Nearly 1.4 million people in New York State suffer simultaneously from mental health and substance use disorders. An assessment of Medicaid claims revealed that more than 60% of New Yorkers with claims for substance use disorders also had a psychiatric disorders, and more than 50% of persons with schizophrenia also had a substance use disorder diagnosis. However, the service system design and delivery is not responsive to people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. For years, the two systems of care have operated in silos and have been constrained by clinical, regulatory, and financial barriers to integration. Because of these barriers, only 10% of the population with mental health and substance use disorders receives treatment for both conditions. The poor outcomes associated with substance use and mental health disorders are unnecessary with the existing advances in research and practice. Access to an integrated system at all levels of care, across all agencies, and throughout all phases of the recovery process should be the expectation of all New Yorkers, not the exception. This is the essence of NYSHealth’s strategy in our third priority area: integrating mental health and substance use services.

To advance the goals of this priority area, NYSHealth has committed $3.2 million over the next four years to establish a Center of Excellence for the Integration of Care (CEIC) for individuals with co-occurring disorders.

Please click here for Foundation Goals and Key Initiatives for Integrating Mental Health/Substance Use Services.

Please click here to download a fact sheet on Integrating Mental Health/Substance Use Services. Please click here for more information on CEIC.

Please click here to visit the NYSHealth Mental Health and Substance Use Services Integration Resource Center.

As a component of this priority area, NYSHealth has identified returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and their families as a high-need, sub-population whose broad mental health needs are not being met.

Please click here for more information on the NYSHealth Initiative for Returning Veterans and Their families.