Governor Hochul announced that construction has begun on a $40 million affordable housing development for seniors in the city of White Plains. Mt. Hope Plaza will feature 56 affordable apartments, including 20 for individuals in need of supportive services. The development is located on an underutilized property formerly owned by the Mt. Hope A.M.E Zion Church, which agreed to make the land available for affordable housing.
Governor Hochul announced the launch of New York’s inaugural first responder mental health needs assessment to better understand the mental health-related challenges facing the public safety community and strengthen programs and services for these professionals. Stemming from a partnership between the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and SUNY New Paltz’s Institute for Disaster Mental Health and Benjamin Center, the assessment will include results from a voluntary anonymous survey and input from a series of focus groups for first responders.
Governor Hochul announced that nearly $4 million has been awarded to 77 community-based providers to establish, enhance, or expand access to specialized treatment for New Yorkers with complex mental health care needs. Administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the awards are part of the Governor’s $1 billion plan to strengthen the state’s mental health care system by adding capacity system-wide, expanding existing programs with a record of success, funding new evidence-based initiatives, and increasing direct engagement at every stage of service.
OMH announced that the Daniel’s Law Task Force will host a virtual listening session on April 16 from 3pm to 5pm to gather additional feedback from the public. The session will be live-streamed and registered attendees will be able to make public comments. Registration is open on the Office of Mental Health website and only required for those interested in making remarks.
OMH announced that up to $100,000 is available to fund projects aimed at reducing the stigma often associated with mental illness. Funded through voluntary contributions made by taxpayers when filing their returns, the Mental Illness Anti-Stigma Fund tax check-off program provides $20,000 in one-time grants for anti-stigma initiatives.
Governor Hochul announced that $30 million will be made available to develop three new residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents that require on-site care. Administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the capital funding will help construct the new facilities in New York City, on Long Island, and throughout the Hudson River regions and provide added capacity for youth statewide.
Governor Hochul launched a $102 million effort to broaden wraparound care for individuals with serious mental illness. Governor Hochul announced more than $92 million will be deployed to develop 26 Critical Time Intervention teams, which provide continued support and care coordination for individuals living with mental illness. In addition, Governor Hochul also announced that up to $10 million will be deployed to develop additional ‘Safe Options Support’ teams that focus on youth and young adults; the Safe Options Support initiative has already helped nearly 390 long-term homeless individuals move from the streets into stable housing. This new funding is part of Governor Hochul's nation-leading $1 billion plan to transform the mental health continuum of care.
Governor Hochul announced that $4 million was awarded to establish a new Intensive and Sustained Engagement team to serve individuals with complex mental health needs in the city of Rochester and Monroe County. Administered by the state Office of Mental Health, the state funding will establish New York’s fourth peer-led team to provide intensive support services for individuals with complex needs, but who have difficulty connecting with traditional forms of mental health care.
Governor Hochul announced the completion of River Avenue, a 245-unit affordable and supportive housing development in the Concourse section of the Bronx. The transit-oriented development includes over 20,000 square feet of commercial space and offers on-site supportive services for families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
The Office of Mental Health announced that the Daniel’s Law Task Force will host its next member meeting virtually from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22. The meeting will be streamed live online and will include a period for members of the public to provide feedback to the task force.
Governor Hochul announced steps to combat the youth mental health crisis, following a convening of students, faculty and mental health professionals at Mohonasen Central School District. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 4 teens have considered suicide, a significant increase from a decade ago, and for teenage girls, that number rises to 1 in 3. In response to this crisis, the Governor’s actions announced today will expand mental health support for children across the state, protect them from harmful social media features, and ensure their voice is heard.
Governor Hochul: “We're announcing that the applications can start today. You don't have to wait till the RFPs go out. It's not once a year. It is a rolling application because to me there is an urgent need to get more schools involved in this. We have over $20 million in our budget to fund this, and I want to add more and more across the State of New York.”
Governor Hochul announced the statewide expansion of a program that has successfully rehoused hundreds of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in New York City, including many who struggle with severe mental illness, after successfully helping 330 long-term homeless New Yorkers get into stable housing. Administered by the Office of Mental Health, the Safe Options Support program has expanded to serve the Finger Lakes, Capital Region, Southern Tier, Hudson Valley, Erie County, Westchester County and Long Island to provide support and help find permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness on the streets.
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. announced the application opening for the SUNY/Office of Mental Health Scholarship Program. Established in August 2022 by Governor Kathy Hochul with a $4 million federal investment, the program provides scholarships, paid internships, fee waivers for graduate school applicants, and more to support students in mental health degree programs.
Governor Hochul highlighted resources available through State government to improve mental health and combat loneliness, as New Yorkers gather to celebrate Valentine's Day. Developed in partnership with Dr. Ruth Westheimer, renowned intimacy therapist and New York's honorary ‘Ambassador to Loneliness’, these resources offer simple measures New Yorkers can take in their lives – from reaching out to friends to volunteering in their community – to help them and their loved ones avoid and address feelings of loneliness, and to prevent social isolation.
Governor Hochul announced State University of New York campuses are investing nearly $10 million in annual State funding to increase their mental health services and support for students, faculty, and staff. This investment will expand services at 28 campuses, support more than 200,000 students, and build on its Statewide Tele-Psychiatry Network (STPN) and new tele-counseling option for community colleges.
Governor Hochul announced $30 million in supportive housing funding to serve older adults, survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, veterans and chronically homeless families, and individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder. Administered by the State Office of Mental Health, the eighth round of funding through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative resulted in 122 awards, which will provide conditional funding for services and operating expenses for up to 4,839 units of supportive housing.
Governor Hochul awarded $100 million for 50 school districts and BOCES to address pandemic learning loss and provide students with mental health support. The funding will expand student access to evidence-based interventions to combat learning loss and also help staff and students identify and respond to mental health concerns. Today’s announcement builds on Governor Hochul’s priority to expand mental health support for students.
OMH announced a new training center dedicated helping behavioral healthcare providers implement evidence-based practices free of charge so they can offer improved services to children and their families. Supported with a $4.3 million investment of state funding, the Center for Workforce Excellence will bring evidence-based behavioral health training and technical assistance to eligible community-based organizations serving youth and families, which will help reduce disparities for people served by smaller providers, such as in rural areas.
Governor Hochul announced the availability of $50 million to help community-based hospitals expand access to mental health treatment for children and adults across New York State. This funding, part of Governor Hochul's $1 billion investment to transform the mental health continuum of care, will allow these facilities to add new inpatient capacity.
Governor Hochul announced a series of actions to help New Yorkers from every community grow and thrive as part of her 2024 State of the State address. These actions include expanding support for New Yorkers with disabilities through increasing integration, employment and independent living opportunities; making new commitments to support indigenous nations; taking action to strengthen data privacy for abortion providers and strengthening services for LGBTQ+ and TGNCNB New Yorkers; and expanding support for and recognition of New York State's veterans.
Governor Hochul unveiled new initiatives to support children and families across New York as a part of her 2024 State of the State address. The Governor’s proposal will expand access to high quality health care for New York’s children and ensure that no child in need misses out on critical health care services.
Governor Hochul announced expanded efforts to protect the mental health of kids and teenagers as part of her 2024 State of the State address. The measures include establishing a school-based mental health clinic in any school that wants one; passing new legislation to protect kids online; convening youth mental health advisory boards; and expanding loan repayment programs for children’s mental health practitioners.
Governor Hochul announced a plan to address the public safety challenges associated with serious mental illness as a part of her 2024 State of the State address. The Governor’s proposal will provide a new, significant expansion of psychiatric beds and services for individuals with acute needs.
As part of a comprehensive approach to improving the health and well-being of New Yorkers, Governor Hochul announced initiatives to stabilize and transform the health care delivery system, expand access to affordable insurance, enhance primary and preventive health care, and protect New Yorkers against ballooning medical debt.
OMH announced that the Daniel’s Law Task Force will host the next in a series of stakeholder listening sessions aimed at gathering feedback from the public. Registration is now open for the second stakeholder listening session at the at the State University of New York at Stony Brook’s Charles B. Wang Conference Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, and also streamed live.