FOR-NY is ecstatic to announce their participation in “Hill Day” on June 7th, in Washington D.C. In partnership with Faces and Voices we will be advocating our Federal Legislators to continue to move the Recovery Movement forward.  

FOR-NY believes equity must be at the forefront of the Recovery Community, particularly addressing historical and present Black racism infiltrating our addiction services and supports- mental health continuum. The need to address the intersection between Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and mental health has become glaringly apparent.   

FOR-NY wants to lend their full support behind “Daniel’s Law” which would address this emergency by: 

  • Makes sure a mental health crisis is treated as a public health issue, not a public safety threat 
  • Builds a meaningful mental health response system outside of the police 
  • Removes police as the default first responders to address mental health needs 
  • Creates Councils of people with lived experience and mental health experts dedicated to the goals of de-escalation; trauma-informed. Culturally-competent care; and avoids contact with the legal system.   

Those living with untreated mental illness are sixteen times more likely to be a victim of an officer-involved shooting.  According to a 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA), found that of the 20 million adults who had a substance use disorder, roughly half experienced both SUD and mental illness concurrently. 

FOR-NY continues to support: 

  • Permanent supporting housing for individuals in recovery from Substance Use Disorder (SUD)  
  • Personalized treatment and recovery support services on demand for individuals in recovery from SUD 
  • The growth of Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (RCO/RCOC’s) in every county within New York state 
  • Reimbursement for peer led transportation regardless of clinical affiliation 
  • Equitable funding opportunities  
  • Codifying into law Opioid Prevention Sites 
  • Peer services and transition services being deemed essential medical services in jail-based systems 
  • Prohibiting copayments for outpatient treatment at a substance use program 

 Please feel free to reach out to connect on anything policy related ([email protected]) – I am looking forward to making connections with you all and continue to build the recovery movement here in New York! 

 

UPDATES: Policy Agenda

S699ARivera /A4013-A Rosenthal

  • Has completed ageing process- Currently waiting for it to be added to Active List
  • Decriminalizes Buprenorphine in certain crimes
  • Excludes Buprenorphine from list of controlled substances
  • This legislation would place as on par with cannabis in our schedule of controlled substances and ensure we are not wrongly prosecuting individuals who are attempting to treat an opioid use disorder.

 

S5332 Harckham/A5074 Epstein

  • Passed Senate (5/30/23)
  • Requires written notice to a defendant of his or her right to complete court ordered alcohol or substance use treatment in a nonreligious treatment program
  • This legislation establishes a clear process by which the court would ascertain whether a defendant set to be mandated to attend a substance use treatment program has an objection to any religious element of such a program and requires the court to identify an alternative

 

S2099-C Harckham/A5200-B Mcdonald

  • Passed Senate (5/30/23)
  • Enacts ‘Mathew’s Law”- requires dispensing of fentanyl testing supplies
  • Authorizes pharmacists to dispense drug adulterant testing supplies

 

S5163 Harckham /A6226 Kelles

  • Passed Senate (4/26/23)
  • Currently in Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Assembly
  • Designates services to be provided by a jail-based substance use disorder treatment, peer led recovery support services, and transition services program as essential medical care services
  • Concerns in assembly about context around word “essential” do peers constitute essential services
  • Additional concerns about peers bringing in contraband to jail-based system

 

S399 Rivera/A338-A Rosenthal

  • Currently in Finance in Senate/ Codes in Assembly
  • Enacts the Safer Consumption Services Act
  • Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) are integral tools for reducing risk of an overdose or other harmful effects associated with Substance Use Disorder