August 27, 2021

Good morning,

The report (attached) reflects the meetings that took place as part of a Statewide Advisory Council that was convened at the request of the NYS Office of Mental Health and the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports in March, 2021, by The NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare,  NY Association for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers, and The Coalition for Behavioral Health.  The purpose of the Advisory Council was to gather input from throughout New York State on the potential unification of OMH and OASAS into a new state office. The voices represented the addiction and mental health arenas, upstate and downstate providers, peers, recipients, family members and staff.

Sincerest thanks to the participants for their time, interest and commitment.

We look forward to your feedback and to our next steps together.

Sincerely,

Lauri Cole, NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
John Coppola, NY Association for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers
Amy Dorin, The Coalition for Behavioral Health