BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that a $13.5 million grant for suicide prevention was awarded through an initiative with the State Office of Mental Health.
According to the news release, the State Office of Mental Health received two federal grants that will expand access to mental and behavioral health services for primary care practices that work with the youth.
“Now more than ever, we must acknowledge that mental health is a basic human right and that we must do more to help New Yorkers – especially our young people – before they reach a point of crisis,” Governor Hochul said. “With this federal funding, we redouble our commitment to improving the mental health care system in our state and to ensuring all New Yorkers –especially our youth and those from vulnerable populations – have access to the stigma-free resources they can rely on to maintain positive mental well-being.”
The goal is to implement a 'Zero Suicide' model at 13 certified community behavioral health clinics across the state.
According to the news release, New York State will be awarded $10 million over five years to expand the collaborative care model. The model takes a holistic team-based approach to treating mental health conditions with a specific focus on advancing health equity.
“We must do more to support the mental well-being of our youth – especially among marginalized populations. Governor Hochul’s landmark plan provides both an evidenced-based blueprint to improve our state’s mental health system and provides the funding to build these services and supports. We applaud this commitment as we collectively work toward reducing the stigma of mental illness and improving our system of care at all levels statewide,” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan.
The news release said the initiative will address mental and behavioral health problems among youth with co-occurring serious emotional disturbance and physical health conditions or chronic disease, with the goal of ensuring equitable access to underserved populations.
“It is critical that we provide more funding to get mental health care to those in crisis to prevent suicide, save lives, and provide pathways to healing. That is why I am so proud we fought for and delivered this $13.5 million in federal suicide prevention funding via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to New York to be used in community mental health clinics across New York. I commend Governor Hochul for her dedication to supporting those facing mental health battles across our state, and I’m proud to deliver this major investment that will bring community support for our most vulnerable residents,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.
Also, more than 400 advocates, school staff, and service providers attended the Suicide Prevention Conference in Albany on Tuesday to discuss efforts underway to help address the youth mental health crisis in New York.
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