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Governor Hochul Announces Dramatic Decline in Overdose Deaths in New York State
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced preliminary figures from the Centers for Disease Control verifying her fight to reduce drug overdose deaths in New York State. Findings reveal a 32 percent drop in drug related deaths in 2024, compared to those in 2023. New York State’s historic investments have been important in contributing to addressing the opioid and overdose epidemic and bringing new services to all areas of the state. The Governor continues her pledge to reach high-need and underserved individuals and populations. “These numbers are further validation of our commitment to investing in real solutions which address the negative impacts of the opioid epidemic,” Governor Hochul said. “We continue to expand and enhance services across the state, ensuring New Yorkers in need can access these lifesaving resources.” Read more here.
Related: Majority of youth overdose deaths from 2018 to 2022 were driven by fentanyl alone, study reveals
1 in 4 U.S. children lives with a parent who has a substance use disorder
The cost of addiction: Opioid use disorder in the United States
A “Boots on the Ground” Approach to Prevent Overdoses Among Veterans
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New York and Other States Enact More School Cell Phone Bans/Restrictions
New York’s recently passed $254 billion state budget includes a provision requiring school districts to implement a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban. This proposal appears to be in good company, as a half-dozen states enacted legislation restricting cell phones and other electronic devices in schools between April and May of 2025, bringing the number of states with related policies to 15 in total. Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature made a few changes to the governor’s proposal through the budget process, but the enacted version is largely similar to the original proposal. Beginning in the 2025–26 school year, the finalized policy mandates that all school districts will be required to create policies that prohibit student use of internet-enabled devices throughout the school day, with certain exceptions. The budget also appropriates $13.5 million for school districts to implement the ban. Read more here.
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A Message on her Confirmation from Commissioner Baer
I am incredibly honored and humbled to have been nominated by Governor Hochul, and confirmed earlier today by the New York State Senate, as the Commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities. For the last year I have traveled across the state visiting programs, clinics, and homes, and meeting with self-advocates, families, direct support staff, agency executives and community partners. I have heard about what is working well in our system and where there may be opportunities for improvement. The insight I gather from hearing from all of you helps to inform agency policy and the evolution of our work at OPWDD. Read more here.
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Unique Generational Mental Health Needs Highlight Demand for Personalized Care, Survey Finds
More than half of Americans say their mental health became important to them in the last five years, a new survey found. Conducted in April by Rula Health, a virtual behavioral health company, the survey reached more than 2,000 U.S. adults and aimed to understand the current state of mental health. The findings revealed more than half of Americans have accessed mental health services at some point in their lives. Of those, more than a quarter are currently in therapy and another quarter sought therapy within the past year. This is an encouraging sign that people are proactively addressing their mental health concerns, the report suggested. And many respondents are seeing progress: 78% of those who sought therapy said they saw improvement as a result. Read more here.
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Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Launches $51M Grant Program to Support Nurse Workforce in Safety Net Hospitals Across NYS
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, New York’s largest grantmaking organization focused on improving the health and well-being of vulnerable communities, today announced a $51 million investment to empower nursing professionals, reduce burnout, address workforce shortages and improve patient care in 13 New York hospitals serving high-need populations. The first-of-its-kind investment stems from the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to bolster the healthcare workforce across New York State. The new “Nursing Initiative” grant program will help hospitals achieve industry-leading frameworks in nursing excellence, establish innovative programs to support front-line nurses, and help recent nurse graduates transition into the profession. Read more here.
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Governors Address Behavioral Health Needs for 2025
Across the country, governors continue to make behavioral health a priority—using their State of the State, budget, and inaugural addresses to highlight investments in behavioral health infrastructure, workforce, and treatment. According to an analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts, 32 governors referenced mental health in speeches addressing their constituencies in early 2025. This is in line with last year, when a majority of governors also prioritized behavioral health in their State of the State addresses. With 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiencing mental illness, leaders from both parties recognize the urgent need to expand access to quality care—particularly in rural communities and among vulnerable populations. Read more here.
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3 Things to Watch on Mental Health in Trump’s Early Budget Proposals
Since President Trump released his 2026 budget blueprint in early May, calling for $163 billion in federal spending cuts, much of the attention has focused on his slashing of foreign aid and boosting of border security. But the proposal also holds important clues, amid some mixed messages, about the administration’s approach to two pressing public health issues: mental health and addiction. There are about 80,000 overdose deaths in the United States each year, recent data shows, and nearly 50,000 deaths by suicide. Trump’s proposal includes heavy cuts, totaling more than $22.6 billion, to three federal agencies that address these issues and suggests eliminating programs aimed at suicide and overdose prevention. The administration says this will streamline its efforts, but advocates, researchers, and public health practitioners worry this could make the death toll even worse. Read more here.
Related: DiNapoli Releases Guide to Federal Funding in New York
NYS Association of Counties join to outline impacts of federal budget cuts
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SUNY Chancellor King Celebrates Recipients of Third Annual SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program
During Mental Health Awareness Month, State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced 15 students from across nine SUNY campuses have been recognized as recipients of the SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program. The scholarship program was established in August 2022 by Governor Kathy Hochul, and is part of SUNY's partnership with New York State's Office of Mental Health (OMH) to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on serving New Yorkers who may have historically lacked quality mental health care. The program, which distributes scholarships for up to three years per student, also offers paid internships, fee waivers for graduate school applicants, and more to support students in mental health degree programs. Read more here.
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Mobile Crisis Units Face Funding Perils
Mobile crisis teams are facing an era of unprecedented shifts in funding reliability and health care priorities, putting the viability of these “teams on wheels” into question. The goal of mobile crisis units is to provide on-site behavioral health services to individuals in crisis, reducing reliance on law enforcement intervention and minimizing emergency department boarding of patients with psychiatric needs. However, staffing challenges and funding woes have historically limited mobile crisis units. Historically, the model has been challenging to make a business case for due to unevenly applied clinical best practices and constrained metrics tracking to prove return on investment (ROI). Funding and policy issues have kept the scale of mobile units relatively small, sometimes limiting them from reaching those who could benefit most. The recent restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), combined with reduced budget proposals for agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a primary funding source for mobile crisis units, has left many mobile crisis operators perplexed. Read more here.
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The Whole Person Challenge & Opportunity
Consumers with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) remain a priority population for policymakers, payers, and health plan executives. This group of consumers has a life expectancy 10 to 20 years shorter than the general population, with the majority of premature deaths attributed to underdiagnosed and undertreated physical health conditions. Additionally, inappropriate polypharmacy and inconsistent monitoring of medication side effects compound these difficulties. Not surprisingly, this group of consumers has high rates of acute care utilization and associated costs. In fact, spending for Medicaid beneficiaries with a mental illness is twice that of those without—about $14,000 per year—compared to roughly $7,000 for those without a mental health diagnosis. Spending is highest among adults diagnosed with a serious mental illness, at approximately $21,000 per enrollee per year, which is three times higher than the annual spending for those without a mental illness. Despite the human toll and the unnecessary health care spending, services designed to address their health needs remain fragmented and difficult to access in most settings. Read more here.
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Having a Bad Day in Foster Care? Peers in New York Are Just a Phone Call Away
New peer support called “The Heartline” was announced last week, and it offers New York foster youth a private, anonymous way to seek help when they’re struggling and fearful that sharing information with adults in their lives could make matters worse. Those picking up calls to the “warmline” — similar to a hotline, but for non-crisis issues — are trained peer counselors who have experienced the child welfare system themselves. The Heartline, unveiled as a statewide service, began operating in January on a trial basis. It is a joint effort between New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services and the youth-led nonprofit Bravehearts M.O.V.E., located in Dobbs Ferry. Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
Measurement-Informed Care and the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM)
May 22, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Family and Systems Integration in Crisis Services for Children and Youth
May 22, 2 - 3 pm, 988 Crisis Systems Response Technical Assistance Center
Co-response Hiring and Workforce Guidance
May 22, 2 - 3:30 pm, CSG Justice Center
Bridging Divides Where Systems Meet for Youth & Families - Part 2: Programs that Connect – The Evolution
May 28, 12 - 1:30 pm, NTTAC
A Strategy for Supporting Youth with Complex Needs and their Families
May 28, 1:30 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Engaging Pharmacists in Improving Treatment Outcomes for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder
May 28, 2 - 3 pm, FORE
Strengthening Integrated Care Systems and Cross-agency Collaboration
May 28, 3 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
2nd Annual Documentation Event - IN-PERSON
May 29, 9 am - 3 pm, Crown Plaza, Albany, MCTAC
Patient Treatment Preferences in Bipolar-I Disorder: Are We Really Listening?
May 29, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Navigating Consent and Respecting Autonomy in Treatment for those with Serious Mental Illness
May 29, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Trauma-Informed Supervision for Supervisors (in Rural Communities)
May 29, 1 - 3 pm, NCROTAC
Addressing Hepatitis C in Behavioral Health Settings
May 28, 3 - 4 pm, SAMHSA
Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions – Reflections of 30 Years: Part 2
June 2, 12 - 1 pm, Transitions ACR
Key Considerations for Optimizing EMRs to Support Tobacco Use Treatment in Behavioral Health
June 3, 1 - 2 pm, The National Center of Excellence for Tobacco-Free Recovery
Using a Narrative Approach Therapy in Addressing PTSD Self-Stigma
June 4, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
An Affirming and Effective Substance Use Disorder Curriculum for the LGBTQ+ Community
June 4, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
What's the Latest? EMS-Initiated Buprenorphine
June 4, 3 - 4 pm, SAMHSA
Unveiling ADHD's Complex Relationship with Substance Use and Young Adults
June 11, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Bridging Divides Where Systems Meet for Youth & Families - Part 3: Sustainability in Uncertainty
June 11, 12 - 1:30 pm, NTTAC
Integrating Harm Reduction into Health Care Facilities Serving Medicaid Members
June 11, 2 - 3:15 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
Substance Use and Child Welfare: Rebuilding Family-Centered Systems of Care
June 12, 11:30 am - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Housing Instability Access to Care: Best Practices for Health Centers
June 12, 1 - 2 pm, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Advancing licensure: Growing the mental health care workforce
June 12, 2 - 3 pm, Kaiser Permanente
The Next Five Years: How Addiction Treatment Has and Will Change in the Decade Since COVID Changed Everything
June 12, 2 - 3 pm, Behavioral Health Business
Next Steps for Cultural Responsiveness in Ethical Decision-Making
July 9, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Schools on the Frontline: Early Identification, Intervention, and Support
July 14, 2:30 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Breaking the Cycle: Interrupting Intergenerational Trauma in Substance Use Disorders
July 23, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Substance Use and Psychiatric Care: Bridging the Divide for Whole-Person Treatment
August 18, 2:30 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Toward Whole-Person Care: Integrated Substance Use and Primary Care Integration
September 8, 2:30 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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CLMHD CALENDAR
JUNE
CLMHD Executive Committee Meeting
June 4: 8 - 9 am
AOT Coordinators Meeting
June 6: 10 - 11:30 am
LGU Clinic Operators Call
June 10: 10 - 11:30 am
Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting
June 12: 11 am - 12 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
June 12: 3 - 4 pm
Children & Families Committee Meeting
June 17: 11:30 am - 1 pm
Membership Call
June 18: 9 - 10:30 am
CLMHD Office Closed - Juneteenth
June 19
Mental Hygiene Planning Committee Meeting
June 26: 1 - 3 pm
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