Senate Bill S8695

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8695REVISED 1/9/26

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to joint certif-
ication of certified community behavioral health clinics

 
PURPOSE:

To allow for the joint certification of Community Behavioral Health
Clinics if an applicant has previously been certified by the office of
Addiction Services for at least 5 years.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 Amends subdivision (a) of section 36.04 of mental hygiene law
by adding section 1 of part of HH of chapter 57 of laws of 2023 stating
that an applicant that is already certified by one of two health systems
for more than 5 years and is good standing with their respective certi-
fying agencies shall be subjected to an administrative review when
applying for an additional certification.
              

Section 2 states the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There is an understanding in the medical community that mental illness
and substance use disorders often occur at the same time. With increas-
ing emphasis on integrated behavioral healthcare, more providers are
seeking dual certification from OASAS (Office of Addiction Services and
Supports) and OMH (Office of Mental Health) which will allow them to
move into Integrated Outpatient Services.

Currently, the licensing process for long-established providers to tran-
sition to Integrated Outpatient Services is unnecessarily extensive
including the submission and review of documents that the provider has
already undergone as a certified provider in one of the two health
systems (OASAS or OMH). Additionally, a review and approval of the
application is required by the Behavioral Health Services Advisory Coun-
cil (BHSAC) which meets only every 2-3 months, thereby lengthening the
process. The process in its entirety can take more than a year for
providers to be certified as Integrated Outpatient Services, signif-
icantly delaying the delivery of integrated care. This bill would allow
both systems, OASAS and OMH, to allow applicants in one system who have
already been certified for at least 5 years and are currently in good
standing with their certifying agency to be given an administrative
review rather than a comprehensive review when submitting for certif-
ication to allow for a significantly faster transition process.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become law.