Directs the commissioner of the office of addiction services and supports, in consultation with the director of the state office for the aging, to develop comprehensive substance use disorder prevention, education and treatment demonstration programs for senior citizens.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3787
SPONSOR: Cook TITLE OF BILL:
An act to establish senior citizen substance use disorder demonstration
programs
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill requires the State Office for the Aging (S.O.F.A.) in consul-
tation with the Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse to develop
elderly substance use disorder prevention, education and treatment
demonstration programs. These agencies would further be required to
solicit requests for proposals (RFP) from local governments or voluntary
not for profit groups before any money could be appropriated for such a
program. S.O.F.A. would also be required to submit a program plan to the
Department of Budget for approval as a prerequisite to the appropriation
of funding.
JUSTIFICATION:
The latest census for New York State shows that 12.3% of the State's
residents are age 65 or older. These older citizens have increasing
needs which must be met, among them medical care, affordable housing,
and financial assistance. One area of need for the elderly, which has
not sufficiently been addressed, is the problem of alcoholism and alco-
hol abuse among the elderly. The Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol
Abuse currently estimates the number of problem drinkers aged 60 years
and older as 4.9%. However, this number may not be accurate as alcohol-
ism among the elderly is very often masked by a physical illness or
misdiagnosed as senility.
Causes of alcohol abuse among older people are usually linked to the
process of growing old; the loss of a loved one; retirement; or removal
from a familiar environment. In most cases, the elderly experience when
it comes to alcohol is different from the younger population.
"With advancing age, many men and women who previously drank moderately
or not at all turn to alcohol for consolation. Some eventually begin
drinking excessively and become members of the nation's population least
visible alcoholics because many are retired, out of society's main-
stream, and rarely inebriated publicly. Researchers have established
that these individuals have special needs which are not being
met."("Older Problem Drinkers", "ALCOHOL HEALTH AND RESEARCH WORLD",
Experimental Issue, spring 1975, pages 12-17).
Younger people have an incentive to treatment - to secure their family.
Older persons tend not to respond to this incentive, because they have
already secured their family and have probably experienced the loss of
such family.
Also, group counseling such as Alcoholics Anonymous, is often attended
by younger persons who share similar life experiences, making it very
difficult for an older person to relate. Thus, elderly people are more
responsive to treatment in a group setting of their own age. Many commu-
nity-based programs and facilities, nursing homes and senior citizen
centers are not aware of the incidence of alcohol abuse among the elder-
ly and do not have the expertise to recognize their alcohol problems,
resulting in another barrier to treatment. It is important that efforts
be made to close this gap in the alcoholism and alcohol abuse service
delivery system by targeting services at the elderly. This bill accom-
plishes this end by working with the Department of Aging and the Divi-
sion of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse to establish senior citizen alco-
holism treatment and training demonstration programs.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Previously Introduced. A.8576 - 2019/20; A.4235-A 2021/22
FISCAL IMPACT:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3787
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 8, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. COOK, SEAWRIGHT, JEAN-PIERRE, CRUZ -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
AN ACT to establish senior citizen substance use disorder demonstration
programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The latest New York State census iden-
2 tifies twelve and three-tenths percent of the state's residents as age
3 sixty-five or older. The New York state office of addiction services and
4 supports has identified substance use disorders among the elder popu-
5 lation as a serious and growing problem. This can result from isolation,
6 depression or the interaction of prescribed drugs.
7 It is, therefore, the intention of the legislature to eliminate barri-
8 ers to effective substance use disorder services through this act, by
9 establishing substance use disorder prevention, education and treatment
10 demonstration programs for senior citizens in the office of addiction
11 services and supports.
12 § 2. The commissioner of the office of addiction services and supports
13 in consultation with the director of the office for the aging shall
14 develop comprehensive substance use disorder prevention, education and
15 treatment demonstration programs to address the unique needs of the
16 elderly.
17 § 3. Subject to appropriation, funds for support of demonstration
18 projects for the purposes stated in section two of this act shall be
19 allocated to eligible local governments and not-for-profit providers
20 through a request for proposal process to be designed by the office of
21 addiction services and supports in consultation with the office for the
22 aging.
23 § 4. In reviewing applications for funding, the commissioner of
24 addiction services and supports shall consider such factors as program
25 cost-effectiveness; the ability of such proposals to offer programmat-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08273-01-3
A. 3787 2
1 ically appropriate, long-term, stable services; and the ability of such
2 proposals to enable elderly persons to receive substance use disorder
3 services; and geographic need. While incidence and prevalence shall be
4 significant factors in the distribution of funds, demonstration projects
5 approved pursuant to this act shall be established in regions across the
6 state.
7 § 5. No expenditure shall be made until the commissioner of addiction
8 services and supports has approved a program and fiscal plan for
9 substance use disorder prevention, education and treatment demonstration
10 projects. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
11 i. Specific criteria to be applied in evaluating the requests for
12 proposal;
13 ii. Uniform program and cost standards;
14 iii. Criteria to be used to evaluate the outcome of the demonstration
15 projects, including specific requirements to be met by providers of
16 service.
17 § 6. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
18 the date on which it shall have become a law.
