NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul was in Buffalo Monday at the Delavan Grider Community Center to highlight the state’s $1 billion plan to address the mental health needs of children and adults across the state. to grab.
The $1 billion multi-year investment, which is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, includes millions to establish and operate 3,500 new housing units for people with mental health issues.
In addition, millions have been raised to expand mental health services for school-aged children and suicide prevention programs for high-risk youth.
The governor’s office said the plan also includes investments in peer-based outreach, closing gaps in insurance coverage for behavioral health services and significantly expanding outpatient services.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, more than one in three New Yorkers have personally sought or know someone who needs mental health care, and our youth are reporting distress at an unprecedented rate. My Mental Health Plan marks a historic shift in our approach to addressing mental health challenges, rolling back years of neglect of our system and making bold investments to ensure that every New Yorker has access to quality concern. approach that leverages community resources at every level to meet the needs of all New Yorkers in every corner of our state.”
As part of her announcement, Governor Hochul also issued proclamations to make May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and the week of May 7-13 Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
“Governor Hochul’s Mental Health Care Plan is a thoughtful and comprehensive strategy that will dramatically improve access to mental health services in communities across the state, including those that have been underserved for years. The historic initiatives she championed will help all children, adults and families in New York have access to the mental health care and services they need.”
– dr. Ann Sullivan, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health
Below is the specific funding announced as part of the plan:
- $890 million in capital and $120 million in corporate financing to establish and operate 3,500 new residential units for people with mental health issues.
- $30 million to expand mental health services for school-aged children statewide, 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 operational funding to expand inpatient psychiatric beds, including the opening of 150 new adult beds in state-owned psychiatric hospitals.
- $60 million in capital and $121.6 million in operational funding, which will establish 12 new comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs that provide hospital-level crisis care and triple the number of state-funded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics statewide – from 13 to 39 — which provide walk-in, instant integrated mental health and substance use services for New Yorkers of all ages and insurance statuses.
- Funding for 42 additional Assertive Community Treatment teams for children and adults to provide mobile, intensive 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 the state.
- $28 million to help create 50 new critical time intervention care coordination teams to provide comprehensive services, from housing to employment support, for individuals in need of transitional assistance, including children and adults discharged from hospitals and emergency departments.
- Building on investments made in the FY 2023 budget, including $12 million for HealthySteps and home-based crisis intervention programs to advance early childhood development and treatment of children and teens; and $3.1 million to support treatment for people with eating disorders.
- $2.8 million to expand the Intensive and Sustained Engagement Treatment program to provide peer-based outreach and engagement for adults with severe mental illness.
- $18 million over two years to reimburse caregivers for preventive mental health care 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 Repay Program, extending eligibility for the program to licensed mental health professionals.
- In addition, the budget closes gaps in insurance coverage that have hindered New Yorkers in need of mental health and addiction treatment.