Governor Hochul Takes on Youth Mental Health Crisis with Expanded Efforts to Protect the Mental Health of Kids & Teenagers

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced expanded efforts to protect the mental health of kids and teenagers as part of her 2024 State of the State address. The measures include establishing a school-based mental health clinic in any school that wants one; passing new legislation to protect kids online; convening youth mental health advisory boards; and expanding loan repayment programs for children’s mental health practitioners. These measures are aimed at bringing mental health resources to every setting possible, expanding resources for young New Yorkers to receive quality care whenever they may need it.

“Focusing on our kids is critical — because they’re our most precious resource,” Governor Hochul said. “Whether it’s creating school-based mental health clinics or taking on social media companies, we need a comprehensive approach to youth mental health. We must help the children who are hurting right now.”

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “As we spoke with young New Yorkers during Governor Hochul’s listening tour last spring, we became keenly aware of the many different behavioral health issues confronting our youth. By strengthening school-based supports and providing additional assistance to children and adolescents, we can help successfully address these challenges earlier in their lives. Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to this issue will have a critical and positive impact on the lives of so many young New Yorkers.”

Establishing a School-Based Mental Health Clinic in Any School that Wants to Offer One

Governor Hochul has made school-based mental health clinics a pillar of her broader mental health agenda and is committed to expanding the model across New York. Under her $1 billion plan, the Governor funded 137 new school-based mental health clinic satellites last year, which will bring the statewide total to more than 1,200 sites; and is requiring commercial insurance plans to cover these services with reimbursement rates at least equivalent to the Medicaid rate.

School-based mental health clinics afford students access to mental health services provided by qualified clinicians that may not otherwise be available and have numerous benefits, providing connections to appropriate treatment for mental health conditions while also supporting better educational outcomes. This year, Governor Hochul is continuing the expansion of school-based mental health clinics in any New York school that wants to establish one, with continued start-up funding, enhanced reimbursement rates for school-based mental health services, and enhanced enforcement of laws that ensure that all insurers pay adequately for school-based services, regardless of their insurance type or their insurance plan’s network.

Limiting Social Media Features Harmful to Youth Mental Health

In partnership with the Attorney General and members of the Legislature, Governor Hochul will advance legislation to curb the harmful impacts of social media.

Currently, social media platforms supplement the content that users view from the accounts they follow by serving them content from accounts they do not subscribe to or follow. This content is curated using algorithms that gather and display content based on a variety of factors. Algorithmic feeds have been shown to be addictive because they prioritize content that keeps users on the platform longer. Addictive feeds are correlated with an increase in the amount of time that teens and young adults spend on social media, as well as significant negative mental health outcomes for minors.

To address this problem, Governor Hochul will include the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act (SAFE for Kids Act) in her budget. This legislation will require social media companies to restrict addictive features that harm young users the most. The legislation will allow users under 18 to receive a default chronological feed from users they already follow – the same way that social media feeds functioned before the advent of addictive feeds. Users may also search for specific topics of interest. Minors may opt in to receiving addictive feeds with parental consent. Additionally, parents will be allowed to block access to social media platforms between certain hours, and similarly prohibit the social media companies from sending notifications to minors between certain hours without parental consent. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will be empowered to bring actions forward with civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation.

Additionally, the New York Child Data Protection Act will prohibit online sites from collecting, using, sharing, or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website. For users under the age of 13, this informed consent must come from a parent. The bill authorizes the OAG to enforce the law and may enjoin, seek damages or civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.

Establishing New Youth ACT Teams Statewide

Beginning in 2022, under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York launched the first and largest implementation of the Youth Assertive Community Treatment (Youth ACT) program in the country. These teams support children and families in their homes, schools, and communities, and provide wraparound care that includes crisis support, psychotherapy, medication management, and skill-building – preventing hospitalization. To enable young people struggling with mental illness to stay in their homes and school communities, rather than receiving treatment in residential and inpatient settings, Governor Hochul will expand the Youth ACT program to ensure teams are available to more youth and families.

Expanding Loan Repayment Program for Children’s Mental Health Practitioners

Young people need mental health clinicians who understand their needs. Most mental health clinicians do not receive specialized training in youth and family mental health and there is a shortage of child psychiatrists and child-serving mental health clinicians across many areas of New York, as is the case across the nation. Loan repayment is a successful strategy that supports recruitment and retention of these clinicians and allows individuals who are historically underrepresented within the social service workforce the opportunity to go into public service for the benefit of young New Yorkers.

This year, Governor Hochul is expanding the Community Mental Health Loan Repayment Program, with slots specifically for clinicians who work in child-serving agencies and treat children and families, including both OMH and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) licensed settings.

Convening Youth Mental Health Advisory Boards

Governor Hochul conducted a statewide Youth Mental Health Listening Tour in communities across the state, which culminated with the Youth Mental Health Summit last summer and gathered input to influence future initiatives. She is also supporting legislation that restrict the collection of minors’ personal data and change how young users are served content online to reduce the harmful effects of social media.

In keeping with Governor Hochul’s commitment to hearing directly from young people about their experiences and needs, the Governor is directing the Office of Mental Health to form a Youth Advisory Board to ensure that youth-informed best practices continue to be incorporated in developing behavioral health programs and policies. This will help harness the power of young people and their families and ensure all policy is driven by those most impacted.

Expanding Peer-to-Peer Support Programs

At youth mental health listening sessions held across the state in 2023, New York’s youth shared that they want greater access to programs that are youth-driven and youth-centered. This year, Governor Hochul will increase funding for Teen Mental Health First Aid training programs, which utilize peer ambassadors to engage teens who are disconnected, as well as support safe spaces where teens can be themselves, engage with peers, participate in recreational activities, and have time away from their online lives.

Developing Social Media Resources for Youth and Caregivers

To support young people and the adults in their lives in navigating social media and its effects, New York will make a variety of educational resources available. These will include an evidence-based educational series around digital wellness tailored for caregivers, as well as resources for students that cover critical topics such as the risks of social media use, understanding privacy and protecting personal information, and reporting cyberbullying and online abuse and exploitation.