Nothing of "excellence" in Cuomo's vague Mental Health initiative

ALBANY, NY (08/26/2013)(readMedia)-- "State Psychiatric Hospital capacity cannot be responsibly and rapidly reduced without managed investments in community care." - NYS Office of Mental Health Five Year Plan

Based on this statement in the New York State Office of Mental Health's most recent Five Year Plan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not heeding his agency's own warning. Instead, under a vague and misnamed initiative called "Centers of Excellence", Gov. Cuomo is moving forward with the closure and consolidation process without having the appropriate community programs and services in place.

Purely on a policy basis this is ill-advised for many reasons. But considering the human toll the state's continued irresponsibility takes on individuals and families struggling with mental illness, it is shameful.

No one disputes the need to improve the access and delivery of mental health care in New York. No disputes the argument that more and better mental health services are needed in our communities. But no one should simply believe those objectives will miraculously result from further eroding state services and some political double talk about improvements.

The vague "Centers of Excellence" proposal just continues the state's empty promises over community mental health services while creating winners and losers in an absurd political game of musical chairs with state psychiatric centers, which provide the backbone of mental health services in many communities.

Without any real detail, it's impossible to put any faith in the administration's claim that their proposal will make things better:

• Eroding access to long term care for people with serious and persistent mental illness will not improve mental health services;

• Forcing families to travel long distances to other communities for access to children's services isn't a step forward ;

• Ignoring the reality of seriously ill people in need of intensive help ending up on the street or in county jails at local taxpayer expense because the state has shirked its responsibility and no other appropriate care is available is not making things better;

Enough with Gov. Cuomo's public policy by news release packaging! We need an actual plan detailing how service gaps will be addressed community by community. This plan must include a recognition of the state's obligation to provide appropriate long term and intensive care for people with serious and persistent mental illness. It would be foolish for the Cuomo Administration not to utilize the experienced and dedicated state mental health workforce to address this continuing unmet need.

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