WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Governor Kathy Hochul outlined more of her billion dollar plan for expanding mental health care this week.
First outlined during the 2023 State of the State last month, the plan aims to dramatically expand access to mental health care, reduce wait times, and ensure appropriate levels of care to correct a mental health care system that she says has suffered from chronic underinvestment.
The plan calls for thousands of new residential units for New Yorkers with mental illness, and millions being invested in expanding outpatient services. Hochul says New Yorkers who struggle with mental illness deserve a system that is suited for and responsive to their needs.
“Mental health will continue to be front and center because that is the core of wellness for our people that they have the services they need if they’re falling through the cracks. Compassionate care, wraparound services, a place to stay and heal. And that, from this day forward, it’ll be a priority of the State of New York because that’s what our people deserve,” said Hochul.
Hochul says some of the money will also go to helping the youth in New York as $10 million will go to expand school-based mental health services and another $10 million will go to strengthening suicide prevention programs for at-risk youth.
Copyright 2023 WWNY. All rights reserved.
