The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced that $4 million in state funding is available to expand access to Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services for underserved people living with mental illness and with complex healthcare needs. The funding will help licensed clinics enhance or expand existing specialized treatment programs to serve additional New Yorkers.

“These programs are often the first point of access to mental health system for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers utilizing their services,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “By expanding them, we can help meet the unmet needs of many others, including those from marginalized populations throughout the state.”

Clinics can receive up to $49,500 to increase access to Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services.  Expanded programs must serve a population with significant mental health needs and provide the type of support services being provided will help mitigate the risk of mental health crisis or a reliance on emergency services or hospitalizations.

The funding is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s $1 billion plan to improve New York State’s mental health care system by adding capacity system-wide, expanding existing programs with a record of success, and funding new evidence-based initiatives aimed at closing identified gaps. Adopted as part of the FY 2024 State Budget in May, this plan will dramatically expand access to mental health care, reduce wait times, and ensure appropriate levels of care to correct a mental health care system that has suffered from years of chronic underinvestment.

This funding opportunity supplements other initiatives under Governor Hochul’s plan, including a cost-of-living adjustment she secured for human services workers and enhanced Medicaid rates for school-based services, among others. These initiatives will allow service providers to build out innovative programs that will better meet the mental health needs of marginalized populations, including black, indigenous, and people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

The rehabilitative services grants are aimed at helping providers enhance engagement efforts to meet the needs of underserved populations not adequately engaged in community-based care. The goal is to engage individuals with more challenging behaviors and to ensure they are receiving community-based care.

Funding can be used by established programs to expand their capacity and provide effective group services, which will help to increase access to care, decrease waitlists, and provide supports from others with similar lived experiences. Group services may include sessions guided by a therapist or practitioner or peer specialist or advocate, depending on the need of the individual.

The grants may also be used by existing clinics to create or expand timely access to in-person and telehealth programming for individuals with significant mental health needs. This model will support individuals in crisis or being discharged from an inpatient psychiatric stay.

Last year alone, more than 350,000 New Yorkers relied on these programs, including many individuals with specialized needs. Applications for the awards are due by Wednesday, Dec. 20.

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