Mental Health Worker Healthcare Benefit Project

Background

As part of the 2008-09 New York State budget, the Legislature secured funding to assist direct care workers in the mental health field with health care benefits. In August, 2008 the governor vetoed a bill (S.6768) that would have directed the use of the appropriation toward surveying mental health providers about the healthcare benefits they provide to their employees and to assist direct care workers and their employers in accessing health insurance and employment incentive programs. The bill established MHANYS as the entity responsible for carrying out these provisions.

Although S.6768 was vetoed by the governor, broad authority under Mental Hygiene Law enables the Office of Mental Health (OMH) to implement provisions similar to those contained in S.6768 without special legislative approval. OMH has contracted with MHANYS to conduct the survey and to establish a statewide mental heal worker’s assistance program.

HBP has three objectives:

1. Survey the field… Measures the level, costs and existence of health insurance coverage provided for direct care workers in mental health agencies statewide.

2. Assist Workers… Establish and maintain a mental health workers consumer assistance program to serve as a resource center for mental health employers and their direct care workers to educate and counsel them in accessing various health insurance and employment incentive programs

3. Report… No later than March 1, 2009 to the governor and legislature detailing survey results and providing recommendations to implement health care enhancements for direct care workers.

Mental Health Providers Health Insurance Survey

The success of the HBP rests partially on obtaining accurate information about today’s mental health worker benefits by surveying mental health provider agencies throughout the state. A more complete understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current benefit packages will help us structure the nature of information and assistance that will be available through the Worker Assistance Programs. Future efforts to enhance healthcare benefits for direct care mental health workers will also require a more complete understanding of both the strengths and weaknesses of the healthcare benefits currently available to workers.

The survey will be issued to all mental health provider agencies in New York under the regulatory auspice of the Office of Mental Health (OMH).

Mental Health Workers’ Assistance Program

This program will be available to mental health workers and employers on a statewide basis to assist workers in accessing healthcare benefits. The program will operate through a central resource center operated and maintained by MHANYS in addition to a number of WAPs located throughout the state, which will be operated and maintained by MHAs. Services available through the MHA operated WAPs will include information about healthcare benefit options in New York State, assistance with evaluating the best choice for workers based on individual circumstances, help determining the best value option for workers and counseling on various strategies for making the most of available healthcare benefits and or enhancements.

The MHANYS Mental Health Workers’ Resource Center will provide training, technical assistance and other supportive services to the MHA operated WAPs.

MHANYS would like to acknowledge the leadership and initiative of Senator Morahan in sponsoring the original legislation calling for Health Care Enhancements for mental health workers. This project would not have been made possible without his diligent and persistent efforts toward helping mental health providers meet the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining a quality work force.