LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

2007 ACL BUDGET/LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

COST OF LIVING INCREASE

FULLY FUND THE PROMISED COLA AND MAKE IT PERMANENT!

PRESERVE EXISTING RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

REFORM EXISTING PROGRAMS

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

The Association for Community Living (ACL) represents over 120 not-for-profit agencies that provide housing and rehabilitative services to over 25,000 people with psychiatric disabilities.

COST OF LIVING INCREASE

• Fully fund the next two years of the promised COLA for all community based mental health programs.
• Make the COLA permanent!!!!

PRESERVE Existing Residential Programs:

• $30 MILLION for 30%. In addition to the COLA, add $30 million in funding for the licensed community residence program this year. This will provide a 30% increase to salaries as well as increase the fringe benefit rate to 30% so that we can provide our staff with health insurance and pay for mandatory fringe benefits.
• In addition to the COLA, add $6.5 million to downstate supported housing rates and $1 million to upstate rates.
  

REFORM Existing Programs:

• Mandate that the State Office of Mental Health reform outdated programs so that the services provided meet the needs of the consumers.
  
  • Hold hearings on the funding of, use of, and demands placed on residential programs.
  • Create a mechanism to develop recommendations, e.g., a Governor’s workgroup consisting of providers, families, consumers, local government and OMH.
    

PLAN & DEVELOP

• SENATE BILL # S 568 – Morahan - Pass Mental Health Housing Wait List legislation.
• Create a plan to develop another 35,000 units of housing to, once and for all, care for all those with serious and persistent mental illnesses who are functionally impaired and therefore need a home with supports.

OTHER LEGISLATION

ASSEMBLY BILL 943

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to providing for the provision of services to individuals with disabilities in the most integrated setting

PURPOSE: To ensure that people with disabilities across New York State are able to obtain the services that they need in the most integrated setting possible.

JUSTIFICATION: Even though the ADA was passed more than 10 years ago, there are still thousands of New Yorkers with disabilities in institutions, nursing homes, sheltered workshops, and segregated school
programs that are much more restrictive than is necessary to meet their needs.

The recent Supreme Court decision handed down in LC V. OLMSTEAD and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services policy statements make it clear that this form of discrimination is illegal and cannot be tolerated. New York State must develop a real functioning plan to ensure that people with disabilities can, if so desired, receive necessary medical and support services in the most integrated living, working and learning environments possible.

Such plans will cut government spending because integrated settings, on average, are much less expensive than more restrictive settings. They will also increase government revenue because people living on their own with support services to travel are more likely to get jobs, pay taxes, and contribute to the economy.

New York needs to come into compliance with the creation and development of these plans because it's the law, it's the right thing to do for people with disabilities, and it's good for our state as a whole.