EMPOWERING FAMILIES. COORDINATING SYSTEMS.

Family Empowerment Month a Huge Success!

On March 21st, Families Together in New York State held our first in-person Family Empowerment Day since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We are happy to say that our return to Albany was a success! Families and youth from all across the state traveled in to make their voices heard!

View the full Family Empowerment Day Here!

Family Empowerment Doesn't Stop For The Month Of March!

New York State is likely doing an extension of its budget negotiation period. This means there is additional time to push for things like the 8.5% COLA, Solutions not Suspensions, and more! Here are some actions you can take right now for youth and families in New York State.

Behavioral Health Insurance Proposals:

Call Legislative Leaders Today!

For the past few weeks, we have been laser-focused on pushing the members of the Assembly to go to their leaders and demand that the mental health and substance use disorder insurance proposals in the Health/Mental Hygiene section of the Governor's executive budget be enacted as part of the new state budget. (Refresher: The Senate indicated support for the proposals in its one-house bill, however, the Assembly did not include the proposals in its bill.)   

Now it is time for us to contact the Senate AND Assembly leaders to ensure that all of the insurance proposals are included in the final budget agreement.

PLEASE make 4 calls today:  

Call Senate Insurance Committee Chair Neil Breslin's office:

(518) 455-2225 or email breslin@nysenate.gov

Call Senate Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera's office:

(518) 455-3395 or email grivera@nysenate.gov

Call Assembly Leader Carl Heastie’s office at:

(518) 455-3791 or email Speaker@nyassembly.gov

Call Assembly Insurance Chair David Weprin at:

(518) 455-5806 or email WeprinD@nyassembly.gov

(Talking Points)

·        You are a (provider/family member/care recipient/constituent) with a strong interest in making sure ALL New Yorkers including those with commercial insurance have equal access to mental health and/or substance use disorder services from the public mental hygiene system. 

·        At the present time, there are long waiting lists for care across New York.

·        Providers are paid (on average) 50% of the current Medicaid rate for services to New Yorkers with commercial insurance. This has the effect of reducing access to care for New Yorkers with commercial insurance.

The insurance proposals in the Article VII, Health/Mental Hygiene Part II executive budget will increase access by requiring commercial insurers to:

·        cover services that are essential to the treatment and recovery of New Yorkers with substance use and/or mental health conditions

·        step up current Network Adequacy requirements that should have been updated long before now

·        begin paying fair rates for services provided in school-based mental health clinics.

·        Ensure commercial insurance coverage for services that are designed to keep New Yorkers out of the hospital

Finally, please state that it is your expectation that both houses will prioritize ALL of the insurance proposals in the final enacted budget. 

Take Action: This Year's Budget Must Fight Poverty

Contact your lawmakers TODAY and let them know that 700,000 children experience poverty every day and that legislative action, such as strengthening refundable tax credits, can alleviate this epidemic in New York. Click below to send a message to your elected officials!

Mental Hygiene Insurance Proposals

Together with our partners at the Behavioral Health Coalition, we have released some positions and recommendations on the insurance proposal in the Executive Budget. This includes robust enforcement of laws on Medicaid managed care, requiring coverage of school-based mental health clinic services, support for telehealth parity, and much more. The full letter can be found below.

Advocacy Events!

Southern Tier: Give your input at OMH Community Engagement Sessions!

These sessions will discuss the mental health priorities outlined in Governor Hochul’s 2023 State of the State plan and Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget and ask for your feedback on how to best make the new opportunities work for your community. Your input will be integral in OMH’s planning process for these historic resources aiming to expand housing, outpatient programs, school-based clinics and hospital services, and increase insurance coverage for mental health services.

If you have any questions, please contact the OMH Office of Planning at planning@omh.ny.gov or visit the website for this initiative for more information.

These sessions will be happening soon, one of which is TONIGHT!

Mohawk Valley - Gloversville - Holiday Inn Johnstown, 308 N Comrie Avenue - 6:00PM-8:00PM April 3, 2023

Mohawk Valley - Gloversville - Holiday Inn Johnstown, 308 N Comrie Avenue - 9:00AM-12:00PM April 4, 2023

Southern Tier - Corning - Radisson Hotel Corning, 125 Denison Parkway East - 6:00PM-8:00PM April 11, 2023

Southern Tier - Corning - Radisson Hotel Corning, 125 Denison Parkway East - 9:00AM-12:00PM April 12, 2023

May 2,2023

Advocates and attorneys will meet with legislators in-person in Albany to advocate for four important state bills: the Family Miranda Bill, the Informed Consent Bill, the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Bill, and the Preserving Family Bonds Act. Our goal is to shrink the pathways through which New York’s most marginalized families are funneled into the family regulation system and to ensure that families currently navigating this system are treated with dignity and respect.