April 1, 2025
For Immediate Release
Contact: Glenn Liebman, CEO, MHANYS
518-360-7916 gliebman@mhanys.org
MEDIA ADVISORY:
HUMAN SERVICE ADVOCATES TO HOST DAILY RALLY UNTIL FINAL BUDGET IS ADOPTED
& CONTINUE TO URGE LEGISLATURE AND EXECUTIVE TO INCLUDE CRITICALLY NEEDED
7.8% TARGETED INCREASE
“WE CAN’T WAIT FOR 7.8”
(Albany, N.Y.) – Advocates are rallying for a second straight week, Tuesday through Friday, April 1 – April 4, 2025, at three o’clock on the third floor of the Capitol between the steps of the Senate Chamber and the Legislative Correspondents Association (LCA) Room.
According to Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, “Amidst an extraordinary mental health crisis and rising demand for supports and services, it is imperative the final budget include a flexible 7.8% targeted inflationary increase for behavioral and human services not-for-profits. This increase is needed to support the workforce and programs that communities have come to rely on in times of need and crisis.”
According to Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council, “Now is the time to make an investment in these essential workers, many of whom are women of color, and far too many of whom are now doing their jobs on empty stomachs and frayed nerves. Human-services providers are hemorrhaging staff because they can’t compete with private-sector wages. We’re asking for a modest 7.8% cost-of-living adjustment – a figure that simply keeps pace with inflation. This is just 0.24% of the state budget, which amounts to a quarter of a penny on the dollar. Is this really too much to ask for the people who make New York livable?”
“We can’t wait for 7.8!”
