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Governor Hochul Announces More Than $45 Million to Fund Supportive Housing Statewide
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced conditional awards of $45.9 million through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative or ‘ESSHI,’ a program that funds supportive services to help stably house New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. The program’s ninth round of funding resulted in 200 awards, which will fund services and operating expenses for up to 8,389 additional units of supportive housing to serve older adults, survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, veterans and chronically homeless families, and individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder. This year’s awards include 54 projects in New York City, 21 projects on Long Island, and 125 projects in locations north of the metropolitan area. These conditional awards –the most issued in a single round of the program –came after Governor Hochul secured a 53 percent increase in annual funding for the program as part of the FY26 Enacted Budget. Read more here.
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New York Releases 2026–2030 Statewide Suicide Prevention Strategy
The Suicide Prevention Center of New York has released the 2026–2030 New York State Strategy for Suicide Prevention, developed with statewide partners and New Yorkers with lived experience and aligned with the 2024 national strategy. The plan outlines a unified approach for all agencies, schools, organizations, and communities to strengthen suicide prevention efforts across the state. Readers are encouraged to review the strategy and consider creating local action plans tailored to their communities.
Related: US suicide rate fell in 2024 after hovering at high level
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Youth Mental Health Improved When Schools Reopened, Study Finds
A study of nearly 200,000 California schoolchildren found that their mental health had improved significantly after schools reopened for in-person learning in 2021, evidence that its authors said shows that the risks of prolonged shutdowns were greater than policymakers understood at the time. The study,
published on Monday in the journal Epidemiology, tracked medical claims for 185,735 privately insured children ages 5 to 18 in California over the months before and after their schools reopened. Nine months after schools reopened, the probability that a child would be seen by a provider for a mental health condition was reduced by 43%, the authors found. Read more here.
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Disconnected: The Escalating Challenge of Loneliness Among Adults 45-Plus
Loneliness among adults 45 and older is rising at an alarming rate. According to a recent AARP study, 40% of U.S. adults now report being lonely, a significant increase from 35% in both 2010 and 2018. This national study reveals that loneliness is not only persistent but growing. Today’s loneliness epidemic is shaped by shifting social landscapes. Adults in their 40s and 50s are especially vulnerable, facing unique pressures such as work stress, caregiving responsibilities, and changing family dynamics. Men now report higher rates of loneliness than women (42% vs. 37%), a shift from the 2018 gender parity. Notably, those at the younger end of the 45-plus spectrum experience the highest rates, while loneliness tends to decrease with age, higher education, and greater household income. Read more here.
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Governor Hochul Announces $100 Million in NY BRICKS Grants for 30 Community Center Projects Statewide
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced 30 awards totaling $100 million through the Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS) capital grant program. The grants will support municipalities and nonprofit organizations across New York State in building or renovating community centers that promote physical health, mental well-being, and community connections for youth and older adults. The awards, which will benefit nearly 400,000 New Yorkers across the State, are funded from the $100 million NY BRICKS program, which Governor Hochul secured in the FY 2026 Enacted Budget. The NY BRICKS grants will fund projects in 22 counties across New York State, reflecting the statewide reach and geographic diversity of the program. Read more here.
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Stretching Small Opioid Settlement Allocations Helps Funding Do More
Experts in substance use prevention, harm reduction and recovery advised counties last month with small opioid settlement allocations on best practices for leveraging funding across the continuum of care, at NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network peer exchange in Washington, D.C. States and localities are set to receive $56 billion in opioid settlement dollars over an 18-year period, but not every county that receives settlement funding will get enough to build out infrastructure — some counties will only receive hundreds of dollars — but effectively using small allocations can still lead to meaningful impact, according to Dr. Abby Winiker, director of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative. Read more here.
Related: Integrating Harm Reduction into Health Care Settings Serving Medicaid Members
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Housing Supports for People with SUD/OUD: The Opportunity of Opioid Settlement Funds
People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of opioid overdose and face additional barriers to accessing substance use treatment and supports compared to the general population. Improving access to treatment and stable housing opportunities for this population requires resource alignment across federal, state, and local sources and across the housing capital, rental assistance, and services sectors. Chronic (and increasing) shortages in affordable housing and behavioral health services also contribute to challenges. To address this gap, states are pursuing braided funding approaches, including leveraging opioid settlement funds, to strategically invest in an array of housing and wraparound services options. Read more here.
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How Federal-State Collaboration Can Continue to Advance Integrated Care for Dually Eligible Individuals
Foundational misalignments between Medicare and Medicaid can make it very difficult for dually eligible individuals to access the care and services they need. As one dually eligible enrollee told The People Say, a website that shares stories from older adults on the issues that affect them most, “Half the time, if you try to get the [medical] equipment you need ... you don’t get it ’cause you have to go to a Medicaid doctor to get it. Then there’s other stuff that Medicare won’t pay [for] that I could surely use… It’s frustrating.” The responsibility for designing and implementing programs that integrate Medicare and Medicaid benefits, administrative systems, and financing for dually eligible individuals largely rests with states. Yet, strong federal leadership has been essential in guiding and supporting states in these efforts. Read more here.
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Methadone Treatment Can Be Integrated Into Primary Care, Randomized Trial Shows
Primary care-based methadone treatment boosted adherence to guideline-directed care and helped patients access recommended health services, a randomized trial in the Ukraine showed. The study compared methadone delivery in a primary care setting versus a speciality clinic in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Patients treated for OUD in primary care had higher composite quality health indicator (QHI) scores than those treated in specialty clinics, with a mean difference of 9.1 percentage points (PP; 95% CI 6.9-11.2, P<0.001) after 24 months, reported Eteri Machavariani, MD, PhD, of the NYU School of Global Public Health in New York City, and colleagues. Read more here.
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Podcast: College Stability After Homelessness or Foster Care
Maddy Day of Maddy Day and Associates joins The Imprint to talk about what it takes to provide stability on college campuses for youth who have experienced aging out of foster care, homelessness or both. She is helping to coordinate a Congressional briefing planned for 2026 on the subject. Maddy Day is the founder of Maddy Day and Associates. She co-founded the University of Washington Champions Program, in 2010, and directed the Fostering Success Michigan statewide initiative at Western Michigan University until 2018. Listen to the podcast here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
State & Local Policy Engagement
December 11, 1 - 2 pm, Social Current
Statewide Aggregate Rural Health Needs Assessment (SARHNA) Findings
December 11, 1 - 2 pm, NYSARH
Strategies to Optimize Patient Outcomes in Bipolar I Disorder
December 11, 1 - 3 pm, PsychU
Partnering with Emergency and First Responders: Dispatch Call Center Diversion
December 11, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Bridging Systems: Domestic Violence, Substance Use & Mental Health
December 11, 2 - 2:30 pm, NCSACW
Ask the Expert: Facts, Myths and Misconceptions About AI
December 11, 2 - 3:30 pm, NAMI
Bipolar Disorder Care on the Frontlines: Bridging Gaps and Optimizing Outcomes
December 12, 2 - 3 pm, Prime
Information Session: Introducing NABITA Credentialing to Elevate Standards for Behavioral Intervention Professionals
December 12, 3 - 4 pm, NABITA
Express Yourself For Public Health: A Discussion Series about the Stress and Uncertainty Facing Public Health
December 16, 12 - 1 pm, NYSPHA
Workforce Solutions Jam: The Future of Rural Behavioral Health
December 16, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Eliminating Operational and Clinical Burnout in IOP/PHP Settings
December 16, 2 - 3 pm, Behavioral Health Business
Addressing Unresolved Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder
December 17, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Substance Use Trends: The Effects on Child Safety and Family Risk Factors
December 17, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
2025-26 GAINS SIM/TTT Informational Webinar
December 17, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Investigation Topics Series: Trauma Informed Approach
December 18, 11 am - 12 pm, NYS Justice Center
Workforce Development Series 4
December 18, 1 - 2 pm, MTM Services
Overview of Civil Commitment and Assisted Outpatient Treatment
December 18, 1:30 - 3 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
From Awareness to Action: Igniting Ideas for Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Clinical Practice
January 14, 2026, 12 - 1 pm, CCSMH
Carry the Message Toolkit
January 15, 2 - 2:30 pm, NCSACW
Centering Families in Outpatient Treatment
January 29, 2 - 2:30 pm, NCSACW
Toolkit for Trauma-Informed Care
February 12, 2 - 2:30 pm, NCSACW
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CLMHD CALENDAR
DECEMBER
Membership Call
December 17: 9 - 10:30 am
Mental Hygiene Planning Committee Meeting
December 18: 1 - 2 pm
CLMHD Office Closed - Christmas
December 25
CLMHD Office Closed - New Year's Day
January 1, 2026
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