Saratoga County accepts $49,335 in state PROS redesign funds to support workforce and materials

Saratoga County’s Health and Human Services Committee voted June 3 to accept $49,335 in PROS viability funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health to support a statewide redesign of the county’s Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) program.

The funding was allocated after new Office of Mental Health guidelines took effect April 1, 2025, and county staff said the grant will pay for operational and workforce costs and materials to help align the county-run PROS program with the new requirements. "This funding, which was allocated to every PROS program around the state to support that redesign, can be used for operational costs, workforce costs, materials, supplies to kinda help align with the new regulations," Megan Johnson said.

The county described PROS as a rehabilitation- and recovery-focused program offering individualized and group supports to help people pursue employment, education and housing goals and build natural supports in the community. Johnson said the redesign emphasizes more individual outreach and community-based work. She said the county estimated roughly half of the $49,335 award — reported in the meeting as about $23,907.79 — would be placed into the county fund balance, with the remainder used for client workstations, materials and other enhancements in the program setting. When asked why some of the award would go to fund balance, Johnson said the county “looked at what we really needed” and budgeted the minimum necessary to support client activities and meet the redesigned requirements.

A motion to accept the funds and amend the county budget carried with the committee’s voice vote. The committee did not record an individual roll-call tally in the minutes; the chair declared the motion approved.

The Office of Mental Health issued the redesign guidance that took effect April 1, 2025; county staff said the funds were intended to help programs statewide comply with that guidance. Committee discussion focused on allocation priorities (workstations, materials, and workforce/labor costs) and on limiting the county’s immediate expenditures to the minimum judged necessary to implement the redesign.

The action funds the county-operated PROS program and is intended to support the program’s shift toward more individualized, community-based recovery work under the state guidelines.