State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said: “The Governor’s mental health budget proposals reflect a long-overdue seriousness that is on par with the issue itself. The sizable increase in spending since 2023 should lead to a wave of positive outcomes for the inseparable issues of mental health.” and substance abuse. I am encouraged to see Governor Hochul take this step. To continue to make a difference in the future, we need intergovernmental coordination between city, state and federal officials, as well as increased funding through more agencies where the mental health and substance abuse coincide.”
Assemblyman Yudelka Tapia said: “Governor Hochul’s announcement of a $1 billion investment in our mental health system, including expanding mental health services in schools, housing services for people with developmental disabilities, prevention programs of suicide and substance abuse programs, is a game changer for underprivileged Black communities like mine. I celebrate and thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her commitment to improving the lives of our most vulnerable.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said: “For too long, New York’s most vulnerable have been denied the robust mental, emotional and physical services they deserve and desperately need to thrive. We are grateful for Governor Hochul’s transformational plan to change that increasing psychiatric treatment inpatient capacity by 1,000 beds, adding housing units, and establishing a patient care accountability system. I want to thank Governor Hochul for his leadership in addressing an issue that he will work to strengthen and bring healing to the many who they have suffered in our communities.”
Council member Marjorie Velázquez said: “Mental health continues to be a public health crisis, and Governor Hochul’s investment in alleviating this crisis will significantly improve people’s lives and our community as a whole. New Yorkers, including our students, deserve the access to mental health care, without facing financial barriers. We can and will face the crisis head on and identify solutions that will truly benefit our communities and our city.”
Unique People Services Executive Director Yvette Brissett-André said: “Governor Hochul has provided a true blueprint for the future that supports the life-saving work being done by organizations that serve the needs of vulnerable New Yorkers. His investments in community-based services and supportive housing will help many children, adults and families realize fulfill their potential and thrive in the communities they call home.”
Montifiore Medical Center President Dr. Philip Ozuah said: “In her first speech as Governor, Kathy Hochul pledged to be an advocate and advocate for all New Yorkers. Her budget proposal and $1 billion pledge to address mental health challenges deliver on that promise. grateful that he has chosen to unveil his plans here at Montefiore/Einstein and for the gratitude he has shown to our community.”
New York State Mental Health Association Chief Executive Officer Glenn Liebman said: “Governor Hochul and Commissioner Sullivan have created a bold vision of mental health for the future that includes housing, youth mental health and insurance parity. We are very supportive of this commitment to strengthen and transform the mental health system and will continue to work with the Governor and Legislature on our priorities as the budget process continues.”
NAMI-NYS Acting Executive Director Sharon Horton said: “NAMI-NYS applauds Governor Hochul for both making mental health a real priority in his budget proposal and discussing how mental health issues have negatively impacted his family in his budget keynote speech. NAMI-NYS thanks the Governor for advancing measures that align with our top advocacy priorities; the need to expand access to mental health services and supports, and adopting the recommendations NAMI-NYS has made for more of a decade.The Governor’s plan boldly aims to increase access for all those within the broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders to fund both hospital and community-based services.We are also encouraged to see the Governor aim to improve practices of hospital admission and discharge that NAMI-NYS has long been critical of, as well as addressing the lack of insurance parity preventing entitles people to access services and the expansion of mental health services for New York’s children”.
Independent Living Concern Executive Director Ralph Fasano said: “We applaud the Governor for his comprehensive plan to support people living with mental illness and ensure they get the services they need throughout their entire lifecycle of care. His initiatives will help reduce hospital readmissions by providing needed assistance to people once they are discharged, and as they move into community-based services and eventually into permanent supportive housing.”
Institute for Community Living President and CEO Jody Rudin said: “Governor Hochul’s plan invests in the right places along the continuum of evidence-based programs from prevention to retention. Smartly scale up funding for youth mental health services, programs like ACT, SOS and CTI that support the hardest to care for and for more accommodations with encompassing services, which is the best prescription a physician can write.It is a transformational plan that has the power to move us from a fragmented system to a comprehensive one by building on community-based programs and information about trauma that help people improve.”
Kimberly A. Williams, President and CEO of Vibrant Emotional Health, said: “We are extremely gratified to see the focus on mental health funding in Governor Hochul’s State Budget, New York State is a leader in many areas across the nation and this unprecedented level of funding for mental health services is yet another example. As a New York-based mental health nonprofit with a national footprint, we hope that this type of funding expansion can be the norm, and we will continue to advocate that it is.”