By DEBORAH A. MILES
The state Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) stopped the Manhattan Addiction Treatment Center from treating new clients February 2.

The facility is scheduled to close its doors completely April 2, leaving approximately 800 clients seeking services elsewhere, and laying off 32 staff.

PEF fought to keep the treatment center open, but OASAS Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo made a decision to close the only facility tailored to help a unique segment of the population.

This story is spotted with many political twists and turns, according to PEF Region 10 Coordinator Vernetta Chesimard.

To begin with, the Manhattan ATC provided programs not found at other centers. In addition to substance abuse treatment, it had a full Spanish program that addressed issues such as immigration and the un-insured. The staff also designed and implemented an LGBT program for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

“These services are not about promoting any particular lifestyle, but recognizing some of our clients would have difficulty going to other centers that would not be as open to providing services for them,” Chesimard said.

“This particular program at Manhattan had a dedicated staff. The services they provided were unique and necessary. Services for the black and Latino community also are gone because of the commissioner’s decision.”

“The union is hoping the Legislature will at least question why the commissioner closed this particular treatment center,” Chesimard said. “And there’s nothing to say it must stay on Ward’s Island.”

Done deal
Diane Sullivan, the nurse administrator at Manhattan ATC and a PEF member, attended PEF Lobby Day in February. She was told by an Assembly Member with the state’s Drug and Alcohol Committee the closing of Manhattan ATC was “a done deal” and the commissioner had formulated the plan last August.

“The staff was notified December 16 Manhattan ATC was closing,” Sullivan said. “This was a bum’s rush.

“We wrote letters, we petitioned, the union was there for us. I was told by an Assembly Member we could do nothing to prevent the closure.

“The real heartbreak is seeing people’s lives being torn apart,” Sullivan said. “Where will all these lesbian, gay, transgender people and non-English speaking people go? The commissioner seems satisfied the private sector will pick up the slack. Hopefully that will happen, but I don’t know.”

Members ousted
To add insult to injury, Carpenter-Palumbo awarded a nearly $5 million contract to Odyssey House to run a program at Edgecombe Correctional Facility to assist parolees with a drug or alcohol offense, rather than being shuffled back to prison.

PEF members from various addiction treatment centers volunteered to implement the program at Edgecombe CF, which began last summer. It was an effort coordinated by OASAS, the state Division of Parole and the Department of Correctional Services.

“We designed the program, then the commissioner awarded the contract to Odyssey House to pick it up and run it,” Sullivan said. “This is another instance of outside contractors getting preference over New York state employees. It’s very sad. Some of these state employees have been there for 16 or more years. Now they are forced to go somewhere else.”

PEF asked for a copy of the contract between OASAS and Odyssey House to see if it could be broken.

“The commissioner reluctantly gave us the contract,” Chesimard said. “What we found was a 30-day opt-out clause. She could have broken the contract with that clause, but she told our members it was impossible to break. At one meeting, I questioned her about this. It was the first time she admitted it was her decision.”

Politics versus quality care
“Some politics are being played here. Why would you lay-off your own staff and give the work to an outside contractor?” Chesimard said.

Another issue about the Edgecombe CF contract with Odyssey House concerns the level of quality care for the clients.
“We have reason to believe there are some problems on how the program is being administered.

“Through the Freedom of Information Law, PEF requested reports on how the program is being administered. OASAS did respond as required, but did not provide all the information we requested. PEF sent a second request for the information. OASAS responded, but failed to send additional information,” Chesimard said.

“We want the legislators and public to know this commissioner has given out a nearly $5 million contract over the course of the next five years to Odyssey House. Our members opened the program. They are qualified and trained to do the work,” she said. “We think the commissioner should give consideration to cancelling that contract, instead of laying off state workers.”


Road to recovery closed due to state budget cuts.
OASAS Feb. 16, 2009
PART OF THE FIGHTBACK — A PEF designed ad to save Manhattan PC ran in The Legislative Gazette in February 2009.