More than $3.3 million in funding for community-based medical institutions was announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, increasing the number of children and families in the state who can receive mental health assistance.
The federal money, which is managed by the state Office of Mental Health, is intended to assist community-based service providers in providing better care to kids and teenagers who have been diagnosed with both a mental illness and a developmental impairment or a drug use problem.
New York Allocates $3.3 Million Towards Children’s Mental Health
The American Rescue Plan Act and a time-limited increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage portion of Medicaid program funding provide funding for the grants.
The needs of the children and families they serve were invited to be met by creative projects proposed by community-based healthcare practitioners.
The grants total more than $1 million and were distributed to 35 nonprofit community-based programs that have contracts with the Office of Mental Health, get funding from those organizations or county mental health departments through local or federal funding, or both.
These grants will help increase initiatives to prevent suicide, respite programs, resources for families and young people who are struggling, and non-Medicaid managed care programs for kids.
Nineteen community-based providers received a share of a further $760,000 in support of the establishment of mechanisms to boost participation and lessen dependency on emergency services for transportation.
The purchase of metro cards to assist in removing mobility obstacles for clients of services, as well as the development and improvement of High-Risk Outpatient Mental Health Services, are among the funded initiatives.
Additionally, $760,000 was distributed to 19 projects to build or improve service coordination and interdisciplinary teams as part of the awards.
For a provider’s Children’s Mental Health Rehabilitative Services Program, funded initiatives include the construction of a Multi-Disciplinary Team meeting coordinator and facilitator as well as the deployment of an electronic data collecting system.
Another $280,000 was distributed to seven initiatives with the goal of increasing access to co-occurring treatment for those who have mental illness, developmental disabilities, or drug use disorders.
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Organizations That Will Receive Funding
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A clinician for adolescents with dual diagnoses will be added, staff will receive training in medication-assisted treatment and trauma-based cognitive behavior therapy, and an evidence-based treatment model for adolescents and young adults will be implemented. This model aims to reduce risky substance use and enhance mental health.
Additionally, $250,000 was given to each of NYU Langone Health and the State University of New York at Stony Brook to support training that would enable mental health care professionals better serve persons with dual diagnoses who are living with both a mental illness and a developmental impairment.
In order to effectively engage and treat dual-diagnosed adolescents and families, training will entail raising knowledge of evidence-based strategies and acquiring the necessary skills.
A part of the cash will go to 20 groups in Western New York. These organizations consist of:
- InTandem
- Horizon Health
- Catholic Charities of Buffalo
- New Directions Youth and Family Services
- Villa of Hope
- Chautauqua County Chapter NYSARC Inc.
- MHA Niagara County
- New Directions Youth and Family Services
- Camp Get-A-Way of Western NY
- Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene
- Niagara County Department of MH and Substance Abuse Services
- Hillside Children’s Center
- Catholic Charities of Rochester dba CC of Steuben/Livingston
- Hillside Children’s Center
- Aspire Hope NY
- MHA of Rochester/Monroe County Inc
- Compeer Rochester
- Housing Options Made Easy
- Compeer West dba Compeer of Greater Buffalo
- Mental Health Advocates of Western NY