City Council Votes in Favor of Several Pieces of Mental Health Roadmap Legislation

By Forum Staff

The City Council on Thursday passed several legislative actions from the Council’s previously unveiled Mental Health Roadmap.

According to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Councilwoman Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens), chairwoman of the Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction, the council’s roadmap is an ongoing effort focused on addressing existing challenges in the City’s mental healthcare landscape and strengthening the infrastructure and investments in community-based solutions to improve mental health outcomes for New Yorkers.

The pieces that were approved on Thursday include: exposed the challenges of accessing care. The OCMH’s website offers a wide-ranging index of mental health resources. This bill ensures that people who need help can access this online portal with the ease and transparency.”

Introduction 1006-A, sponsored by Councilman Erik Bottcher (D-Manhattan), would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop and implement a public awareness campaign and conduct outreach on mental health and behavioral health programs in New York City that provide low-cost and no-cost services, specifically to those who do not qualify for health insurance based on federal guidelines.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet there is still so much stigma associated with seeking help,” said ing that the federal government do more to assist the mentally ill,” Holden said. “Under our current system, too many of our mentally ill are in jail cells, homeless shelters, and on our streets. By freeing up Medicaid funding, states will be incentivized to provide more inpatient psychiatric care. We need to get people off the streets and into hospital beds. I thank the New York City Council for taking swift action and urge the federal government to get this done.”

Resolution 583, sponsored by Councilwoman Rita Joseph (D-Brooklyn), calls on New York State to subsidize the education and licensing costs of City University of New York (CUNY) students who commit to working in the public sector in the mental health professions, which historically experience closely with New York City to achieve their shared goal of developing 35,000 units of supportive housing.

Resolution 589, also sponsored by Powers, calls on the federal government to ensure that calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline program are routed based on geolocation rather than area code, so people are routed to appropriate services based on their current geographic location rather than simply the area code of their phone.

“Today, we are passing legislation as part of the City Council’s Mental Health Roadmap, including my resolutions demanding more efficient supportive housing development, true insurance parity for mental health services, and improvements to the 988 crisis hotline system,” said Powers. “People experiencing mental health crises can no longer wait for urgently-needed assistance from all levels of government. Congratulations to my colleagues passing other important items on mental health today, and I look forward to taking the additional steps outlined in the roadmap that will put our city on stronger footing.”

Resolution 592, sponsored by Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), calls on the State and federal governments to expand the availability of mental health professionals for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health services.

“New York City is experiencing a mental health crisis which requires a comprehensive approach along with substantive resources to help those in need,” Schulman said. “Resolution 592 calls upon the Federal and State government to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for behavioral health which will ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable and equitable mental health services.”

Adams and Lee unveiled the Mental Health Roadmap in April.

Introduction 706-A, sponsored by Councilman Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan), would require the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health to maintain a public, searchable online database of available mental health services in New York City on its website. This would improve access to mental health resources for New Yorkers.

“Every New Yorker is guaranteed low to no-cost mental health care — only many don’t know how to find the services they require in the first place,” said Abreu. “Locating information on mental health service providers — whether it’s contacts at specialized clinics, types of resources, or technical details about insurance and payment methods — should not be an added burden to those already seeking treatment. The bill advances our commitment to providing mental health services in a user-friendly and culturally competent manner. The pandemic not only worsened a burgeoning mental health crisis, it

Bottcher. “That’s one reason why outreach and education campaigns are so critical. We need to break down the stereotypes and misinformation around mental health and encourage people to prioritize their wellbeing. By making information about mental health services more accessible and understandable, we can create a culture where seeking help is not only accepted but encouraged. The council’s commitment to this effort is not just commendable, it’s necessary for the overall health and wellness of our city.”

Resolution 88, sponsored by Councilman Bob Holden (D-Maspeth), calls on Congress to pass and the President to sign legislation to fully repeal the Institutions for Mental Diseases Exclusion from the Social Security Act that would allow the use of Medicaid funding for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

“With the passage of Resolution 0088, the city is speaking with one voice, demand- high turnover rates and staffing shortages.

“No New Yorker should have to wait months to get the mental health services they desperately need and as the sponsor of Reso 583, I am calling upon the state to put its money where its mouth is,” said Joseph.

“Reso 583 urges the state to subsidize the education and licensing costs of CUNY students who commit to working in the public sector in the mental health professions, which historically experience high turnover rates and staffing shortages. Enough is enough.”

Resolution 587, sponsored by Majority Leader Keith Powers, calls on the New York State Office of Mental Health to expand enforcement of mental health and substance use disorder insurance parity and apply for federal grants to enforce insurance parity, so insurance discrimination is reduced as a barrier to mental healthcare access.

Resolution 588, sponsored by Powers, calls on New York State to collaborate

“New York has been amid a mental health crisis which was evident even before the pandemic, that greatly exacerbated the hardships experienced by residents all over the city. Today, the City Council is outlining its plan to address years of inequities across our mental health infrastructure to improve the quality of care and create better mental health outcomes for New Yorkers,” Lee said in April. “This roadmap will be a continuous effort to provide evidenced-based solutions that expand preventative and supportive care, invest in our mental health workforce which includes a wide network of New York City nonprofit and community-based organizations, and reduce the interactions between individuals experiencing mental health-related illness and the criminal justice system. New Yorkers must be aware of the resources our City has to offer in times of crisis, and I am confident that these legislative and budgetary efforts outlined in the Mental Health Roadmap will enhance the delivery of services and improve the various insufficiencies we have observed for years throughout our healthcare system.”