Bills affecting Mental health service user in New York — 2026 session

Authorizes the commissioner of the office of mental health, and the office of addiction services and support to jointly establish a single set of licensing standards and requirements for the construction, operation, reporting and surveillance of comprehensive outpatient services centers.

Defines "mental health clubhouse"; provides that the department of health, in consultation with the office of mental health, shall authorize Medicaid reimbursement for services provided by mental health clubhouses.

Requires public notice and public engagement when a general hospital seeks to close entirely or a unit that provides maternity, mental health or substance use care.

Establishes the rural suicide prevention council to identify barriers to mental health and substance use treatment and prevention services and other policies, practices, resources, services, and potential legislation that aim to reduce death by suicide and suicide attempts and acknowledge the demographic and cultural differences in rural communities; makes related provisions.

Establishes a master of social work paid field practicum pilot program to provide a stipend to students who are enrolled in a master of social work program for the first 450 hours of field practicum completed towards such masters' degree; requires the office of mental health to complete a report making recommendations on how to expand the pilot program to increase the number of social workers in the state, improve representation in the field of social work, mitigate student debt and improve labor conditions for social workers upon graduation.

Establishes a task force to study aging in place in mental health housing; provides for the repeal of such task force upon expiration thereof.

Imposes a surcharge on monthly phone bills to fund the costs associated with the administration, design, installation, construction, operation, and maintenance of a 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline in New York state; establishes the 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline trust fund.

Provides for the availability of certain records of former patients interred at state mental health hospital cemeteries.

Provides for absence from school for the mental or behavioral health of the minor.

Directs the commissioner of mental health to establish a public awareness campaign concerning the dangers of social media and cell phone use by school-age children, including but not limited to the addictive qualities of social media, the stunting impact of social media usage on the development of social skills, increased feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression among adolescent users and the attendant amplification of peer on peer bullying, and increased rates of adolescent suicide and suicide attempts, as well as about how to recognize suicide risk factors and seek suicide prevention assistance.

Relates to veterans' health care; creates a veteran health care review to ensure veterans and their families have access to health and mental health treatment, including for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, military sexual trauma, reproductive and mental health conditions, and suicide prevention.

Requires the department of education to develop school health and mental health professionals to student ratios in public schools for students who do not receive services pursuant to the individuals with disabilities education act.

Enacts the "Supervising Upcoming Professionals for Practice in Official Roles in Therapy (SUPPORT) act"; provides that for licensure as a clinical social worker, an applicant may satisfy the experience requirements under supervision of a mental health practitioner who has been granted the privilege to diagnose and develop assessment-based treatment plans under article one hundred sixty-three of the education law.

Requires at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses and for state colleges and universities to update such ratio every five years.

Authorizes the governor and lieutenant-governor, commissioner of general services, secretary of state, comptroller, attorney general, and members of the legislature, provided that such request does not impact upon the department's ability to manage its facilities as determined by the director of the facility, to visit any facility designated by the commissioner of mental health for care and treatment.

Enacts The New Deal for CUNY; increases the ratio of faculty and mental health counselors to full-time students; requires that certain amounts of tuition be replaced by federal, state, and city funds.

Requires health care plans and payors to have a minimum of twelve and one-half percent of their total expenditures on physical and mental health annually be for primary care services.

Directs the office of mental health to develop materials relating to suicide prevention and identifying signs of depression for school-aged children; authorizes school districts to include suicide prevention in health class curriculum.

Grants school districts the ability to implement telehealth school-based mental health clinics; establishes the student mental telehealth reimbursement fund; relates to funding the student mental telehealth reimbursement fund.

Creates statewide emergency and crisis response council to work in conjunction with the commissioners of mental health and addiction services to jointly approve emergency and crisis services plans submitted by local governments, and provide supports regarding the operation and financing of high-quality emergency and crisis services provided to persons experiencing a mental health, alcohol use, or substance use crisis.