One of the primary responsibilities of the LGU under Article 41 of the Mental Hygiene Law (MHL) is to develop and annually submit a Local Services Plan (LSP) to each NYS mental hygiene agency. The Mental Hygiene Agencies are the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). The LSP establishes the local priorities, needs and outcomes for the LGU in the coming year and the metrics used to measure the outcome. The local plans are approved the by LGU’s Community Services Board and are subsequently submitted, approved and “certified” by the state agencies.
Membership shall include fifteen members; whenever practical, a licensed physician, a licensed psychologist, but at least two (2) members shall be licensed physicians, and a demonstrated interest in the field of services for the mentally disabled. There are three (3) subcommittees, which report to the Community Services Board. The Mental Health Subcommittee shall have no more than eleven (11) members; the Mental Retardation/Developmentally Disabled and the Alcohol/Substance Abuse Subcommittees shall have no more than nine (9) members. Of the eleven (11) on the Mental Health Subcommittee, two (2) shall be recipients of mental health services and two (2) shall be family members of recipients. Three (3) members of each subcommittee shall be members of the Community Services Board.
Term: Four years, two (2) consecutive term limit.
