Gov. Hochul proposes expanding mental health services for youths

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing what advocates say is a historic effort to bring more mental health care into schools to combat rising incidents of depression and suicide, often fueled by social media.

“We need a comprehensive approach to youth mental health,” Hochul said in announcing the proposal in her State of the State address last week. “For decades, our mental health system was deprioritized and defunded. Make no mistake: This is the defining challenge of our times.”

Her approach seeks to head off more expensive mental health care that now focuses more on adults after mentally ill people are committed to hospitals, are violent or, more commonly, become victims of violence.

The idea still needs to be funded in the state budget, which Hochul will propose on Tuesday.

In a September report, the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital said the spike in mental health crises among children is alarming. In the last three years, mental health emergencies rose 24% for children 5 to 11 years old and 31% for youths 12 to 17 nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers said since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 70% of public schools nationwide reported an increase in students seeking mental health services at school.

“Mental health programs within school settings can serve as a critical tool in addressing health disparities,” said Dr. Aiyana Rivera-Rodriguez, medical director of the School-Based Mental Health Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.

“We are seeing children who are dealing with anxiety, depression, self-harm, grief and trauma as well as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,” Rivera-Rodriguez said. “Our findings show improved grades, test scores and attendance, and reduced behavioral problems, depressive and anxiety symptoms for youth in treatment prevention services.”

Hochul’s proposal would have to be approved by the State Legislature, where a half-dozen active bills seek similar goals. One bill would provide a licensed social worker and full-time psychologist to all public schools.

“It is a sad reality that many children do not receive the early intervention needed to prevent long-term problems and are often unnecessarily and inappropriately referred to special education,” according to a bill sponsored by Sen. Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan) and Assemb. Jessica Gonzalez-Roja (D-Queens). “Many long-term problems can be averted.” The bill was first introduced in 2019, but died in committee.

Hochul’s proposal has drawn support from advocates for children’s mental health and, in what has become uncommon bipartisanship in Albany, from Senate Republican leader Rob Ortt of North Tonawanda.

“I, for a long time, have felt New York’s pediatric health area has been lacking,” said Ortt, a former chairman of the Senate Mental Health Committee. “We do not do a great job, we have not invested a lot of money and it is the most effective use … ask any school administrator. The amount of mental health problems in schools would blow your mind.”

Statewide, advocates for youth mental health said Hochul’s proposal would be “groundbreaking.”

“A lot of people in the child behavioral health arena are thrilled,” said Paige Pierce, CEO of Families Together in New York State, a group that advocates for mental health services. “Mental health is schools is especially important because that’s where the kids are … this is the kind of investment we wanted forever.”

Hochul proposes:

• Opening more mental health clinics in any school that wants one. Hochul proposes state funding to help start the clinics and more reimbursement to schools for school-based mental health services. She also said the state would require health insurers to cover school-based services.
• Legislation to reduce the way social media can manipulate the emotions of children into depression, suicidal thoughts and other harmful feelings. Hochul would require social media companies to restrict addictive features in part by allowing parents to block access to platforms during specific hours, such as overnight. Violations could carry $5,000 fines under Hochul’s proposal.
• The related Child Data Protect Act would prohibit online sites from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data for anyone under 18 with few exceptions, or for all users 12 years old or younger without parental approval. Violations could carry $5,000 fines. “Social media is a silent killer of our children’s generation,” Hochul said.
• Expanding the Youth Assertive Community Treatment program, which provides children and their families with crisis support, psychotherapy, medication management help and other measures to avoid more expensive hospitalization.
• Paying for some of the student loans for children’s mental health practitioners to combat a shortage of child psychiatrists and clinicians trained in youth mental health.

On Thursday, Hochul announced the state will provide $50 million to help hospitals expand access to mental health treatments for children and adults as part of her multiyear $1 billion commitment to improving mental health care. The funding will provide a community-based hospital as much as $5 million to buy property, design and build expansions.

She said the state also will provide more funding for Children’s Community Residences that allow youths with health problems to go to community schools and continue to live in the neighborhoods. Additional funding will expand children’s day treatment programs for intensive, daily treatment while living at home and attending school.

“Focusing on our kids is critical because they’re our most precious resource and investing in mental health services for the young means they won’t be relegated to a lifetime of needing care later on,” Hochul said.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.