From the bustling metropolis to the rural areas, New York is facing challenges in funding, addiction treatment, and serving vulnerable communities. Here are some specific behavioral health stories emerging from the Empire State.
New York State Health Commissioner Expands Naloxone Availability
Like other parts of the nation, New York is seeing a rise in substance-use related overdose deaths. In response, New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary T. Bassett in August announced a statewide pharmacy standing order for naloxone to help reverse the effects of overdose. This means that pharmacies across the state can carry substance use reversal agent and dispense it without a prescription. Bassett noted that this is as close as naloxone can come to being over-the-counter without running afoul of the FDA.
Several jurisdictions and pharmacy chains in New York have issued standing orders for naloxone. This new order applies to all pharmacies within the state. These pharmacies must follow specific protocols in the standing order.
NY Community Health Centers Seek Additional Funding for Mental Health Services
Community health centers in New York state are seeking $1 billion for primary care mental health services over the next five years. This call for funding comes as the state is requesting $13.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding to address a variety of public health issues. Sun River Health, a network of health centers, is looking to address health outcomes by merging primary care and behavioral health care.
New Virtual Behavioral Health Service Addresses Vulnerable New York Residents
NYC Health + Hospitals plans to collaborate with the NYC Department of Homeless Services to launch a new telehealth service to serve the behavioral health needs of vulnerable and homeless New York residents. This service will be integrated into NYC Health + Hospitals’s existing virtual urgent care platform, ExpressCare, and will be supported by a three-year, $3.9 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
In its first year, the collaboration hopes to offer telehealth treatment to patients at 25 homeless shelters and 6 mobile street outreach clinics in the first year. Services will include consultations or refilling medications, which could help some patients avoid using the emergency department. The project also aims to lift some of the challenges that homeless individuals may have when seeking behavioral care.
New Funding Seeks to Aid Addiction Treatment
New York Governor Kathy Hochul in August announced that the Office of Substance Use Services and Supports will administer $2.3 million to support addiction prevention and treatment. This funding will go toward the establishment of four coalitions in New York City to better involve vulnerable populations and isolated communities in substance use prevention. Part of it also will go toward non-medical transportation services for individuals receiving addiction treatment in Western New York and the Finger Lakes.
Behavioral health providers in New York state face a variety of challenges when serving the needs of their communities and individual clients. The right intake process helps you gather the information you need to get new clients started on the right foot and improve their outcomes.
Our BestNotes EHR solutions includes the OutcomeTools feature, an analysis system to help your organization track your effectiveness through the use of electronically delivered questionnaires. These include intake assessments and questionnaires to screen for a variety of behavioral health conditions. Contact us today to learn more about OutcomeTools and how it can help you simplify your administration process and increase response rates.