SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

Friday, March 19, 2004
10:00 AM
NYS Assembly Hearing Room
Room 1923
250 Broadway
New York, New York

With demand for addiction treatment high, some providers have reported to the Committee that they are working at or near their maximum capacity. Some programs even report being forced to place persons in need of treatment on waiting lists, because the demand for services is too high and resources too limited. If this is the case, the situation would surely be exacerbated if drug law reform as currently envisioned in New York State comes to pass, since demand for treatment services will increase astronomically if offenders are diverted into treatment instead of incarceration.

The New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is seeking testimony from substance abuse treatment providers and other stakeholders and interested parties, to determine whether the treatment system in New York State has the capacity - the funding, the physical space, the staffing, and other resources - to meet the demand for service and provide the highest possible quality of care. The Committee is also seeking testimony on how proposals such as Rockefeller Drug Law reform will impact the system's ability to meet demand, so that we can begin to plan for a huge increase in demand for services if it eventually occurs.

Please see the reverse side for a list of questions to which witnesses may direct their testimony. This list of topics is not exhaustive, and expert testimony on related issues is welcome.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 5 minutes' duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who many have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SAMPLE ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY. PLEASE NOTE THIS LIST OF QUESTIONS IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE, THE COMMITTEE WELCOMES ANY INPUT YOU HAVE RELATED TO THE SUBJECTS BEING DISCUSSED:

1. Is your agency currently able to meet the demand for addiction treatment services? Do you have the physical space, staff and resources necessary to provide the highest quality service? Do you have a waiting list for persons trying to access treatment services?
2. If there is significant reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, how would your agency deal with a huge influx of new persons into treatment? Will you need to expand your physical plant? Will you need to hire more staff? How will you pay for such expansions?
3. Drug Courts and welfare reform have increased demand on the treatment system. If your organization accepts such referrals from Drug Courts or from local Social Service districts such as the City of New York, how are you dealing with the increased need for slots?
4. Some providers report that the physical infrastructures of their facilities are crowded and in disrepair, and that it is a struggle to meet ADA and other code requirements. Is your physical plant adequate to provide the highest quality of care to your clients? Do you have the resources you need to keep your facilities up to date, in good repair and in compliance with federal, state and local guidelines? Will you be able to expand your physical plant if there is a sudden increase in demand for services?
5. Have you received capital funding from OASAS or from another government entity to expand your current facilities, or undertake new construction? Was the process of obtaining capital funding efficient and were funds disbursed in a timely manner? Can you suggest ways in which state government might improve the capital funding process?
6. How do workforce issues impact your ability to provide quality care? Do you have adequate staffing to provide the highest quality care to your consumers? Are you able to pay your employees competitive wages? Is staff turnover a problem for your agency? Are you able to offer attractive fringe benefits such as health insurance to prospective employees? How do government guidelines and requirements on staffing impact your ability to provide quality care?

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Capital, Capacity And Quality are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Bill Eggler
Legislative Analyst
Assembly Committee on Alcoholism And Drug Abuse
Room 522 - Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
Email: egglerw@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4371
Fax: (518) 455-4693

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required: