2007-2008 ASAP BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS

The Governor’s budget proposal includes an $18.7 million savings resulting from coordination with the Office of the State Medicaid Inspector General and the Department of Health. ASAP recommends re-investment of these funds in the OASAS budget as follows:

$10.5 million to strengthen OASAS Prevention Services. ASAP recommends: $8 million for  phase one of a three year investment in Underage Drinking Prevention to strengthen OASAS prevention programs, $2 million for implementation of a statewide survey/needs assessment; and $500,000 to support prevention and recovery community action groups.
ASAP also recommends that $10 million dollars of the proposed school investment plan be dedicated for a School-Prevention Partnership Grants Program through the NYS Education Department in partnership with the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, to strengthen school-based prevention and offset federal Safe and Drug Free Schools program cuts.

$5 million to compensate treatment programs for expenses incurred serving Drug Court and Criminal Justice Referrals. Treatment programs are increasingly burdened by mandated referrals from Drug Courts and criminal justice agencies with no accompanying funds. Frequently, programs receive no compensation for treatment services, drug testing, time spent on extensive reporting requirements, transportation, and other costs. Drug Court funding typically provides support for court personnel but no funding for the treatment services that are the cornerstone of Drug Court success.

$2 million for child care, transportation, and other services that will improve retention in treatment for women with children. Funding cuts in recent years have resulted in the closure of on-site child care services and other support services that enabled women with children to receive services. ASAP advocates for additional resources to help women remain in treatment longer, increase the likelihood of recovery, and provide their children with appropriate care.
Recognizing the importance of inter-systems collaboration to achieve such desirable outcomes as reduced crime, reduced child abuse and neglect, increased employment, cost effective use of Medicaid, lower school drop out rates, etc., ASAP recommends budget language that requires state agencies (such as OCFS, OTDA, Department of Labor, Division of Criminal Justice Services) to collaborate with OASAS and the continuum of community-based prevention and treatment services licensed and certified by OASAS.

$1.2 million to enhance compliance planning, risk management, record-keeping, billing infrastructure, peer review to strengthen internal controls and program management. Treatment programs, in recent years, have been required to transform services to become eligible for Medicaid reimbursement, but did not receive the resources or technical assistance to transform their compliance and accounting systems. Funding is needed to strengthen these systems.

Restoration of the Medicaid trend factor. Methadone treatment and other chemical dependence treatment services depend on annual rate trending to keep up with inflation. The Governor’s budget did not include a trend factor. We ask the legislature to include it in their budget recommendations.

ASAP advocates that the workforce COLA should become a permanent part of NYS’ budget.

ASAP also advocates for:

Creation of a revolving fund that can be used by programs for deposits on Real Estate transactions. ASAP asks that the legislature create a funding pool that can be used to advance funds for deposits on capital projects, real estate purchases, and leases so that cash flow and operations funding is not compromised. Programs would pay back the revolving fund upon receipt of project related funding. The initial fund might include $5 million.

Including a requirement for collaboration with OASAS licensed and certified programs in the budget language for state agencies whose programs require chemical dependence treatment and prevention outcomes.  Reduced crime, reduced child abuse and neglect, increased employment, cost effective use of Medicaid, lower school drop out rates, etc. can best be achieved in collaboration with OASAS treatment and prevention programs. ASAP recommends budget language that: 1) requires state agencies (such as OCFS, OTDA, Department of Labor, Division of Criminal Justice Services) to collaborate with OASAS and the continuum of community-based prevention and treatment services licensed and certified by OASAS, and 2) provides a mechanism for funding the chemical dependence services provided.