NAMI-NYS Calls for Investments in Mental Health Housing, Community Services, Insurance Parity Oversight, Crisis Intervention Teams  and Expanding Mental Health Resources in Schools in 

Our Testimony at the  Mental Hygiene Budget Hearing

Today is the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Mental Hygiene. NAMI-NYS will be testifying to explain how f urther investments are needed to address the issues of our 2018 Legislative Action Agenda as well as explain how these issues are important to both individuals and families impacted by psychiatric disorders. 

In our testimony, NAMI-NYS will be making the following asks:

• To address the decades of flat funding for mental health housing providers, NAMI-NYS will be asking the legislature to move Governor Cuomo's proposed $10 million investment to the 4th quarter of this budget cycle, along with having each house contribute $10 million and annualize that investment.
• In regards to the proposed reduction of NYS-OMH hospital beds, NAMI-NYS wants the legislature to address the Article 7 language which currently does not specifically link the bed closures to an exact dollar amount. We want this loophole to close during budget negotiations  and that there is a specific reference to a value of $110,000 a bed for each bed that is reinvested.
• NAMI-NYS will be urging the Senate and Assembly to allocate $1.5 million in the one-house bills and the final budget in order to create a statewide behavioral health ombudsman to monitor behavioral health parity violations.
• NAMI-NYS wants to see prescriber prevails restored in the state Medicaid system.
• NAMI-NYS is asking that the investments in Crisis Interventions Teams (CIT) return to the 2017 amount of $1.5 million. 
• Finally, NAMI-NYS wants to see expanded use of OMH mental health clinics and other mental health services in schools.