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

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. CEIC’s chief objectives will be to implement best practices in integrated screening, assessment, and treatment plans for New York State’s 526 licensed mental health facilities and the 697 certified substance abuse outpatient treatment centers, and to provide these sites with support to implement the necessary changes to deliver and sustain integrated care. 

CEIC will be overseen by the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) under the direction of Stanley Sacks, Ph.D. Over the past five years, Dr. Sacks and his team have provided technical assistance to 38 states in the areas of strategic planning, screening, assessment, evidence-based practices, and workforce development to improve the care of people with mental health and substance use disorders. Under Dr. Sacks’ leadership, NDRI has developed an implementation model based on the diffusion of innovation literature, including conducting implementation leadership forums, developing learning communities, and providing longitudinal technical assistance (TA). The team has been at the forefront of establishing evidence-based treatment with more than 15 years of experience in substance use and mental health co-occurring disorders.

The chief purpose of CEIC is to serve as a resource for the 1,223 sites that provide mental health or substance use services, providing them with tools and assistance to transform their practices and increase their capacity to deliver services for both conditions at the same time, and at the same place. CEIC has three concrete goals that NDRI will implement:

1. A standardized approach to screening for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders using the menu of six tools already identified as the best practice for identifying individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
2. A uniform approach to assessment of co-occurring disorders based on 11 domains for best practices on gathering information, engaging the client, determining the client’s readiness for change, and developing an appropriate treatment relationship between provider and client
3. The use of eight treatment practices that have been proven to work for integrated care

NYSHealth established CEIC with the ultimate goal of ensuring that New Yorkers who seek care in either substance use provider sites or mental health clinics are not turned away, and that they receive appropriate, seamless care at the same place, and at the same time.

Please click here for more information on CEIC.