MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.

AND THIS YEAR THE STATE BUDGET INCLUDED OVER $1 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR A SLEW OF MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES FROM SUICIDE PREVENTION TO YOUTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES.

WE SAT DOWN WITH THE STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSIONER DR. ANN SULLIVAN TO UNPACK HOW THE FUNDING WILL HELP PROVIDE SUPPORT AND AID IN PREVENTION EFFORTS THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY COMMISSIONER.

ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

OF COURSE.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO FIRST NATURALLY I WANTED TO START WITH THE STATE BUDGET WHICH INCLUDED $1 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, A PORTION OF THAT MONEY OF COURSE INCLUDED FUNDING FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS WELL AS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND SUICIDE PREVENTION.

SO I WANTED TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT FUNDING AND HOW IT WOULD IMPACT THE WORK THAT YOUR OFFICE IS DOING.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A GREAT BUDGET FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND TRULY THE GOVERNOR'S INVESTMENTS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE JUST BEEN HISTORIC IN MENTAL HEALTH.

LAST YOUR WAS THE BILLION DOLLARS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT INCLUDED A LOT OF PREVENTION SERVICES INCLUDING EXPANSION OF CLINIC SERVICES, INCLUDED OVER 900 BEDS -- I MEAN, RESIDENTIAL BEDS AND 300 -- 200 STATE HOSPITAL BEDS.

THIS YEAR'S BUDGET REALLY BUILDS ON THAT BILLION DOLLARS FROM LAST YEAR IN TWO MAJOR AREAS.

THE FIRST IS CHILDREN'S SERVICES.

PLUS THE GOVERNOR'S COMMITMENT IS HUGE IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR YOUTH, ESPECIALLY POST THE PANDEMIC, HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND THRIVE.

SO THERE'S $20 MILLION IN SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS.

WE CAN PUT ANY SCHOOL THAT WANTS A SCHOOL-BASED CLINIC CAN HAVE A SCHOOL-BRACED CLINIC.

AND WE WOULD WORK WITH THAT SCHOOL TO ESTABLISH THOSE SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION NATIONALLY ON HOW HELPFUL IT IS FOR YOUTH IN SCHOOLS TO GET THE SERVICES ON SITE IN THOSE SCHOOLS WHEN THEY NEED THEM.

SO THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXPAND.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 1,100 SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS AND WE JUST WANTED TO KEEP EXPANDING, EXPANDING, EXPANDING.

SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE IN THE BUDGET.

AS WELL AS DOLLARS -- ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN THE GOVERNOR HAD HER SUMMIT ACROSS THE STATE, YOUTH SAID THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HELP EACH OTHER.

SO OFTEN THE FIRST PERSON A YOUTH MIGHT GO TO IF THEY'RE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM IS A FRIEND.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH WHAT'S CALLED TEEN MENTAL HEALTH FOR STATE WHERE WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH TEENS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND HOW TO TALK WITH THEIR FELLOW TEENS ABOUT THEM.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER EXCITING PIECE OF THE DOLLARS FOR YOUTH.

AND ALSO FOR YOUTH WHO ARE HAVING MORE SERIOUS ISSUES, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF OUR YOUTH ACT TEAMS, WHAT WE CALL ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT TEAMS, WHICH WILL BE EXPANDED IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL.

AND THEN ALSO FOR YOUTH SERVICES, $4 MILLION IN LOAN REPAYMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK WITH YOUTH IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH LOAN REPAYMENTS.

SOME OF THIS STARTED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.

THERE WAS SOME IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECRUIT -- INCREASE THE RECRUITMENT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WORKFORCE IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.

SO THE LOAN REPAYMENT FOR THE CHILD WORKFORCE IS ANOTHER BIG INITIATIVE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

DO YOU THINK THE BUDGET DOES ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PREVENTION?

I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN PRETTY ADDIMENT ABOUT THAT.

SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT DOES ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THAT?

I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY DOING A LOT FOR PREVENTION.

YOU KNOW, THE WORK -- WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A SCHOOL-BASED CLINIC IT'S NOT JUST THERAPY.

THE SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS, BECAUSE WE INCREASED THE RATES LAST YEAR, WILL ALSO BE DOING PREVENTION.

THEY WILL BE DOING INTEGRATED PREVENTION.

BY THAT I MEAN THEY WILL BE WORKING ON ISSUES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ALSO SUBSTANCE USE.

THEY ALSO WORK WITH THE TEACHERS AND WITH THE PARENTS.

SO THE SCHOOL-BIASSED CLINICS WILL BE EXPANDING WHAT THEY ARE DOING AS WELL.

THEY WILL BE DOING A LOT OF WORK ON PREVENTION.

THERE'S ALSO DOLLARS -- ONGOING DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE ON SPECIALIZED SUICIDE PREVENTION WITH YOUTH WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING WHICH WE DO IN THE SCHOOLS AS WELL.

SO, YES, I THINK THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH PREVENTION.

AND IS THE GOAL STILL TO HAVE THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC IN EVERY SCHOOL ACROSS THE STATE?

YES.

WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.

AND I THINK -- WE SAID THE SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS ARE CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS.

SO WE GIVE START UP DOLLARS TO ORGANIZE THOSE SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS.

SO WE ARE GETTING THE WORD OUT.

WE HAVE ALREADY SENT OUT -- WE'RE SENDING OUT NOTICES FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS AND WE'RE SENDING OUT NOTICES TO ALL THE PROVIDERS AND WORKING VERY HARD TO SEE IF WE CAN GET ONE IN ALL THE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE.

AND ON THE FUNDING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE MENTAL HEALTH, CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE FUNDING OF $33 MILLION WOULD HELP SORT OF ENSURE BETTER OUTCOMES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM?

YEAH.

I THINK THE -- THIS IS A BIG INVESTMENT IN WHAT -- PROBABLY WHAT YOU CAN CALL DIVERSION.

IN OTHER WORDS INDIVIDUALS WHO COME TO A COURT LET'S SAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

WE WILL HAVE IN THAT COURT, COURT NAVIGATORS WHO WILL HELP THEM GET THE SERVICES THEY NEED AND PERHAPS AVOID ACTUALLY BEING INCARCERATED.

THERE'S ALSO DOLLARS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH COURTS ACROSS THE STATE.

AND THERE'S A GOAL TO TRY TO GET ONE AS FAR AND WIDE AND ALMOST ALL THE COUNTIES IF POSSIBLE.

THOSE MENTAL HEALTH COURTS THEN WORK WITH THE COURT NAVIGATORS TO HELP INDIVIDUALS GET THE SERVICES THEY NEED.

NOW THEY NEED OFTEN SPECIALIZED SERVICES.

SO IN ADDITION TO THE COURT NAVIGATOR AND THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPECIALIZE TEAMS, WHAT WE CALL FORENSIC ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT TEAMS.

THOSE TEAMS WILL BE MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND WILL BE THERE TO REALLY WORK WITH THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHT AWAY, SEE THEM AS SOON AS THEY MAYBE GO TO THE JUDGE OR AFTER THINGS HAVE BEEN ADJUDICATED.

THEY CONNECT WITH THAT PERSON AND GET THEM THE SERVICE -- AND REALLY PROVIDE THE SERVICES FOR THAT PERSON.

SO THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF THOSE TEAMS.

AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE HAVE 100 RESIDENTIAL BEDS WHICH WILL BE TRANSITIONAL BEDS BECAUSE SOME INDIVIDUALS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THEY NEED IS A PLACE TO SLEEP AND GET SOME SERVICES WHILE WHATEVER IS GOING ON IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

SO IT'S A BIG INVESTMENT IN A PART OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM THAT HASN'T BEEN INVESTED IN THAT MUCH BEFORE.

THIS GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY REALLY TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO KIND OF CROSSED INTO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND HOPEFULLY PREVENT INCARCERATION.

AND ALSO THOSE TEAMS WILL WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS PERHAPS ALSO LEAVING PRISONS OR JAILS SO THEY DON'T GO BACK.

SO IT'S AN EXPANSION OF THE SERVICES TO HELP INDIVIDUALS REALLY THRIVE IN THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN GET CAUGHT IN THE REVOLVING DOOR OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THE BUDGET PROVIDES FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACROSS DIFFERENT AREAS.

BUT ARE THERE ANY AREAS THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO TAP INTO IN THE YEAR TO COME THAT MAY NOT BE HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET?

WELL ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS INSURANCE.

BASICALLY THIS WAS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

THE COMMERCIAL PAYERS WILL NOW HAVE TO PAY THE MEDICAID RATE FOR INDIVIDUALS SEEN IN OUR LICENSED CLINICS.

THE ODD THING HAS BEEN THAT OFTEN COMMERCIAL PAYERS PAID LESS THAN MEDICAID.

THAT DIDN'T HELP THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR SYSTEM BUT IT ALSO MEANT THAT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH INSURANCE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO OUR CLINICS BECAUSE THE RATES WERE SO LOW.

SO THE LEGISLATION WAS PASSED THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY THE MEDICAID RATE.

THAT'S HUGE.

AND ALSO ANYONE WHO HAS CERTAIN INSURANCE CARRIERS KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO FIND THERAPISTS OR A PSYCHIATRIST IN THOSE DIRECTORIES THAT YOU HAVE FROM YOUR VARIOUS INSURERS.

SO THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES HAS PUT OUT REGULATIONS, WHICH WE EXPECT TO BE EFFECTIVE AS OF 2025, THAT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO AN APPOINTMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH WITHIN 10 DAYS.

AND THEN IF AN INSURER CAN'T PROVIDE THAT, THEY HAVE TO GET OUT OF NETWORK COVERAGE WITHOUT ANY INCREASED COST TO THE RECIPIENT.

AND ALSO THAT THE DIRECTORIES HAVE TO ALL BE UPDATED REGULARLY AND BE ACCURATE.

SO THOSE ARE BIG CHANGES IN TERMS OF ACCESS, ESPECIALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH GETTING, YOU KNOW, ACCESS THROUGH THEIR INSURERS.

SO I'M REALLY VERY HOPEFUL THAT AS THAT PLAYS OUT IN THE FUTURE YEARS AS OF JANUARY OF 2025 ESPECIALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMMERCIALLY INSURED THAT THEY WILL HAVE BETTER ACCESS AS WELL TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

AND WHAT ABOUT SUPPORT FOR WORKERS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY?

THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE COLA INCREASE THIS YEAR.

HOW CAN THE STATE BETTER SUPPORT THOSE WORKERS BUT ALSO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF RETENTION?

YEAH.

I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, I THINK THAT THE FINAL COLA WAS 2.84%.

THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT COLA.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS BEFORE WE HAD A 5% COLA AND 4% COLA.

FOR A DECADE BEFORE THAT WE HAD ALMOST NO COLAS.

SO I THINK THAT THESE COLAS ARE CUMULATIVE AND THAT THAT IS HELPFUL FOR THE FIELD.

THE OTHER THING WHICH WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF UPTAKE FOR IS LOAN REPAYMENT.

AND THAT'S FOR PSYCHIATRISTS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND NOW THE LATEST ROUND OF LOAN REPAYMENTS WILL BE FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS AND LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS.

AND WE'VE HAD LOTS OF APPLICATIONS FOR THAT.

IF YOU GET THE LOAN REPAYMENT YOU KIND OF GOT TO WORK WITHIN THE FIELD DEPENDING ON THE DEAL, THE TWO TO THREE YEARS.

THAT MEANS PEOPLE GET INTO THE FIELD AND HOPEFULLY THEY LIKE IT AND THEY STAY.

BUT IT'S ALSO A BIG RECRUITMENT IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE TO START OUT AND STAY IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD.

SO THAT'S EXCITING AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING THOSE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS.

THE OTHER THING I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME TO THE PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH FIELD BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO GOOD THINGS AND THEY ALSO WANT TO LEARN.

SO THIS WAS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WE PUT MONEY INTO DOING SOME BEST PRACTICES, TRAINING, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILD SERVICES WHICH OFFERS OUR PROVIDERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME TRAINING THAT WE PAY FOR AT THE STATE SO THAT THE PRACTITIONERS CAN GET BEST PRACTICE TRAINING.

THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT KEEPS PEOPLE IN THE FIELD.

RIGHT.

BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEY'RE REALLY LEARNING AND GROWING.

SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES LIKE THAT THAT WE ARE CONTINUING.

WE HAVE A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS FROM UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

WE'RE DOING THAT WITH SUNY AND CUNY.

SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE WORKFORCE.

BUT I THINK THAT THE COLA THIS YEAR CERTAINLY WILL HELP.

REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.

WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CONNECT WITH US TODAY COMMISSIONER.

UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S ALL TIME WE HAVE FOR TODAY BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK ON THE SHOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING INTERESTED IN MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR ASKING ABOUT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT'S HAPPENING.

THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND WE WERE SPEAKING WITH DR. ANN SULLIVAN, COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH.