New York State Must Intervene in the Behavioral Health Crisis

• By: Lauri Cole, MSW NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• April 1st, 2026
• behavioral health policy, managed care, MCO accountability, Medicaid reform, mental health access, New York State, substance use disorder, workforce crisis
• 825    0

New York State is in the middle of a behavioral health crisis. Suicide rates are up over 40% in the last 20 years. Overdose rates are almost four times higher than they were in 2010. During this crisis, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) paid by the State are taking hundreds of millions of...