Out-of-State Placement (OSP) Committee

• What is the Out-of-State Placement Committee?
• What are the main tasks of the Committee?
• Who participates on the Out-of-State Placement Committee?

What is the Out-of-State Placement Committee?

On August 2, 2005, Chapter 392 of the Laws of 2005 was signed by the Governor of the State of New York, enacting the Out-of-State Placement (OSP) Committee, in the Council of Children and Families. The Law intends to improve the monitoring of out-of-state residential placements, promotes coordination across all levels of government and establishes a process for identifying and considering in-state resources prior to making an out-of-state placement. This legislation is a direct outcome of the Report of the Interagency Work Group on Out-of-State Residential Placements (June 2005) and became effective October 31, 2005.

What are the main tasks of the Committee?

As established within the Council on Children and Families, the Out-of-State Placement Committee is responsible for the following:

• Creating individual agency registries of out-of-state residential schools and facilities and a comprehensive registry to be housed at the Council on Children and Families;
• Developing contract parameters to be used by local education agencies and local departments of social services for placement of children in out-of-state residential schools and facilities;
• Developing model processes for placement of children who may be at risk of out-of-state residential services;
• Providing ongoing and future technical assistance and public awareness resources;
• Studying integrated funding options specific to children at risk of out-of-state residential placements; and
• Recommending additional steps to strengthen the infrastructure of children and youth residential placements and community services in New York State.

Who participates on the Out-of-State Placement Committee?  

The Committee is chaired by the Executive Director of the Council on Children and Families and includes the commissioners of the following agencies: Office of Children and Family Services, State Education Department, Office of Mental Health, Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Department of Health, and the Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives.