Take Action Now! Support Children’s Mental Health in the City Budget

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and ensuring students can access mental health support at schools and in their communities is key to tackling the youth mental health crisis. New York City should invest the funding needed to make existing programs a success.

School-based mental health clinics (SBMHCs) provide on-site mental health services to children during the school day. Currently, most funding for SBMHCs comes from Medicaid, which does not fully cover the range of supports and services that students and school communities need. With extra funding, SBMHCs could better support students with behavioral and mental health challenges by providing additional services, like consulting on specific behavioral supports for school staff and being on call to de-escalate crises.

The Mental Health Continuum serves thousands of students with mental health needs at 50 schools in the Bronx and central Brooklyn. The program — which includes school partnerships with mental health clinics, mobile response teams to respond to students in crisis, training for school staff, and more — is supported by one-year city funds. While we are pleased the Mayor’s Executive Budget extends the Mental Health Continuum’s funding for one more year, this important program needs long-term funding so that students, families, and school staff will know they can continue to rely on it in years to come.

The City Council’s Mental Health Initiatives have for years used non-traditional, community-based settings to help identify children and families in need and offer developmentally appropriate services and support. Council initiatives include Children Under Five, Court-Involved Youth, Mental Health Services for Vulnerable populations, Developmental, Psychological, and Behavioral Health, Autism Awareness, and LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. These trusted community services have been able to adapt to the specific needs of communities and support programs that are challenging to fund through state and federal sources.

Please take a few minutes to submit the letter below urging your elected leaders to take action to support children’s behavioral health.