2004-2005 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS
RESTORE $8.754 MILLION TO REVERSE CUTS TO
LOCAL PROGRAMS
Local prevention and treatment programs need the Senate and Assembly to
allocate $8.754 million to restore cuts to local treatment and
prevention programming. $2.554 million was cut in the Governor’s
proposed 04-05 budget and $6.2 million was cut in last year’s budget.
For the last 10
years, state funding for the chemical dependency field has remained
stagnant while almost every human service area has benefited from
increases in funding. In 2003, cuts forced the closure of treatment and
prevention programs. More programs will be closed in 2004 if $8.754
million is not restored to the OASAS local assistance budget. Treatment
and prevention programs are responding to a resurgence in the use of
heroin, continued widespread problems related to underage drinking, and
an increasing demand for treatment and prevention services. With this
demand and the fact that treatment and prevention are cost effective
public health strategies,
ASAP advocates for the restoration of the $8.754 million to offset cuts
to local treatment and prevention programs.
RESTORE $28 MILLION TANF FUNDING FOR OASAS
AND OCFS INITIATIVES
ASAP advocates for the continuation of the $18 million TANF allocation
to the Office of Children and Family Services for innovative projects
partnering child welfare and chemical dependency services. Invaluable
projects developed with these funds, including co-location of chemical
dependency assessment services at Child Protective Services field
offices, intensive case management services for families on preventive
and foster care caseloads, assessment and case management in Family Drug
Courts, treatment services for adolescents in foster care settings, and
aftercare and post adoption services should all be continued. ASAP also
advocates for restoration of the $10 million TANF allocation to OASAS
for programs that have helped individuals with drug and alcohol problems
move from welfare to full time employment.
CONTINUE $5 MILLION FUNDING TO ENSURE
AVAILABILITY OF ADOLESCENT TREATMENT
Adolescent treatment programs were in jeopardy of closing during the
02-03 fiscal year and temporarily rescued with an infusion of close to
$5 million in TANF funds. ASAP advocates for a permanent fix to the base budgets of adolescent
programs using local assistance.
PROVIDE $5 MILLION TO HELP ADDRESS THE
CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY WORKFORCE CRISIS
The inability of chemical dependency treatment and prevention programs
to recruit and retain personnel is creating a workforce crisis.
Additionally, soaring health insurance premiums are disproportionately
affecting our field, which has a rich tradition of hiring persons in
recovery, many of whom are high risk for health problems. ASAP requests
a special $5 million fund in the aid to localities budget to help
programs address the fiscal crisis being caused by precipitous increases
in health insurance premiums.
ASAP 2004-2005 BUDGET
REVENUE RECOMMENDATIONS
Generate $35 million in Needed Revenue: A
Penny a Beer
ASAP recommends creation of a “Penny a Beer"
fee to generate an additional $35 million for treatment and prevention
services. A poll done recently by Penn, Schoen, and Berland
Associates indicated that 58% of those who vote favor an increase
in the price of beer especially if it was used to support treatment and
prevention services. The fee proposed by ASAP in combination with New
York’s current excise tax would still be below the national average of
25 cents per gallon of beer.
Voters support a “penny a beer” and
expansion of treatment and prevention services. ASAP recommends
using the proceeds of the proposed fee to strengthen treatment and
prevention programs. We recommend creation of a dedicated fund that
would be used annually to address unmet needs for prevention and
treatment in communities throughout NYS and to address the significant
workforce crisis affecting treatment and prevention programs
Use New Medicaid Revenue to Strengthen
Treatment and Prevention
The Governor’s
budget proposal includes Medicaid rate equity for Methadone Treatment
Programs that will generate an estimated $14 million in new revenue for
the field. The Governor’s budget proposal reduces this $14 million in
anticipated new revenue by $3.5 million to offset the state share of the
increase and reduces it by another $4.5 million to be used somewhere
other than for chemical dependency services. ASAP requests that the
Senate and Assembly restore the $4.5 million cut and use it to
strengthen treatment and prevention services.
ASAP,
aware that the state faces difficult fiscal issues, recommends use of
the proposed revenue recommendations ($35 million from a “penny a
beer” fee and $4.5 in new Medicaid revenue) to restore cuts to
treatment and prevention programs and to strengthen the field.
