Welcome to the New York Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy

MFTs in New York State have achieved a legislative victory! We are now included in the list of possible health care professionals who can provide substance abuse assessments for persons who have committed DWI or other alcohol/substance abuse offenses.

Thanks to work by our lobbyist, Denise Murphy McGraw; our legislative co-chair, Don Paine; Central Chapter member Jim Goldstein; and Past President Jill Weldum for all their tireless efforts to achieve this parity for MFTs, and to expand access to services for people in need throughout the state.

Click here to read the OASAS memo.

The Office of the Professions phone system changed on June 1, 2009. Our general phone number, 518-474-3817, and all of our 3-digit office extensions remain the same. The system will, however, no longer provide automated license verifications.

Our official source of licensee verification information is available on the web: www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm.

The hours of operation for the phone system are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. excluding State holidays.

You can access information about the 48 professions established under the Education Law our our web site: www.op.nysed.gov.

Jill Weldum and Darci Cramer-Benjamin

On May 6, NYAMFT members, leadership, and lobbyists met with the State Education Department staff and Legislators. The most pressing issue in the past several months has been the new restrictions regarding internship sites for MFTs with Limited Permits. This issue mushroomed to include sites that degree granting programs use as well.

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has undertaken a multi-year initiative to restructure the way the State delivers and reimburses publicly supported mental health services. The goal is to develop a system of quality care that responds to the individual needs of adults and children and delivers care in appropriate settings.

Clinic restructuring represents the first phase of this transformation process. As you may know, OMH has just released a Clinic Restructuring Plan ( http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/resources/publications/clinic_restructuring/ )which describes a redesigned clinic program; a new payment system; and a multi-year implementation plan.

The NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare has released an analytic tool to assist providers in assessing the fiscal impact of transitioning from current Clinic financing to a new rate structure. The Outpatient Clinic Sensitivity Analysis Tool was developed by Gerald Archibald from The Bonadio Group in Albany (see attached bio). The Office of Mental Health (OMH) views this as a good initial approach to help providers begin planning for the transition to the new model of clinic services being developed by OMH.

The Sensitivity Analysis is designed to assist providers in completing the following critical tasks/activities:

1. Begin to assess the fiscal impact of Clinic Reform on outpatient clinic services;
2. Estimate revenue from indigent care visits;
3. Estimate revenue if services/operations are altered;
4. Evaluate clinical staff and revenue productivity.

The NYS Council has agreed to let OMH revise and update the tool to incorporate new features and information as it becomes available. Updated versions of the tool will be placed on the OMH website as shareware. Additionally OMH will be sponsoring two webinars in the near future to assist clinic program and fiscal staff in understanding and using the sensitivity tool. Webinars will be held Friday, May 1st at 2 p.m. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/827014497

Once a participant is registered, telephone call-in information is shown. Long distance rates will apply.

If you have any questions, please contact Gwen Diamond at Cofpged@omh.state.ny.us

Click here to download the attachments (as a single Zip file) which include:

1. OMH Clinic Restructuring Paper
2. OMH Transmittal Letter 2009-04-07 clinic sensitivity tool
3. NYS Council 2009-4-6 Cover Letter
4. Sample Sensitivity Analysis
5. Blank Sensitivity Analysis
6. Bio for Gerald Archibald - The Bonadio Group