Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office of

Note: Most recent estimates as of 12/16/08.

Mission

The mission of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) is to improve the lives of New Yorkers by leading a premier system of addiction services through prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Budget Highlights

The 2009-10 Executive Budget recommends nearly $695 million All Funds ($142 million General Fund; $553 million Other Funds) for OASAS to continue agency and community operations. This funding is supplemented by Federal and State resources budgeted in other State agencies and by the contributions of local governments, voluntary agencies, and other sources. Overall, the recommended budget decreases $77 million from 2008-09, which is largely attributable to the annualization of prior year initiatives and savings associated with program efficiencies, including:

• Downsizing State-Operated Institutional Capacity. OASAS will reduce its workforce by 40 positions and save $4.6 million annually by closing its 52-bed Manhattan ATC in New York City. Co-located on the Manhattan Psychiatric Center Campus on Wards Island, this ATC would otherwise require an investment of more than $14 million in capital funds to relocate to a newer, more efficient treatment facility - the ATC occupies only 1 floor of an otherwise vacant 13-story building in which it is currently located. Aggressive efforts will be taken to assist the 800 individuals served annually by the Manhattan facility to find comparable services in 1 of the 4 other ATCs located in New York City or with existing community-based providers. The 2009-10 recommendation provides for the continuation of 600 State-operated beds at the 12 remaining ATCs.
• Reducing and Deferring Cost-of-Living Adjustments. The recommendation also achieves savings by reducing the 2008-09 human services cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) from 3.2 percent to 2.2 percent, effective January 1, 2009. Additionally, the Executive Budget provides for no COLA for 2009-10. To continue the State’s long-term commitment, COLA adjustments are planned to resume April 1, 2010, and this budget recommends extending the COLA for a third year in 2012-13.
• Restructuring School-Operated Prevention Services. Currently, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) receives a total of $19 million in annual funding to deliver prevention services; however, only a portion of these services are predicated upon scientifically proven, evidence-based practices that improve outcomes. The recommendation reduces funding to the NYCDOE by a total of $10 million and reinvests $8 million of these funds to community-based provider organizations in the 5 boroughs that deliver prevention services using proven techniques.
• Refocusing Programs and Services Based on Performance Metrics. The Executive Budget supports OASAS efforts to reform high-priority programs and services, while achieving operating savings. Specifically, OASAS will generate net savings of $15 million with efforts that include:
  • Reducing the scope of its Managed Addiction Treatment Services case management program by targeting funding only to the City of New York, where it has been successful in achieving savings from high cost Medicaid recipients ($2.5 million).
  • Delaying by 1 year the conversion of 9 remaining provider programs to the new medically-oriented Residential Rehabilitation Services for Youth (Part 817) adolescent treatment model ($3.4 million).
  • Deferring the development of about 25 permanent supported housing beds approved last year ($0.1 million).
  • Ending contracts for separate HIV/AIDS services in chemical dependence treatment programs because OASAS regulations now require its treatment providers to employ health care coordinators who are responsible for the provision of a variety of health-related services, including HIV/AIDS ($6.8 million).
  • Lowering funding for a variety of other services that fail to meet performance objectives, including vocational rehabilitation services, substance abuse screening and evaluation programs for persons charged with DWI or other drug-related offenses, and enhanced outpatient services for methadone maintenance programs ($8.9 million).
  • Redirecting $6 million of savings to support diversion programs ($4 million) intended to direct criminal offenders into chemical dependence treatment and case management programs, instead of more costly prison sentences, as well as to partially support relapse prevention services for parolees ($2 million).

• Reducing Fraud, Waste and Abuse. By collaborating with the Office of the State Medicaid Inspector General and the Department of Health (DOH) in the area of Medicaid regulatory compliance and enforcement, OASAS will save $5.1 million in wasteful, inappropriate or unnecessary spending in DOH’s budget.

• Identifying State Operations Efficiencies. OASAS will also achieve more than $2.1 million in savings by continuing to limit new hires to only those vacant positions that are critical to client health and safety or essential to agency operations and reducing spending in a variety of areas, including communications and information technology.

• Reforming Detoxification Services. OASAS will continue to collaborate with DOH, other State agencies and service providers to redesign the delivery of detoxification services to promote recovery and better integrate reimbursement with outcomes. Accordingly, the Executive Budget recommends funding in DOH to strengthen the ability of community-based detoxification providers to deal with less complicated detoxification episodes by enhancing rates of reimbursement to incentivize program expansion in this area.

In addition, the Executive Budget continues capital funding to support the development of some 415 pipeline community residential treatment opportunities over the next 5 years for high priority populations, including adolescents, women with children, and veterans, as well as beds to enhance community-based treatment opportunities on Long Island. The recommendation also supports new and on-going projects to either relocate or renovate existing chemical dependence programs, whose aging infrastructure results in the inefficient delivery of treatment services and jeopardizes the health and safety of clients and staff.

2009-10 Executive Budget — Agency Presentation
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office of (PDF)