BILL NUMBER: S3525

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to authorizing
certain facilities to provide treatment for the mental health and health
care needs of individuals admitted for a substance use disorder

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Authorizes facilities for the care and treatment of the mentally disa-
bled to provide treatment for the mental health and health care needs of
individuals admitted for a substance use disorder

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the mental hygiene law by authorizing facilities for
the care and treatment of mental health and health care needs for indi-
viduals admitted for a substance use disorder.

Section 2 states the effective date.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The NYS Legislature held public hearings exploring the incidence of
mental health disorders among those seeking/receiving substance use
disorder treatment, the barriers to receiving adequate mental health
services while in treatment, and the barriers to integrating mental
health services with substance use disorder treatment.

From the National Institute on Drug Abuse:

"Many individuals who develop substance use disorders (SUD) are also
diagnosed with mental disorders, and vice versa. Multiple national popu-
lation surveys have found that about half of those who experience a
mental illness during their lives will also experience a substance use
disorder and vice versa. Although there are fewer studies on comorbidity
among youth, research suggests that adolescents with substance use
disorders also have high rates of co-occurring mental illness; over 60
percent of adolescents in community-based substance use disorder treat-
ment programs also meet diagnostic criteria for another mental illness."

The chief concerns voiced by advocates in these hearings were that
mental health services were not integrated with substance use disorder
treatment and individuals with dual diagnoses were "ping-ponged" between
different types of facilities or simply refused admittance to a
substance use disorder treatment facility.  Oftentimes, people success-
fully complete substance abuse disorder treatment but relapse after
discharge as their mental health issues come to the fore. Then they
resume substance abuse treatment without addressing the underlying caus-
es of addiction. Treating co-occurring mental health disorders at the
same time and in the same place where a person is receiving substance
abuse treatment is designed to address this revolving door problem.
Finding separate facilities for the treatment of mental health disorders
is difficult and inefficient. Mental health treatment can and should be
provided where the person is already receiving treatment for substance
abuse.

To start the process of developing a better plan for treating co-occur-
ring disorders, the state-run addiction treatment centers must be
authorized to treat both conditions. There is no reason they cannot do
so, as psychiatrists, psychologists, and others in private practice
already do so. This legislation provides this authorization.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S9087 / A10211

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:;
This act shall take effect immediately.