Foundation Integrated Services Goals and Key Initiatives

Foundation Goals

Removing the barriers of a fragmented health, mental health, and substance use system requires leadership, sustained effort, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders—including consumers, providers, and State and local governments—in implementing the needed reforms. With these challenges in mind, NYSHealth intends to play a key organizational and financial leadership role. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to ensure that there is “no wrong door” for people accessing care in either of these systems and that integrated services are continuous and seamless for individuals receiving care. Specifically, the initiative aims to: 

1. effect change at clinical delivery sites to achieve integration throughout all phases of the recovery process, including engagement, screening, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, discharge planning, and continuing care; and
2. address systemic policy barriers to achieving and sustaining integrated services.

NYSHealth set these goals in tandem with State leaders setting the integration of services for co-occurring disorders as a statewide reform priority. In July 2007, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), jointly convened the New York State Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders, which comprises experts in both the mental health and substance use fields. The Task Force will address regulatory reform and fiscal flexibility through greater use of co-location and satellite clinic capacities, and the adoption of a “single-certification” model to facilitate integrated care in both OMH and OASAS programs. NYSHealth has partnered with OMH and OASAS to address the barriers to integrated mental health and substance use care, and seeks to leverage the work and commitment of the Task Force and these two State agencies.

Key Foundation Initiatives

NYSHealth has committed $10 million over a five-year period to achieve the above goals. Through a combination of open requests for proposals and solicited grants, NYSHealth seeks to advance a system of care that is responsive to the complex needs of New Yorkers with co-occurring disorders. 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.

The cornerstone of this effort is to establish a Center of Excellence for the Integration of Care for Individuals with Co-Occurring Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders. The Center—which will account for $3.2 million of the funding—will work to implement evidence-based practices, provide technical assistance, and manage a grantmaking program that will move forward systemic changes with impact at both the provider and client levels. One of the Center’s chief objectives will be to implement best practices in integrated screening, assessment, and treatment plans in New York State’s 526 OMH- and 697 OASAS-certified clinic programs, and to provide these sites with the necessary technical support to implement the Task Force recommendations.

NYSHealth is currently reviewing proposals from selected applicants for the Center of Excellence. Click here to view the now closed request for concept papers for the Center.