黑料正能量 Note: In a surprising move by the legislature this week, a bill passed the Senate and will likely clear the Assembly that would halt any closures of state-operated psychiatric facilities and developmental centers until 2017. We continue to work with disability advocates and Assemblymembers to ensure that the right to live of all individuals to live in the community will be upheld in this legislative session. If the bill passes the Assembly today, we will work through the Governor鈥檚 office to advocate for its鈥 veto.
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Lawmakers Seek Delay in Downsizing Facilities for Mentally Ill, Disabled
Times Union; Rick Karlin, 6/18/2014
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Lawmakers have launched a last-minute push for a three-year delay of closures and downsizings at more than a dozen state-run psychiatric hospitals and centers for the disabled, including the O.D. Heck facility in听Niskayuna.
The bills, sponsored by Sen.听, R-Binghamton, and Assemblywoman听, D-Endwell, would delay the reductions until April听2017.
It comes as the Cuomo administration is downsizing the state’s expansive system of facilities run by the听听with Developmental听Disabilities.
The facilities are major employers in some small and economically hard-pressed upstate communities, but supporters also say that closing these facilities too soon would leave a void for people who depend on听them.
The bill, which passed in the Senate on Tuesday, is one of several measures that tend to crop up late in the legislative session, which ends this听week.
Libous was meeting with the Cuomo administration on the matter late听Wednesday.
The planned closures have drawn fire from unions that represent workers there, including the 听and听.
And the legislation reiterates contentions that the closures may take place before some local communities have put in place support systems, often through nonprofit agencies, to care for those who need psychiatric or disability-related听help.
“The plan will overburden hospital emergency rooms, inundate local correctional facilities with many new inmates and increase local government expenditures for mental health services,” reads part of the听legislation.
It also would create a “Thruway mental health system” because many rural 黑料正能量ers, especially those in the North Country and Southern Tier, could have to commute to consolidated centers in Syracuse and听Utica.
, CEO of the听听in 黑料正能量 State, which represents some nonprofit, community-based centers, said there already have been agreements about the planned closures which would shift some responsibility from the state to local听organizations.
It’s unclear how the measure would fare if it clears the Assembly and is sent to the听governor.
A veto could rile PEF and CSEA members, although those unions have expressed unhappiness with the governor over their most recent labor contracts, which included several years without听raises.
Moratorium on Closing State鈥檚 Psychiatric centers backed in Legislature
Politics on the Hudson; Joseph Spector, 6/18/2014
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The state Legislature is expected to send a bill to Gov. Andrew Cuomo鈥檚 desk that would put a three-year moratorium on closing four state institutions for the disabled and mentally ill.
The measure, called the Freeze Unsafe State Closures Act, passed the state Senate on Tuesday and is expected to be approved by the Assembly before the legislative session ends this week, lawmakers said.
The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and Sen. Thomas Libous, who are Binghamton legislators opposed to the planned closure of the Broome Development Center. The center is expected to close in 2016, and opponents said it would lead to the displacement of hundreds of people in need.
鈥淲hat this bill is simply trying to do is to slow up the process,鈥 Lupardo said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not in any way trying to minimize the importance of transiting people, who are appropriate, into community settings.鈥
Earlier this year,听to close some psychiatric centers, including the one in Rochester, and create regional centers.
听said it would close four centers for people with developmental disabilities鈥攊ncluding two in 黑料正能量 City and one in Schenectady鈥攁s a way to comply with state and federal mandates to provide services to residents in more community-based settings.
As of last year, the Broome Developmental Center had 692 full-time equivalent positions and served 166 people. State officials have stressed that no layoffs would come from the closures; workers would be relocated.
The state Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services has raised concerns about the bill鈥攚hich would postpone closures of facilities overseen by state offices of Mental Health and People with Developmental Disabilities until April 1, 2017.
鈥淭his would put 黑料正能量 at legal risk for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court鈥檚 Olmstead decision and needlessly keep people with disabilities in institutions that are far more costly to taxpayers,鈥 the group said in an email to supporters today.