Governor Hochul Announces $30 Million to Expand Residential Treatment Facilities for Children and Adolescents With Complex Mental Health Needs

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $30 million will be made available to develop three new residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents that require on-site care. Administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the capital funding will help construct the new facilities in New York City, on Long Island, and throughout the Hudson River regions and provide added capacity for youth statewide.

"Our children are in crisis, and it is our role to ensure they receive the mental health care and support they need," Governor Hochul said. "Residential treatment facilities allow children and adolescents living with serious mental health challenges to receive intensive services to help them recover, return to their homes, and lead healthy and successful lives."

Amounts up to $10 million are available for service providers operating residential or psychiatric inpatient programs for youth. The funding may be used to acquire new property, construct a new facility, or rehabilitate existing buildings to develop a new facility. Youth admitted to residential treatment facilities often attend school on or close to the campus, and work daily with trained staff to practice the skills needed to handle challenges. A family-centered plan of care is developed, which helps to strengthen the youth's relationships with family members so they may spend more time at home as they make progress.

New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivansaid, "Early intervention and treatment is especially important in helping children with mental health issues reach their goals. Residential treatment facilities provide treatment and support in those situations when outpatient and community-based services are just not sufficient and more intensive help is temporarily needed. This funding reflects Governor Hochul's commitment to the mental health of young people and to help youth and their families overcome the challenges they face."

Governor Hochul has made addressing youth mental health a priority of her administration and an integral component of the $1 billion plan to strengthen the state's continuum of mental health care. As part of this plan, the state invested $30 million to expand the number of school-based mental health clinics and enhance wraparound services for youth. Last month, the Governor expanded the school-based mental health clinic program by providing additional funding for start-up costs and creating a rolling applications process.

Governor Hochul is also providing funding for other critical services for children and youth, including $10 million for suicide prevention programs; $7 million to expandHealthySteps, an evidence-based program that pairs behavioral health professionals with pediatric teams to provide early childhood mental and physical health care in a pediatric setting; and $3.1 million for the Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating Disorders. The home-based Crisis Intervention program, an intensive individualized service that helps families maintain young people at home, was also expanded. Finally, OMH has funded 30 Youth Assertive Community Treatment - or ACT- teams since 2022.

OMH currently licenses 11 residential treatment facilities throughout the state. These voluntary facilities provide all physical, medical, and mental health services in a supervised and structured environment designed to reduce outside stress, which in turn allows the youth in their care to focus on recovery.

Contact the Governor's Press Office