NYAPRS proposes reducing funding for medical treatment of mentally ill

Medicaid realignment in New York is expected to generate $10 billion in savings over five years and the plan is to spend much of it on medical care for people with serious mental illness. That's good news to everyone except the NYS Assoc. of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services--the trade association for providers of non-medical services to voluntary mental health patients. In a blog, NYAPRS wrote

(C)oncerns have been raised (about) a general emphasis on medical approaches that provide insufficient attention to expanding rehabilitation, peer support and culturally competent ones.

As if giving medical care to someone is the opposite of cultural competence.

As a result of the lack of medical care more people of color are incarcerated for mental illness than hospitalized. And disproportionately so. That is one reason why Kendra's Law is supported by groups made up almost entirely of people of color, like the local Harlem Alliance on Mental Illness. (Consumers too). Extensive Kendra's Law research shows it helps those enrolled, get well and stay well. Yet the trade association is trying to preserve cracks in Kendra's Law that allow their members to avoid treating people with serious mental illness.

I recognize that the trade-association only provides non-medical rehabilitation services and focuses on mental health not mental illness. And I understand that when you see a bucket of money, you want to divert it to your own members. But many people with schizophrenia need, gulp, medical services. Specifically, symptom amelioration. That is what enables them to reach the point where they can benefit from rehab services. NYAPRS wants to take those medical services away, so the funds can go to their association members. The employees of association members are then urged to also lobby for more money for their members.

What is especially disingenuous is that in an op-ed the trade association, as part of their continuing battle against Kendra's Law (a less restrictive, more humane alternative to incarceration or commitment) recently wrote that instead of Kendra's Law

A better approach is to back new programs designed by the governor’s Medicaid Redesign Team to make our mental-health services more effective.

On the one hand they argue that Medicaid Redesign is going to help the most seriously ill and on the other write they don't want the Medicaid used for medical care.

You can't have it both ways. But that's unlikely to stop them from trying.