N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law § 19.01: Declaration of policy

§ 19.01 Declaration of policy.

The legislature declares the following:

Alcoholism, substance abuse and chemical dependence pose major health

and social problems for individuals and their families when left

untreated, including family devastation, homelessness, and unemployment.

It has been proven that successful prevention and treatment can

dramatically reduce costs to the health care, criminal justice and

social welfare systems.

The tragic, cumulative and often fatal consequences of alcoholism and

substance abuse are, however, preventable and treatable disabilities

that require a coordinated and multi-faceted network of services.

The legislature recognizes locally planned and implemented prevention

as a primary means to avert the onset of alcoholism and substance abuse.

It is the policy of the state to promote comprehensive, age appropriate

education for children and youth and stimulate public awareness of the

risks associated with alcoholism and substance abuse. Further, the

legislature acknowledges the need for a coordinated state policy for the

establishment of prevention and treatment programs designed to address

the problems of chemical dependency among youth, including prevention

and intervention efforts in school and community-based programs designed

to identify and refer high risk youth in need of chemical dependency

services.

Substantial benefits can be gained through alcoholism and substance

abuse treatment for both addicted individuals and their families.

Positive treatment outcomes that may be generated through a complete

continuum of care offer a cost effective and comprehensive approach to

rehabilitating such individuals. The primary goals of the rehabilitation

and recovery process are to restore social, family, lifestyle,

vocational and economic supports by stabilizing an individual's physical

and psychological functioning. The legislature recognizes the

importance of varying treatment approaches and levels of care designed

to meet each client's needs. Relapse prevention and aftercare are two

primary components of treatment that serve to promote and maintain

recovery.

The legislature recognizes that the distinct treatment needs of

special populations, including women and women with children, persons

with HIV infection, persons diagnosed with mental illness, persons who

abuse chemicals, the homeless and veterans with posttraumatic stress

disorder, merit particular attention. It is the intent of the

legislature to promote effective interventions for such populations in

need of particular attention. The legislature also recognizes the

importance of family support for individuals in alcohol or substance

abuse treatment and recovery. Such family participation can provide

lasting support to the recovering individual to prevent relapse and

maintain recovery. The intergenerational cycle of chemical dependency

within families can be intercepted through appropriate interventions.

The state of New York and its local governments have a responsibility

in coordinating the delivery of alcoholism and substance abuse services,

through the entire network of service providers. To accomplish these

objectives, the legislature declares that the establishment of a single,

unified office of alcoholism and substance abuse services will provide

an integrated framework to plan, oversee and regulate the state's

prevention and treatment network. In recognition of the growing trends

and incidence of chemical dependency, this consolidation allows the

state to respond to the changing profile of chemical dependency. The

legislature recognizes that some distinctions exist between the

alcoholism and substance abuse field and where appropriate, those

distinctions may be preserved. Accordingly, it is the intent of the

state to establish one office of alcoholism and substance abuse services

in furtherance of a comprehensive service delivery system.