May 23, 2024

I am on a call with OASAS Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham who just announced that current funding for the programs that previously received letters from OASAS regarding discontinuations of funding, will continue through the end of the current fiscal year (March 31, 2025).

As you know, the NYS Council has made the immediate restoration of these funds a priority and we sent a letter to OASAS and the Governor’s Office earlier this week to express our concerns but also to request that the services continue to be funded through the end of the fiscal year!  Our letter is attached below.

HOORAY!

Note:  We are aware that the just announced funding end date (now March 31, 2025) does not address the entire funding year for our members that operate on a July 1- June 30 fiscal year.  The NYS Council will now immediately turn our attention to this problem.

The Commissioner has pledged to convene the field to come up with a more ‘comprehensive, equitable model’.  According to Commissioner Cunningham, outcomes data associated with this program is not uniformly positive.  As such, the state’s goal going forward will be to work with the field to think through the objectives (a more comprehensive, equitable model) and improve the model for the individuals receiving these services.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Advances of state aid for NYC providers (for the last quarter of the NYC fiscal year) go out in March and this is before the state’s fiscal year ends,  so it sounds like NYC-based programs will be kept whole through the end of your fiscal year.  More to follow from OASAS on this.