New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › Subtitle A - Governor's Office › Chapter I - Executive Orders › Part 7 - Executive Orders (David A. Paterson) › Section 7.16 - Executive order no. 16: establishing the statewide council of addictions collaborative to improve outcomes for new yorkers (action)

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
WHEREAS, addiction is a chronic disease that, left
					 untreated, can have severe consequences, including death, illness, disability,
					 learning disabilities, poor school performance, economic insecurity, and
					 involvement in criminal conduct, including child abuse and neglect and domestic
					 violence; and
WHEREAS, addiction causes immeasurable pain and suffering
					 for millions of individuals whose lives are affected by it, including the
					 children, spouses, parents and siblings of addicted individuals; and
WHEREAS, addiction imposes significant costs upon the
					 public safety, health, welfare and education systems and upon all governmental
					 and non-governmental entities who employ persons with addiction; and
WHEREAS, there is evidence that a significant number of
					 individuals in the state prison system have substance abuse problems, and New
					 York State has enacted sweeping legislation that focuses on treatment for
					 non-violent addicts to end the cycle of addiction; and
WHEREAS, studies conducted by the Office of Alcoholism and
					 Substance Abuse Services show that 2.5 million New Yorkers - totaling 15
					 percent of the State's population - are currently living with an alcohol,
					 chemical substance or gambling addiction; and
WHEREAS, innovative and bold strategies are needed to
					 address the impact of addiction on the State's public safety, health, welfare
					 and education systems, ensure collaboration across such systems as necessary to
					 improve efforts to identify, treat and prevent addiction, and coordinate
					 resources so that they are most effectively and efficiently used for such
					 purposes; and
WHEREAS, the involvement of non-governmental stakeholders,
					 including community-based organizations and business entities, is essential to
					 the development of strategies to address the devastating effects of addiction;
					 and
WHEREAS, the development of an overall State strategy to
					 dramatically increase the effectiveness of addiction prevention, treatment and
					 recovery services would best be accomplished by the establishment of a council
					 of State officials who are charged with the execution of the State's policies
					 and programs in the areas of public safety, health, welfare and
					 education;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID A. PATERSON, Governor of the State
					 of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
					 Laws of the State of New York, do hereby order as follows:
1. There is hereby established the Statewide
				  Council of Addictions Collaborative to Improve Outcomes for New Yorkers (the
				  Council). The Council shall consist of the following members: the Commissioner
				  of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the Commissioner of
				  the State Education Department, the Commissioner of the Department of Health,
				  the Director of the State Office for the Aging, the Commissioner of the
				  Division of Criminal Justice Services, the Commissioner of the Department of
				  Correctional Services, the Chairman of the Division of Parole, the Director of
				  the Division of Probation and Correction Alternatives, the Superintendent of
				  the Division of State Police, the Executive Director of the Office for the
				  Prevention of Domestic Violence, the Commissioner of the Office of Mental
				  Health, the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental
				  Disabilities, the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services,
				  the Executive Director of the Council on Children and Families, the
				  Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the
				  Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Director of the Division
				  of Veterans' Affairs, the Chancellor of the State University of New York, a
				  Commissioner of the State Liquor Authority and the Chief Administrative Judge
				  of the Courts. The Governor shall appoint a Chair and a Vice-Chair of the
				  Council, who may but need not be members otherwise listed herein and in any
				  event also shall serve as full voting members.
2. Each member of the Council may designate a
				  staff member to represent him or her and participate in the Council on his or
				  her behalf. A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum
				  and all recommendations of the Council shall require approval of a majority of
				  the total members of the Council.
3. The Council is charged with:
a. Identifying ways in which statutes,
				  regulations, rules and policies may be revised in order to promote addiction
				  prevention, treatment and recovery efforts;
b. Identifying areas of duplication of
				  effort, inefficient overlap and inconsistent policies and programs among
				  agencies that play a role in the enforcement of laws regarding alcohol,
				  chemical substances and gambling, or in the oversight or provision of services
				  related to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery;
c. Developing a comprehensive strategy to
				  improve the effectiveness and coordination of the efforts of State agencies
				  charged with public safety, health, welfare and education matters to prevent
				  addiction and to deal with its consequences;
d. Planning long-range and short-term
				  addiction prevention, treatment and recovery strategies from a system-wide
				  perspective, taking into account enforcement, education, prevention, treatment,
				  rehabilitation, health and research needs of the State and its
				  communities;
f. Consulting with
				  businesses and local governments and their public safety, health, welfare and
				  education agencies regarding their recommendations for improvements to
				  addiction treatment efforts and initiatives;
g. Consulting with the National Association
				  of Drug Court Professionals and other judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys
				  who participate in the drug courts or other court initiatives to divert
				  criminal defendants to drug treatment programs and assessing whether such
				  programs are sufficiently available and effective;
h. Reviewing and assessing the experience of
				  other states, the federal government and other nations in the development of
				  programs and initiatives to address aspects of addiction;
i. Consulting with non-governmental
				  organizations, including private and non-profit addiction treatment providers,
				  academic institutions, community groups and businesses to obtain
				  recommendations for strategies to address employee wellness issues implicated
				  by addiction and to increase the involvement of such organizations in addiction
				  prevention, treatment and recovery efforts; and
j. Identifying, promoting and publicizing addiction treatment
				  efforts and initiatives found to be of particular merit, and making a concerted
				  effort to encourage the development and implementation of programs that
				  effectively alert young people to the dangers and the consequences of drug
				  addiction and drug crime.