Tarrytown – New York State Assemblyman Tom Abinanti today called for the creation of an independent watch-dog to monitor state agencies that provide care for people with disabilities.
“New York’s approach of having a state agency oversee other state agencies that provide services to people with developmental disabilities, mental illness and other disabling health conditions presents a fundamental conflict of interest,” said Assemblyman Abinanti.
In New York, a state agency, the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for persons with disabilities, is charged with monitoring other state agencies that run and regulate group homes and provide other services. Numerous other states have created independent non-profit entities to perform these oversight functions.
News reports indicate that the Commission has completed a draft of a yet unreleased report which notes that it has a “fundamental conflict” that prevented it from fulfilling its mission. The Commission’s report follows a Federal Department of Health and Human Services report which criticized New York’s approach because the Commission lacked independence from the Governor’s office to whom the service agencies also reported.
“As a new chief executive, Governor Andrew Cuomo has wisely been reviewing and reforming New York’s many agencies and departments. He should now overhaul the way New York monitors its services to our most vulnerable populations,” said Abinanti.
