile of chemical dependency. The legislature recognizes that some
distinctions exist between the alcoholism and substance abuse field and
THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD AND where appropriate, those distinctions may be
preserved. Accordingly, it is the intent of the state to establish one
office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services] MENTAL HEALTH,
ADDICTION AND WELLNESS in furtherance of a comprehensive service deliv-
ery system.
§ 7. Upon or prior to January 1, 2022, the governor may nominate an
individual to serve as commissioner of the office of mental health,
addiction and wellness. If such individual is confirmed by the senate
prior to January 1, 2022, they shall become the commissioner of the
office of mental health, addiction and wellness. The governor may
designate a person to exercise the powers of the commissioner of the
office of mental health, addiction and wellness on an acting basis,
until confirmation of a nominee by the senate, who is hereby authorized
to take such actions as are necessary and proper to implement the order-
ly transition of the functions, powers as duties as herein provided,
including the preparation for a budget request for the office as estab-
lished by this act.
§ 8. Upon the transfer pursuant to this act of the functions and
powers possessed by and all of the obligations and duties of the office
of mental health and the office of addiction services and supports as
established pursuant to the mental hygiene law and other laws, to the
office of mental health, addiction and wellness as prescribed by this
act, provision shall be made for the transfer of all employees from the
office of mental health and the office of addiction services and
supports into the office of mental health, addiction and wellness.
Employees so transferred shall be transferred without further examina-
tion or qualification to the same or similar titles and shall remain in
the same collective bargaining units and shall retain their respective
civil service classifications, status, and rights pursuant to their
collective bargaining units and collective bargaining agreements.
§ 9. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, on or before Octo-
ber 1, 2021 and annually thereafter, the office of mental health,
addiction and wellness, in consultation with the department of health,
shall issue a report, and post such report on their public website,
detailing the office's expenditures for mental health and addiction
services and supports, including total Medicaid spending directly by the
state to licensed or designated providers and payments to managed care
providers pursuant to section 364-j of the social services law. The
office of mental health, addiction and wellness shall examine reports
produced pursuant to this section and may make recommendations to the
governor and the legislature regarding appropriations for mental health
and addiction services and supports or other provisions of law which may
be necessary to effectively implement the creation and continued opera-
tion of the office. The office of mental health, addiction and wellness
shall also issue a report detailing the steps necessary to shift control
over Medicaid spending for mental health and addiction services and
supports to such office. Such plan shall be implemented in the next
succeeding state budget.
§ 10. The budget appropriations for the office of mental health,
addiction and wellness shall be maintained in a manner so that those for
addiction services and supports and mental health services are separate-
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ly itemized. Further, the methods of funding services and supports in
place as of January 1, 2021 shall not be altered. Any financial saving
realized from the creation of the office of mental health, addiction and
wellness shall be reinvested in the services and supports funded by such
office.
§ 11. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or
part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdic-
tion to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate
the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the
clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved
in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
§ 12. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the
contrary, effective January 1, 2022, all functions, powers, duties and
obligations of the New York state office of Medicaid inspector general
concerning Medicaid audits and the prevention of Medicaid fraud and
abuse shall be transferred to the office of mental health, addiction and
wellness.
§ 13. This act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately,
the office of mental health and the office of addiction services and
supports are authorized to promulgate the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation or engage in any work necessary for the
implementation of this act on its effective date authorized to be made
and completed on or before such effective date.