Office of Mental Health

The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of January 29, 2008):

A FY 2007-08 workforce of between 17,257 and 18,034 (unlike most other agencies, OMH is given a range of possible fills, it is likely that the lower fill level will prevail).  This is an increase of between 163 and 415 FTEs from the adjusted FTE level for FY 2007-08. The additional 9 Research Program positions reflects $2.9 million in additional funding by the Legislature in the FY 2007-08 budget for 10 Research Scientist positions at Nathan Kline and NY Psychiatric Institute.  The following chart identifies adjustments in current fiscal years FTEs along with the recommended differences in FY 2008-09 FTEs by program (if the FTE’s are the same the program is not listed):

• The total appropriation for Personal Service is $1,107,949,000 (an increase of 3.9% from SFY2008-09.  Details on Personal Services are no longer available (or displayed in the spreadsheet) by program as funding has shifted from the General Fund to the Special Revenue-Other Fund (a new Mental Hygiene Program Fund Account).  It is difficult to discern how new positions were distributed among programs.  In particular, the proposed addition of 134 positions to the Administration and Finance Program and their purpose should be clarified at Labor Management.

• An All Funds increase of $594,863,000 (44.4%).  Most of this increase reflects the inclusion of $498.5 million for employee fringe benefits which were not previously included in the OMH budget.  This accounts for most of the increases in the various OMH programs

• Funding for the Adult Services Program increases by $407.9 million (45.1%), primarily reflecting the transfer of the Mental Hygiene Patient Income Account into this program from a separate Maintenance Undistributed program.  Combining personal services appropriations from the Mental Hygiene Patient Income Account and the Mental Hygiene Program Fund Account shows a $30.7 million increase in personal services (4.3%) from FY 2007-08. 

• Includes $2.3 million to provide targeted salary enhancements for clinical staff at OMH facilities. This represents the initial phase of a three year effort, with an annualized value of $12 million, designed to enable OMH to recruit and retain a qualified clinical workforce.  This includes the expansion of the Rural Telepsychiatry Program for children and families to 10 additional counties.  This increase appears to be included in both the Adult Services and Children and Youth Services programs.  This should be clarified at statewide labor management.

• Adds $1 million and 9 FTEs for the expansion of PSYCKES (Psychiatric Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System). This increase is probably in the Adult Services program.  This should be clarified at statewide labor management.

• Adds $520,000 and 3 FTEs for workforce violence prevention efforts. This is probably in the Administration and Finance program but should be clarified at statewide labor management.

• Adds $4 million and 86 new FTEs for enhanced services to State prison inmates with mental illness, an additional 20 inpatient beds at Central NY PC, and the establishment of a new 100 bed intensive residential model at the Marcy Correctional Facility. We believe this is in the Forensic Program but should be confirmed at labor management.

• Adds $4.5 million, and 61 additional FTEs to augment services for State prison inmates with mental illness who are currently housed in Special Housing Units (SHU) in compliance with recently enacted legislation. We believe this is in the Forensic Program but should be confirmed at labor management.

• Adds $7.1 million for services mandated under the Sexual Offender Management Treatment Act (SOMTA).  DOB attributes 215 additional FTEs for these services, OMH state that there is a potential increase of 256 FTES. This discrepancy should be clarified at Labor Management.  This appropriation will provide funding for institutional and community based care for sex offenders.  We believe this is in the Forensic Program but should be confirmed at labor management.

• According to the Assembly the budget adds $3.3 million to address gaps in acute and intermediate care and $1.5 million for implementation of Jonathan’s Law.

• Program efficiencies including re-aligning staff resources to reduce overtime and consultant contracts, control the implementation of prior year initiatives and implementing best practices to reduce energy and pharmaceutical spending will save $19 million.

• OMH employed an estimated 1,145 employees under consultant contracts in SFY 2007-08 at an estimated cost of $32,288 per consultant contract employee.  It is estimated that $37.6 million will be allocated for consultant contracts in 2008-09, for 1,145 employees, at a cost of $32,844 per consultant contract employee.