People First Forums Yield Actions From Four State Agencies

Four state agencies serving New Yorkers' health, mental health, disabilities and addiction treatment services today announced the implementation of nearly 50 actions in response to the five People First Forums that focused on improving care across multiple systems.

The People First Forums were held in 2007 by the Commissioners of Health, Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. More than 2,200 consumers, family members, providers, government and community members attended to voice issues or concerns on navigating multiple systems of care for services.

In a progress report released today, the Department of Health and the Offices of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Mental Health and Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities outline all of the initiatives to date resulting from the People First Forums.

There are two over-arching goals for the actions taken to date: First, to enable people with disabilities and family members to more readily navigate the existing service systems, and second, to systematically eliminate structural, financing and regulatory barriers to access and services coordination that exist in the service system.

Among the outcomes in the report are:

1. 1. The DOH-OASAS Tobacco Cessation Collaboration;
2. 2. Reinvigoration of the Inter-Office Coordinating Council;
3. 3. An OASAS-Office of Children and Family Services Plan of Cooperation;
4. 4. The coordinated Children's Services Initiative;
5. 5. The Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders;
6. 6. The Most Integrated Settings Coordinating Council;

OASAS Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo; OMH Commissioner Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D; Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D.; and OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter and their staffs have collaborated on a number of other initiatives which are outlined in the progress report.

OASAS Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo said, "We have taken to heart the issues and concerns raised by the hundreds of New Yorkers who made their voices heard through these forums. Now, we continue the work of this landmark collaboration on behalf of Governor David Paterson to more efficiently use resources and manage programs. By doing so, we will coordinate our systems to provide the best possible service and better serve all New Yorkers."

OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter said, "In the year since the Listening Forums, I have had the pleasure of rolling up my sleeves and sitting down with my sister state agencies to work on shared challenges of concern. We have collaborated on many issues concerning the individuals in our care and believe we are making inroads toward making it easier for them to access shared supports and services. I am looking forward to continuing our efforts to put people first."

OMH Commissioner Michael F. Hogan, PhD, said, "Since I was coming back to New York as Commissioner of Mental Health after being away for over 30 years, the People First forums were a great way to meet consumers and stakeholders across the state, and hear people's concerns, problems and proposed solutions. That input has been instrumental in helping to shape the collaborative efforts of OMH, OMRDD, OASAS and DOH, as we work together to break down barriers to comprehensive care and to make our services more user- and family-friendly."

DOH Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., said, "We continue to make progress toward our goal of providing seamless services to people who live with multiple disabilities, including complex health issues. This report highlights the numerous collaborations undertaken in response to the public forums held last fall and our continued commitment to improving care for people with multiple needs."

The full report of the "People First Progress Report " is now accessible online. It is also available on all of the web pages listed below:

OASAS: www.oasas.state.ny.us

DOH: www.nyhealth.gov

OMRDD: www.omr.state.ny.us

OMH: www.omh.state.ny.us

-30-