NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a significant announcement in Buffalo on Monday, unveiling the state’s $1 billion plan to address the mental health needs of children and adults across New York. The plan, included in the FY 2024 budget, is a multi-year investment that aims to bring about a historic shift in the approach towards addressing mental health challenges.
The plan includes a wide range of initiatives, such as establishing and operating 3,500 new residential units serving those with mental health challenges, expanding mental health services for school-aged children, strengthening suicide prevention programs for high-risk youth, and significantly expanding outpatient services. Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of utilizing community resources at every level to meet the needs of all New Yorkers in every corner of the state.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, more than one in three New Yorkers has either personally sought or knows someone in need of mental health care, and our young people are reporting distress at rates unlike anything we’ve ever seen. My Mental Health Care Plan marks an historic shift in our approach towards addressing mental health challenges, reversing years of neglect to our system and bringing bold investments to ensure that every New Yorker has access to high-quality care. This plan uses an all-hands-on-deck approach that utilizes community resources at every level to meet the needs all New Yorkers in every corner of our state.”
As part of her announcement, Gov. Hochul also issued proclamations making May Mental Health Awareness Month and making the week of May 7 to 13, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
“Governor Hochul’s Mental Heath Care Plan is a thoughtful and comprehensive strategy that will dramatically increase access to mental health services in communities all across the state, including those that have been underserved for many years. The historic initiatives she’s championed will help ensure that all of New York’s children, adults, and families have access to the mental health support and services they may need.”
The specific funding announced as part of the plan includes:
- $890 million in capital and $120 million in operating funding to establish and operate 3,500 new residential units serving those with mental health challenges.
- $30 million to expand mental health services for school-aged children throughout the state, including $20 million for school-based mental health services and $10 million to implement wraparound services training.
- $10 million to strengthen suicide prevention programs for high-risk youth.
- $18 million capital and $30 million operating funding to expand inpatient psychiatric beds, including opening 150 new adult beds in State-operated psychiatric hospitals.
- $60 million in capital and $121.6 million operating funding, which will establish 12 new comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs providing hospital-level crisis care and triple the number of State-funded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics statewide -from 13 to 39 -that offer walk-in, immediate integrated mental health and substance use disorder services for New Yorkers of all ages and insurance status.
- Funding 42 additional Assertive Community Treatment teams for children and adults to provide mobile, high intensity services to the most at-risk New Yorkers and eight additional Safe Options Support teams — five in New York City and three in the rest of state.
- $28 million to help create 50 new Critical Time Intervention care coordination teams to provide wrap-around services, from housing to job supports, for individuals needing transition assistance, including children and adults discharged from hospitals and emergency rooms.
- Building on investments made in the FY 2023 Budget, including $12 million for HealthySteps and home-based crisis intervention programs to promote early childhood development and treatment for children and teens; and $3.1 million to bolster treatment for individuals with eating disorders.
- $2.8 million to expand the Intensive and Sustained Engagement Treatment program to offer peer-based outreach and engagement for adults with serious mental illness.
- $18 million over two years to reimburse providers for family preventive mental health services for parents and their children; and $24 million over two years to reimburse providers for adverse childhood experience screenings.
- Supporting the workforce with a 4 percent cost of living adjustment and $14 million for the Office of Mental Health’s Community Mental Health Loan Repayment Program, expanding the eligibility for the program to include licensed mental health professionals.
- Additionally, the Budget closes gaps in insurance coverage that have posed a barrier to New Yorkers needing mental health care and substance use disorder services.
Disagree – We need to prioritize funding for other pressing issues like education and healthcare. #mentalhealthmatters