Governor Hochul Announces New Data Showcasing Investments Into Strengthening Mental Health Care Statewide

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the availability of new data tracking the programs established and expanded following her landmark $1 billion mental health initiative and subsequent investments to strengthen New York State's system of care. In an effort to increase transparency and show the results of these investments, the state Office of Mental Health compiled data on 23 distinct areas of the continuum of care and then highlighted key metrics in plain-language infographics posted to the agency's website.

"New Yorkers should take pride in the remarkable work we've accomplished to make our state a national leader in mental health care," Governor Hochul said. "The data presented here reflects much of what we've done to prioritize mental health care statewide and to ensure everyone has access to the support they can rely on to thrive in our communities."

The data provides insight into the evaluation and impact of programs in four distinct categories: access to care; prevention and youth services; crisis services; and specialized services. Each area provides infographics in plain-language and in a manner that is easy to understand, presenting key metrics to highlight their progress and performance.

The new resources are aimed at supporting outreach, education, and engagement with communities and agency partners, in addition to the public. OMH will conduct periodic updates to each infographic throughout the year, based on changes to data.

The 'access to care' category includes programs that have expanded mental health services and supportive housing to help New Yorkers live meaningful and productive lives in the community. This category includes Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, inpatient care, clinic program expansion and the mental health workforce, among others.

The 'prevention and youth services' category looks at initiatives that help young people and families address mental health issues earlier in life. These programs include HealthySteps, Youth Safe Spaces, suicide prevention, partial hospitalization programs and Home-Based Crisis Intervention teams.

The 'specialized services' category incorporates those programs aimed at bringing stability to individuals often disconnected from traditional mental health supports. This includes Critical Time Intervention, Assertive Community Treatment, Safe Options Supports and Intensive and Sustained Engagement teams, along with efforts to address housing instability.

The 'crisis services' category shows programs that partner with local providers to ensure immediate help is available statewide. These programs include the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, crisis stabilization centers, behavioral health-led crisis response, crisis residences, and mobile crisis teams.

Starting with her historic $1 billion initiative to strengthen New York State's mental health care system in 2023 and continuing with investments made in subsequent budgets, Governor Hochul has ushered sweeping improvements in both services and support. From adding inpatient capacity to dramatically expanding outpatient programs to creating thousands of new units of specialized housing and more, the state has taken bold measures under her leadership to ensure all New Yorkers have access to these critical services - especially those individuals and families from previously underserved populations.

In September, Mental Health America ranked New York first nationally in the organization's report 'The State of Mental Health in America' based on 17 indicators measuring the prevalence of mental illness and access to care. The organization also presented Governor Hochul with its 2026 Governor's Leadership Award, recognizing the 'significant and sustained investments' that have strengthened mental health systems across the state's continuum of care.

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, "We are helping New Yorkers of all ages get the mental health care they need when and where they need it. These infographics show how our critical investments into mental health are strengthening key areas of our system of care so that everyone in our state has access to these critical supports. Moreover, they show how Governor Hochul's unparalleled investments into mental health care are now paying dividends statewide."

State Senator Samra Brouk said, "As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, I recognize the need for more data and insights to help address our statewide mental health crisis. The Office of Mental Health's new data will support our efforts to improve crisis response teams, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and critical interventions to support the pressing mental health needs of our residents."