How the COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores the Need for Trauma-Informed Care

A traumatic experience can have long-lasting effects on a person’s physical, mental and emotional health and well-being for decades afterwards; and the more traumatic events a person experiences, the more likely they’ll have significant medical and emotional problems. For the past 18...

Technology Helps OMH Increase Access and Continuity of Healthcare

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread and intensified last year, the NYS Office of Mental Health and behavioral healthcare workers across the nation faced two great challenges: First, ensuring our patients could access the treatment and services they needed without increasing the risk of exposure; and...

NYS Office of Mental Health Seeks to Address the Social Determinants That Affect Mental Health in Our Communities

A part of New York State’s strength lies in its diversity, which provides us with the wisdom of many different cultures from which we can all learn. But diversity is often accompanied by inexcusable inequity, as residents of some communities are exposed greater risk of health problems. The...

Suicide Prevention in New York State Schools: Hope and Resilience Among Urban, Suburban, and Rural Districts

New York is a geographically, politically, and culturally diverse state, with nearly 700 school districts serving more than 2.7 million students. Large or small, urban or rural, wealthy or poor, suicide and serious suicidal behavior is a growing concern. Although New York has one of the lowest...

Suicide Prevention in New York State: We Can Make a Difference But We Need All Hands on Deck!

Suicide is a public health crisis that demands our collective attention. Over the past two decades, while we have seen major forms of mortality like heart disease, stroke, and cancer decline, suicide rates have steadily increased both in the United States and New York State (NYS). Since 2000 the...

Managing Anxiety and Protecting the Vulnerable in the Midst of a Pandemic

Who could have predicted last Thanksgiving how fundamentally different our lives would become in the months ahead? The way we work, shop, and socialize have all changed dramatically, as have the ways in which healthcare providers serve our patients. Even before the full impact of the...

Treating Individuals with Both Opioid Addiction and Mental Illness

As we work to address the nation’s opioid crisis, we must recognize that a disproportionate share of prescription painkillers is being consumed by people with anxiety and depression. We at the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) are partnering with the Office of Alcohol and Substance...

The Importance of Housing for People on the Road to Recovery

Housing is a critical factor in anyone’s overall health. Good-quality, affordable and safe housing is a vital component for individuals living with mental illness. Housing that enables individuals to live in fully integrated settings in their home communities is the cornerstone for successful...

New York State Office of Mental Health Using Medication-Assisted Treatment and Other Resources to Fight the Opioid Epidemic

Every day, more than 130 people die in the United States as a result of opioid overdose. The opioid abuse epidemic has become a national public health crisis with devastating economic, societal and human costs. People with mental illnesses served in the public mental health system have...

Project TEACH Integrates Behavioral Health Care into Primary Care for Children and New Mothers

Parents seeking help or information about their child’s emotional or behavioral health often turn first to their pediatrician or their primary care provider (PCP). Unfortunately, family practice doctors often do not have the training needed to make decisions for children with mental health needs,...