Alice Bufkin, CCC’s Associate Executive Director for Policy and Advocacy, testified February 10, 2022 to the New York State FY 2023 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing for Mental Hygiene regarding priorities to address the child and adolescent behavioral health crisis.
With millions in new federal funding entering the state, New York has an unprecedented opportunity to change the state’s trajectory and address the root barriers to children’s access to behavioral health supports. The Governor’s Executive Budget takes critically important steps towards addressing these barriers, and Alice’s testimony draws attention to the need to  fund and sustain these investments, as well as make significant additional investments to address the children’s behavioral health crisis.

• Now is the time to address the behavioral health crisis by:
• Addressing deeply inadequate rates that have harmed family access to care
• Expanding access to essential behavioral health supports
• Strengthening the children’s behavioral health workforce