Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs

Mission

The core mission of the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs (Justice Center) will be to protect the health and safety of vulnerable individuals in the State's care. The Justice Center will have primary responsibility for tracking, investigating, and pursuing serious abuse and neglect complaints at State facilities and provider-operated facilities that are certified or licensed by the following six agencies: Office of Mental Health (OMH), Office for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the Department of Health (DOH), the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), and the State Education Department (SED).

Budget Highlights

In 2012, under Governor Cuomo's leadership, legislation was enacted to establish the Justice Center, a nationwide model for improving care for vulnerable populations, which will transform how our state protects the over one million New Yorkers living under the care of six State agencies

The Executive Budget recommends $45 million in new appropriations for the Justice Center. A portion of the appropriations supporting continuation of current Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD) activities, which will be subsumed by the Justice Center when it is operational by June 30, 2013, is included. Additional appropriation authority is anticipated to be transferred from some of the associated State agencies, listed above, in order to fully operationalize the Justice Center. The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 280 FTEs for the Justice Center, exclusive of the anticipated FTE transfers from other agencies.

Other components and responsibilities of the Justice Center include the following:

• Creation of the positions of Executive Director, Special Prosecutor, and Inspector General, including trained investigators, lawyers, and administrators. The Justice Center's law enforcement branch will have concurrent authority with district attorneys to prosecute abuse and neglect crimes committed against such persons.
• Creation of a statewide 24/7 hotline staffed by trained professionals to ensure that allegations of abuse are promptly reported to law enforcement and are fully and effectively investigated.
• Development of a register of workers who have committed serious or repeated acts of abuse who will be prohibited from ever being hired again in any position where they would work with people with disabilities or special needs.
• The responsibility to represent the State at all public employee disciplinary cases or those where the State is seeking termination of employment as the penalty.
• Development of common standards for investigations and requirements to be used to train investigators.
• Development of a code of conduct containing the basic ethical standards to which all individuals working with people with special needs and disabilities would be required to subscribe and would be held accountable.
• Consolidation of background check procedures, including reviewing and evaluating the criminal history for any person applying to be an employee, volunteer, or consultant at any facility or provider agency operated, licensed or certified by OMH, OPWDD, and OCFS in a position where a background check is required.
• The requirement to provide an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature concerning its work during the preceding year which will include data on central register reports, results of investigations, types of corrective actions taken, results of its review of patterns and trends relating to abuse and reporting of abuse, suggested corrective actions and training efforts.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Mental Hygiene (PDF)

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/22/2013

Click for additional detailed appropriation tables