MEDIA ADVISORY
Behavioral Health Advocates Ask for Increases in Rates and Contracts
Statewide Advocates Asking for 7.8% Increase in Investments in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services and Supports
(Albany, N.Y.) – Eleven statewide advocacy groups will host a press event in Albany to ask the Legislature and Governor Hochul to include a 7.8% in rates and contracts for mental health and substance use disorder services in the final enacted NYS SFY 2025-2026 budget.
The press event will be held in Albany on Tuesday, February 4th at 10:00am at the NYS Capitol Building, Senate Staircase, 3rd Floor, (down the hall from LCA).
The group sent a statement on the Governor’s Executive Proposed SFY 26 Budget here.
Governor Hochul’s budget proposal included a 2.1% targeted inflationary increase and advocates say this is not enough. This amount is much less than what is needed, which is 7.8% based on the unfunded inflationary increases during the Governor’s time in office and does not reflect the urgency of the circumstances facing safety net programs such as escalating operational costs and our inability to recruit and retain the staff.
New Yorkers continue to experience long waiting periods to access mental health and substance use disorder services through New York’s community-based continuum of care. Further, mental health and addiction prevention, treatment recovery and harm reduction agencies struggling with inflationary costs such as transportation, utilities, food, etc. are experiencing a statewide 20% – 30% job vacancy rate based on program type and 35% turnover rate.
The demand for mental health and substance use disorder services has never been higher, yet adults, children and families are facing wait lists, limited access to care and services and long stays in emergency rooms. New York must make meaningful investments to close treatment gaps, eliminate disparities, and improve access to services by investing in both the behavioral health workforce and addressing inflated operating expenses that service providers are struggling to pay.
WHO:
Glenn Liebman, CEO, Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS)
Paige Pierce, CEO, Families Together in NYS
Michelle Smith-Carrigan, Family Peer Advocate and son
Luke Sikinyi, Public Policy Director, Alliance for Rights and Recovery
Sawn Pondillo, Consumer
Nathan McLaughlin, Executive Director, NAMI-NYS
Julie LeClair, Board Chair, NAMI-NYS
Doug Cooper, Interim Executive Director, Association for Community Living
David Bach, CEO, Unity House Maria Cristalli, President and CEO, Hillside and Chair, Board of Directors, NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health
WHAT:
Press event to call for 7.8% investment in rates and contracts for mental health and substance use disorder services
WHERE:
NYS Capitol, Senate Staircase, 3rd Floor, (down the hall from LCA)
WHEN:
Tuesday, February 4th at 10:00 a.m.
The eleven agencies represented at the rally are: Association for Community Living, Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates of New York State (COMPA), Families Together in New York State, InUnity Alliance, Mental Health Association in New York State, National Alliance on Mental Illness New York State (NAMI), New York State Care Management Coalition, New York State Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health, NYS Council for Community Behavioral Health Care, Alliance for Rights and Recovery, and Supportive Housing Network of New York
