Welcome to MHANYS’ Legislative Action Community!
Welcome to MHANYS Legislative Action Community, a place where ordinary people are empowered to actively engage with New York State policymakers to improve access to mental health services and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Whether you are new to advocacy or a seasoned advocate, the Action Community includes the resources necessary for you to meaningfully participate in the process of influencing needed changes to the mental health system.
Explore the site. We hope you will join us in our mission to end the stigma against mental illness and promote mental health wellness in New York State.
Becoming an advocate can seem intimidating at first, but MHANYS Legislative Action Community can help to take the mystery out of advocacy and provides practical steps for getting started. The main prerequisite is simply a desire to make a difference by helping to influence change.
Thank you for visiting.
MHANYS in Action Policy Documents
Policy Year: 2021
MHANYS Issue Briefs
MHANYS Testimony
May 18, 2021 – Joint Legislative Public Hearing on Mental Health Crisis Services
February 5, 2021 – Joint Legislative Public Hearing on 2021‐2022 Executive Budget Proposal Topic Mental Hygiene
September 15, 2020 – Assembly Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
September 8, 2020 – Assembly Committee on Mental Health
February 3, 2020 – Joint Legislative Public Hearing 2020-2021 Executive Budget Proposal Topic Mental Hygiene
Memorandums of Support
All Products Clauses Memo in Support – A.252
AN ACT to amend the social services law, the public health law and the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting a provider of health care coverage from requiring providers of behavioral health services to offer all products offered by the provider of health care coverage.
Continuity in Coverage for Prescription Drugs Memo in Support – S.2849 /A.2969
Mental Health Teacher Training Memo in Support – A.2136
Student Suicide Prevention Act Memo in Support – S.82/A.4763
School Mental Health Absences Memo in Support – S.563/A.1869
Amend the Insurance Law: Step Therapy Memo in Support – S.5909/A.3276
Health Plan Coverage Memo in Support – S.4111/A.4688
MHANYS Reports/White Papers
MHANYS Policy Articles
Want to Learn More About Advocacy?
View our videos:
- Public Policy: What is it?
- Advocacy Part 1: The Importance of Your Voice
- Advocacy Part 2: How to Be an Advocate
- How-to Workshop: Advocacy – How to Do It? (Recording from Mental Health Matters Advocacy Days 2021)
- How-to Workshop: Legislative Messaging Campaign (Recording from Mental Health Matters Advocacy Days 2021)
- How-to Workshop: Petition Campaign (Recording from Mental Health Matters Advocacy Days 2021)
Download and use these handouts:
Celebrating MHANYS Advocacy Victories
Trauma Informed Advisory Council
Passed in 2020. This law creates a council with statewide stakeholders focused on creating trauma policy recommendations for state.
Mental Health Tax Checkoff
Passed in 2015. This law adds a Mental Health Awareness Campaign option to State income tax forms. Proceeds fund anti-stigma projects across NYS.
NYS License Plate
Passed in 2017. This law created a specialized license plate to fund anti-stigma projects across NYS.
Mental Health Education in Schools
Passed in 2016. This law requires schools to teach about mental health in health education class.
Tools to Get Active
- Send a letter to a legislator or the Governor. (coming soon)
- Sign a petition (coming soon)
Archive
Testimony
December 9, 2019 – Joint Assembly Committee: Mental Health, Health, and Veteran’s Affairs Hearing on Suicide Prevention Supports and Services
November 5, 2019 – Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Hearing on Veterans Mental Health and Well-Being
June 4,2019 – Senate Mental Hygiene Committee Hearing on Suicide Prevention
February 7, 2019 – Budget Hearing on Mental Hygiene
October 23, 2018 – Assembly Standing Committee on Education
February 13, 2018 – Joint Legislative Public Hearing 2018-2019 Executive Budget Proposal Topic Mental Hygiene
Memorandum of Support
Healthy Workplaces Memo in Support– S.2261 /A.7366
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to establishing healthy work-places.
Licensed Professionals for Camps Memo in Support – S.3834 /A.3074
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the provision of certain professional services to children’s camps and camps for children with developmental disabilities.
Mental Health Training for School Personnel Memo in Support– S.7612 /A.9806
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain persons receive mental health training each year.
Parity Report Act Memo in Support – S.1156-C /A.3694-C
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to establishing the mental health and substance use disorder parity report act.
Prescription Synchronization Memo in Support– S.4078 /A.3009
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to synchronization of multiple prescriptions.
School Mental Health Resource and Training Center Memo in Support
Segregated Confinement (HALT) Memo in Support– S.1623 /A.2500
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to restricting the use of segregated confinement and creating alternative therapeutic and rehabilitative confinement options.
Trauma Advisory Council Memo in Support – A.10629
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council.
Medicare Part B “Crossover” Payments Memo in Opposition – Provisions of S.1507/A.2007
MHANYS was honored to receive the
Excellence in Advocacy Organizational Achievement Award
from the National Council for Behavioral Health
Congratulations to Glenn Liebman for being named to The Health Care Power 50 by City and State magazine. We also like to congratulate John Coppola and all others recognized! Read more . . .
Find Laws & Legislation
Legislation search engine that allows searches based on word search and bill number search.