January 10, 2024

Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State: Our New York, Our Future


Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday delivered the 2024 State of the State Address and released her “Our New York, Our Future” agenda. The State of the State includes 204 bold initiatives to make New York more affordable, more livable and safer. “The State of New York is stronger, healthier, safer and more affordable than it was two years ago when I became Governor, but there is more work to do,” Governor Hochul said. “Every proposal announced today serves to improve our state and ensure our communities are not just surviving, but that they are thriving. Our New York is our future, and the future is brighter than ever.” Read more here.


Related: Governor Hochul Takes on Youth Mental Health Crisis with Expanded Efforts to Protect the Mental Health of Kids & Teenagers


Governor Hochul Announces Plan to Address Public Safety Challenges Associated with Serious Mental Illness


Governor Hochul Unveils New Initiatives to Support Children and Families Across New York


Governor Hochul Announces Initiatives to Transform and Strengthen Health Care Throughout New York State


Many Psych Hospital Beds Are Back in Action a Year After Hochul Vow

Governor Hochul Announces Groundbreaking Medicaid 1115 Waiver Amendment to Enhance New York State’s Health Care System


Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved a groundbreaking amendment to New York’s Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration that will be catalytic in New York’s continuing efforts to build a health care system that benefits all New Yorkers. The demonstration bundles a comprehensive series of actions to advance health equity, reduce health disparities, and strengthen access to primary and behavioral health care across the state, and will be supported through $7.5 billion in funding over the next three years. Read more here.

Commentary by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan: "Communities Face a Triple Threat: Addiction, Mental Illness and Homelessness"


The intertwining issues of addiction, mental health and homelessness demand our collective attention and a unified response. As leaders of municipalities directly facing these challenges, we implore the state and federal governments to recognize the urgency of a coordinated and comprehensive approach – and to make sure the crucial perspective of local governments is part of the solution. The interplay of mental illness, addiction and homelessness creates a complex and often inescapable web. Individuals grappling with untreated mental health issues often turn to substances, and some succumb to addiction. As addiction tightens its grip, stable employment and housing are threatened, ultimately leading to homelessness. Conversely, the harsh conditions of homelessness exacerbate existing mental health challenges, making it harder to break the cycle. Read more here.

New York State Announces Daniel’s Law Task Force Listening Session


The New York State Office of Mental Health last week announced that the Daniel’s Law Task Force will host the next in a series of stakeholder listening sessions aimed at gathering feedback from the public.  Registration is now open for the second stakeholder listening session at the at the State University of New York at Stony Brook’s Charles B. Wang Conference Center from 4 - 6 pm on Thursday, Jan. 11, and also streamed live. Established in response to the death of 41-year-old Daniel Prude in 2020, the task force is charged with developing recommendations to guide behavioral health crisis response and explore avenues for related diversion services. Read more here.

DiNapoli: End of Continuous Medicaid Enrollment Requirement Poses Risks to State Financial Plan


With federal legislation ending continuous Medicaid coverage in March 2023, New York state began the process of redetermining eligibility for every enrolled individual. An analysis by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found this “unwinding” may not meet projections in the Division of the Budget’s (DOB) Mid-Year Update to the Enacted Budget Financial Plan, adding costs to the state budget. “Increased enrollment in Medicaid is one of the key reasons New York has one of the lowest rates of uninsured individuals in the nation,” DiNapoli said. Read more here.

Navigating the Dual Crisis: Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, and Post-Holiday Depression in New York State


In the dynamic mosaic of New York State, a pressing dual crisis is unfolding—one that encompasses mental health challenges, domestic abuse, and the often-overlooked specter of post-holiday depression. As our communities grapple with the daily pressures of modern life, the imperative for comprehensive support in these interconnected areas becomes increasingly apparent. Recent data from the New York State Department of Health paints a concerning picture of the mental health landscape. In the wake of the holiday season, cases of post-holiday depression have surged, compounding the existing challenges. Read more here.

Top Behavioral Health Trends for 2024


After a tumultuous 2023, 2024 may be a steadier year for the behavioral health industry. While behavioral health deals slipped in 2023, Behavioral Health Business expects M&A to pick up this year as interest rates fall and the economy stabilizes. Still, the M&A craze of 2021 is unlikely, and mega deals will be scarce. This will be a pivotal year for the autism industry, especially, which saw massive amounts of investment in the first few years of the decade but also some major hiccups last year, including one of its largest providers declaring bankruptcy. Read more here.

Tech-Enabled Solutions as a Tool to Address Health-Related Social Needs in Medicaid: Opportunities and Policy Considerations


Leveraging innovative technology, can potentially support more efficient health care delivery and improve the quality of and access to care.1 Tech‑enabled solutions include many different types of services or products such as data-sharing and analysis tools, telehealth solutions, electronic health records, and in-person care delivery models that incorporate technology.2 When used strategically, tech solutions can simplify a complicated care system for all stakeholders, including payers, health care providers, community-based organizations (CBOs), and patients. Drawing on the work of the Medicaid Innovation Collaborative, this brief provides an overview of how tech‑enabled solutions can help states achieve their goals to address health related social needs (HRSN). It also provides examples of how Medicaid agencies can create a policy environment conducive to supporting tech-enabled innovations that address HRSN.

Xylazine Not Just a Problem in the Northeast, Study Finds


Problems with the veterinary sedative xylazine -- also known as "tranq" -- appeared to be concentrated in the eastern U.S. but were spread across the entire country, a cross-sectional study found. At least 43 states reported at least one xylazine-related overdose death from 2019 to 2022, Manuel Cano, PhD, of Arizona State University in Phoenix, and colleagues reported in JAMA Network Open. State forensic or overdose death reports involving xylazine increased over time, the researchers found. In 2019, 16 states had no xylazine forensic reports but by 2022, only two states had no such reports, Cano and colleagues found. By that year, xylazine in forensic reports had risen in all but three states, they reported. Read more here.

Opportunities In The Crisis System & With High-Needs Consumers: The Most Read 2023 OPEN MINDS RFPs


Health and human service executives are looking for areas for diversification and expansion—and the crisis response system and the services for high-needs consumers are two areas of focus for growth strategies. That’s what our statistics on the 2023 government RFPs reflect—the highest RFP readership was in those two areas. That’s not a surprise. Demand for crisis services is being driven by continued demand—and there is a large influx of state and federal funding to pay for those services. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the suicide rate of 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people was 1% higher than in 2021 and the highest rate since 1941. While the suicide rate increased more among females than males last year, men are four times more likely to die by suicide. Additionally, suicide rates increased for all age groups 35 and older from 2021 to 2022, with a 3% increase in ages 35–44 and ages 65–74 to an increase of 9% in ages 55–64. Read more here.

CATTARAUGUS: Olean Ambulance Company Receives State Grant


CAYUGA: Cayuga County sees decline in suspected overdoses in 2023


ERIE: Examining the impact of the Red Flag Law in New York state


ERIE: Using tiny homes to create a community for recovery in Western N.Y.


JEFFERSON: Michelle Monnat appointed as CEO of Children’s Home of Jefferson County


LONG ISLAND: The Long Island Community Foundation Awards over $3.1 Million in Year-End Grants


NYC: Montefiore Awarded $2 Million New York State Department of Health Grant to Advance the Education and Training of Community Health Workers 


ONEIDA: Oneida County Selected for Workshop to Address Substance Use


ONEIDA: Utica's Walk-In Mental Health Clinic


ONONDAGA: Onondaga County sheriff to get $100,000 grant for mental health services for officers, victims


ONONDAGA: Top state lawmaker praises ESM, hopes to use mental health programs as state model


OSWEGO: Excellus Awards Oswego Health $10,000 for Primary Care at Lakeview


ST. LAWRENCE: Public forum to discuss Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center set Jan. 18


ULSTER: WMCHealth and state are holding “active conversations”


WESTCHESTER: New N.Y. law aids mental health crisis response; "Every second counts"

Online Mental Health Provider Settles with State AG's Office


Over 16,000 New Yorkers who struggled to cancel their subscription to an online mental health provider will see some money back in their pockets after the company reached a settlement with the state Attorney General's Office last week. Cerebral, an online telehealth company that provides consumers with mental health treatment on a subscription fee basis, will have to pay more than $740,000 for "maintaining a long and burdensome cancellation process and continuing to charge consumers after they tried to cancel." Read more here.

Uber Health’s Health IT Deal to Ease Transportation, SDOH Referral


New report provides detailed insight into how CT cities are spending opioid settlement money


Online Racial Discrimination, Suicidal Ideation, and Traumatic Stress in a National Sample of Black Adolescents


Preventing post-discharge suicides in psychiatric patients: insights from patients, lay healthcare supporters, and mental health professionals—a qualitative analysis


Study Links Gabapentin to Increased Risk of Suicidal Behavior and Overdoses


Wegovy, Ozempic not linked to increase in suicidal thoughts, US study finds


Online Racial Discrimination, Suicidal Ideation, and Traumatic Stress in a National Sample of Black Adolescents

UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS


Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health Through Collaborative Care: A Roadmap from North Carolina

January 10, 1 - 2 pm, Manatt Health


Person-Centered Service Planning in HCBS: Requirements and Best Practices

January 10, 2 - 3:30 pm, CMS


Clinical Interventions for Harm Reduction Patients

January 10, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAADAC


HCBS Settings Best Practice Panel Discussion

January 11, 9 am - 12pm, OPWDD


Building a Behavioral Health Continuum of Care: The Role of Elected Officials and I/DD Directors

January 11, 2 - 3 pm, NACo


Innovations to Improve Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Access in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Insurance Plans

January 11, 2 - 3 pm, National Academies


Care Coordination for Improved Population Behavioral Health

January 16, 1 - 2 pm, NACo


Introduction to BJA’s Access and Recovery PRSS Training and Technical Assistance Center

January 18, 2 - 3 pm, COSSUP


Empowering Recovery: Exploring RCO Certification and the Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services (CAPRSS)

January 18, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


Transforming Communities: County-Level Solutions for Mental Health and System Challenges

January 22, 2 -3 pm, NACo


Insights from the Frontline—Police-led Deflection Programs

January 22, 2 - 3 pm, COSSUP


Rural Healthy People 2030: Charting a Course for Rural Health Over the Next Decade

January 22, 2 - 3 pm, Rural Health Research Gateway


Adopting Trauma-Informed Care in Rural Communities: Lessons from a Health Plan-Community Behavioral Health Partnership in Pennsylvania

January 23, 2 - 3:15 pm, Better Care Playbook Implementation Lab 


FREE Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Specialty Providers in Capital Region

January 23 & 24, 1 - 4 pm, MHANYS


The Importance of Professionals and Community Members as Recovery Allies

January 24, 3 - 4 pm, NAADAC


Policy and Regulatory Opportunities to Address the Opioid and Overdose Crisis in 2024

January 25, 3 - 4:15 pm, FORE


Responding to a Growing Demographic: Supporting Older Adult Populations within the Criminal Justice System

January 30, 12:30 - 2 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center


Using advances in technology to advance the understanding, prediction, and prevention of suicide

January 31, 3 - 4 pm


FREE Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Specialty Providers in Capital Region

February 6 & 8, 9 am - 12 pm, MHANYS


FREE Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Specialty Providers in Capital Region

March 13, 9 am - 3 pm, MHANYS

GRANTS/FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES


HRSA Health Workforce


NYS Grants Gateway


NY Health Foundation


OASAS Procurements


OMH Procurements


OPWDD Procurements


Rural Health Information Hub - New York


SAMHSA Grants Dashboard

CLMHD CALENDAR


JANUARY


Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting

January 11: 11 am - 12 pm


Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting

January 11: 1 - 2:30 pm


Mental Health Committee Meeting

January 11: 3 - 4 pm


Children & Families Committee Meeting

January 16: 11:30 am - 1 pm


Membership Call

January 17: 9 - 10:30 am


Deputy DCS Call

January 23: 10 - 11 am


FEBRUARY


Quarterly LGU Billing Staff Call

February 6: 11 am - 12 pm


Executive Committee Meeting

February 7: 8 - 9 am


LGU Clinic Operators Meeting

February 13: 10 - 11 am


Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting

February 8: 11 am - 12 pm


Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting

February 8: 1 - 2:30 pm


Mental Health Committee Meeting

February 8: 3 - 4 pm


Quarterly AOT Coordinators Call

February 9: 10 - 11:30 am


Children & Families Committee Meeting

February 20: 11:30 am - 1 pm


Membership Call

February 21: 9 - 10:30 am


Deputy DCS Call

February 27: 10 - 11 am

Links to State Guidance and Updates on COVID-19


NYS Coronavirus Vaccination Information

The Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors advances public policies and awareness for people with mental illness, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities. We are a statewide membership organization that consists of the Commissioner/ Director of each of the state's 57 county mental hygiene departments and the mental hygiene department of the City of New York.

Affiliated with the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC)
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