STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York State is allocating $2.5 million in funding for mental health resources for schools over the next five years, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
The effort will create and support a Mental Health Resource and Training Technical Assistance Center for Schools, which will support all New York State public and private schools and assist them in providing mental health education as part of the K-12 curricula.
“The pandemic has made life difficult for all New Yorkers, including young people who have been through so much these past two years,” said Hochul. “This funding will help ensure that schools in New York are able to teach our children about mental health with an age-appropriate curriculum that will decrease fear and stigma and encourage kids to talk to their parents, caregivers or teachers about any concerns they may have.”
Mental health education in school offers the opportunity to provide a positive impact on the overall health of children by enhancing their understanding of mental health, according to the governor’s office. That holistic approach has the ability to reduce stigma and normalize mental health and wellness activities, and may also promote help-seeking behaviors.
This center will help all public and private schools across the state provide the required mental health instruction and assist schools by informing the content and incorporation of mental health into the health curriculum.
“We must think of mental health services in a comprehensive way that supports a transformative whole school, whole child, whole community approach,” said Betty A. Rosa, New York State education commissioner. “Embedding resources and learning into all facets of a school helps provide culturally competent care and supports for the stress, trauma, and anxiety faced by students and educators alike. I am grateful to the Governor for this funding and we will continue to work closely with Commissioner Sullivan and her staff.”
The announcement of this center is the latest initiative to ensure New York’s youngest receive mental health services they may need, according to the governor’s office.
Hochul’s recently released Executive Budget invests heavily in children’s mental health services, including:
- Recover from COVID School Program (RECOVS): An investment of $100 million over two years will create a new State matching fund that will prioritize and assist school districts with the highest needs. Funding will support the hiring of mental health professionals and the expansion of school-based mental health services. It will also fund expansion of summer learning, after school, extended-day, and extended-year programs to help students make up academic ground.
- HealthySteps: The Executive Budget would increase funding by $10 million. HealthySteps helps pediatricians expand their focus on a child’s physical health to include social-emotional and behavioral health and to help support family relationships. Healthy Steps is facilitated by a mental health professional with expertise in child and family development who works with families and their pediatricians to provide mental health and trauma-informed care into the primary care setting.
- Child Health Plus Insurance: The Executive Budget includes $11 million in FY 2023 (growing to $44 million in FY 2024) to improve access to children’s behavioral health services by aligning Child Health Plus benefits with Medicaid benefits, including mental health and substance use services, home- and community-based services, evidence-based treatment for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness, and residential rehabilitation for youth.
- Trauma-Informed Care network: The Governor’s budget includes $10 million to expand the network and provide specialized treatment that addresses experiences that can traumatize children, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Children and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS): The Executive Budget increases funding for this program by $8 million. CFTSS provides an array of services, including youth and family peer supports and psychosocial rehabilitation, and can work with children and youth before they have a diagnosis, providing individualized and community-based supports for both prevention and treatment.
- Home-Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI): Governor Hochul proposed an increase in funding ($7.5M in 2022-23; $10M Full Annual) to develop new HBCI teams and expand current caseloads to serve 2,640 families each year, doubling the current volume. HBCI provides short-term, intensive, in-home crisis intervention services to a family in crisis as an alternative to admitting their child in a psychiatric hospital.
- Residential Treatment Facilities: These facilities serve our most vulnerable and highest needs children. The Governor’s Budget would significantly increase funding ($7.5 million in State funds, $15 million with matching Federal funds).
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