NYSOFA and the New York State Department of Health have convened two important panels that are working to advance the state's Master Plan for Aging.
On January 9, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee met for the first time. This session was followed by the second meeting of the Master Plan for Aging Council of state agencies on January 11.
The two groups comprise an important part of the MPA's governing structure.
To learn more about the MPA structure, please see the newly developed MPA website at https://www.ny.gov/mpa. It offers background about the MPA, news, resources, and more.
Here's a quick summary of the MPA structure and its deliberations to date.
MPA Structure
- The Master Plan for Aging Council is comprised of leaders from 20 agencies and offices across state government to address the needs of aging New Yorkers in the development of the MPA.
- The Stakeholder Advisory Committee includes leading experts to: ensure public input into the process; prioritize and identify areas of focus; create and oversee topic-specific subcommittees; and create and prioritize recommendations in coordination with the MPA Council.
- The Association Resource Committee will enable state associations to bring statewide and regional issues to the Master Plan for Aging process in consultation with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
The Work So Far
- Both the MPA Council and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee have identified many overlapping priorities. These include: the need for affordable and accessible housing; economic security; support for informal/family caregivers; technology access; a call for collaboration among various local agencies and entities; addressing social isolation; and funding of programs and services.
- The Governor's State of the State message on January 10 underscores many of these important themes (see related story here), including the Governor’s proposed: comprehensive housing plan; expansion of mental health services; workforce investments; protections for consumers from medical debt and medical cost transparency; transportation improvements; and more.
- Next, the Council and Advisory Committee will be deciding on subcommittees and focus groups to begin the process of developing recommendations for the MPA. The groups have also made suggestions for the development of Guiding Principles and Key Considerations which will help maintain focus and direction in the groups' deliberations.
Please visit the MPA website for more details about the process and use the sign-up form to provide input. There you can find a list of the various committees and councils, resources, slide decks from recent meetings, and more.