Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday delivered her 2022 State of the State Address, outlining her plan for a New Era for New York. Governor Hochul outlined nine key components of her agenda: rebuilding our healthcare economy, protecting public safety and addressing gun violence, investing in New York's people, investing in New York's communities, making New York's housing system more affordable, equitable, and stable, making New York a national leader in climate action and green jobs, rebuilding New York's teacher workforce and reimagining higher education, advancing New York's place as a national equity model, and making critical reforms to restore New Yorkers' faith in their government. Read more here.

State of the State Book Available Here

Additional article of interest: Hochul calls for $10B to improve health care in NY, combat staffing shortages

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is working with states to promote access to Medicaid services for people with mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) crises. Authorized under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), states have a new option for supporting community-based mobile crisis intervention services for individuals with Medicaid. Mobile crisis intervention services are essential tools to meet people in crisis where they are and rapidly provide critical services to people experiencing mental health or substance use crises by connecting then to a behavioral health specialist 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. This new option will help states integrate these services into their Medicaid programs, a critical component in establishing a sustainable and public health-focused support network. Read more here.

Nonprofit disability service providers generated $14.3 billion in economic output in New York State overall in 2019, according to a recent report that set out to quantify the economic impacts of such providers. The total includes $6.7 billion in revenues generated by the providers, $2.5 billion in output for their suppliers, and $5.1 billion related to employee spending.

The report, issued by the Rockefeller Institute of Government in December and commissioned by New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) and the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation, outlines the importance of support services being provided by disability service providers and the revenue being generated annually. Read more here.

The NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) announces the availability of a total of $1.5 million to provide grants in support of projects that invest in new community infrastructure to expand telehealth access. Funded projects should expand access to telehealth among Medicaid eligible persons, as well as low-income, minority, rural, older, and other underserved communities that lack connectivity, audio-visual or remote patient monitoring devices or private spaces necessary to access telehealth. Projects may include but are not limited to (1) the creation of “community telehealth hubs” that are accessible to underserved communities and contain a private, connected and device-equipped space to facilitate a telehealth encounter; which may be located at such places as a public library, social service agency, food pantry, local health department or homeless shelter; (2) the purchase or renovation of a telehealth-equipped van or similar vehicle; (3) the purchase of telehealth equipment for individual use at an originating site; and/or (4) other innovative activities to increase access to telehealth among communities that experience connectivity gaps.

Governor Kathy Hochul last week announced plans to include a historic $240 million increase in investment for approved private schools serving children with disabilities in her upcoming 2022-2023 Executive Budget. Governor Hochul also signed a package of legislation to increase resources and support for students with disabilities, their families and social services providers.

"This historic investment in schools serving students with disabilities, along with four bills I am signing into law, will make a huge difference in the lives of students, families and schools in every corner of New York," Governor Hochul said. Read more here.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters 2023 proposed rule for the Affordable Care Act marketplace and released Medicaid waiver guidance for the state mobile crisis intervention waivers.

The Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters 2023 proposed rule covers standardizing plan options, enforcing network adequacy, supporting community providers, and more. Read more here.

Dennis Gaudet's home in central Maine is surrounded by fields and woods, and many miles away from anyone able to treat his opioid use disorder.

"I was on a waiting list to get in to see a psychiatrist for over two years, [and] since the pandemic began, nobody was accepting new patients," says Gaudet, 48, who's spent over half his life struggling with an addiction that began with painkillers prescribed after he suffered injuries on a construction job.

The lack of available treatment options, he says, has left a mark on his community and his own life; in the past three years, Gaudet has lost six friends to overdoses. Read more here.

Additional articles of interest: Making Addiction Treatment More Realistic And Pragmatic: The Perfect Should Not Be The Enemy Of The Good

As we look ahead to 2022–with more integration and more value-based care, the question is how do specialty provider organizations “fit” in an evolving service delivery and financing landscape. I think we’ll see a couple key developments in the next year. First, most consumers with mild and moderate conditions (of any type) will receive treatment services in a setting other than a traditional specialist provider organization–a retail setting, a primary care clinic, a digital-first provider organization, etc. (see The 8 Million Virtual Behavioral Health Visits). Second, for consumers with complex needs, the value-based reimbursement model will move from the cost of behavioral health or specialty services to the total cost of care.

The challenge for specialty provider organizations is that there are additional organizational competencies needed to move from managing their own services to managing (and being incentivized based on) all the services a consumer receives. Read more here.

Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS is awarding $48 million in grants for community-based organizations in rural and tribal areas to bolster the healthcare workforce in those areas, according to a recent announcement.

The awards provided through the American Rescue Plan funds will support healthcare job development, training, and placement for more than 30 community-based organizations to increase public health capacity in rural and tribal communities.

January 11, 2 - 3 pm, National Association of Counties

January 12, 1 - 2:15 pm, NYAPRS

January 12, 11 am - 12 pm, Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs

January 12, 1:30 - 3 pm, CMS

January 12, 3 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

January 13, 1 - 2:30 pm, OMH

January 13, 1:30 - 3 pm, CMS

January 18, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

January 19, 3 - 4 pm, CSG Justice Center

January 20, 2 - 3 pm, OMH

January 25, 1 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

January 26, 11 am - 12 pm, OMH

January 26, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAADAC

January 31, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

February 1, 2 - 3 pm, OMH

February 8, 1 - 2 pm, NASHP

February 9, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAADAC

February 10, 3 - 4 pm, OMH

February 16, 10 - 11:30 am, OMH

February 22, 2 - 3 pm, OMH

February 23, 1 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

February 24, 3 - 4 pm, OMH

January 11: 10 - 11:30 am

January 17

January 18: 11:30 am - 1 pm

January 19: 9 - 10:30 am

January 20: 1 - 2:30 pm

February 2: 8 - 9 am

February 3: 3 - 4 pm

February 8: 10 - 11:30 am

February 10: 11 am - 12 pm

February 11

February 16: 9 - 10:30 am

February 17: 1 - 3 pm

February 21