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Beyond Boundaries: Oh, the Places Peer Support Can Go!
Peer support has always been bigger than the box systems tried to paint it in. Long before it was codified, credentialed, or added into service plans, it was ordinary folk reaching for one another—standing in the front, behind and to the side of each other sharing hard-earned wisdom, offering...
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NY State Governor Hochul Receives National Award for Outstanding Leadership in Mental Health Policy
Mental Health America’s 2026 Governor’s Leadership Award Cites Administration’s ‘Significant and Sustained Investments’ in Mental Health Governor Hochul has Channeled Approximately $2 Billion into Expanding Access; Strengthening New York State’s Continuum of Care Governor...
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The Future of Mental Health Is on the Line—We Must Protect It
Federal restructuring risks erasing decades of progress. Together, we can demand better for our communities. Each May, we pause to raise awareness about mental health, which also serves as a time to engage in conversations about emotional well-being, reducing stigma, and promoting equitable...
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NYSPA Report – Chronic Pain and Behavioral Health: Underlying Data and Regulatory Responses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines chronic pain as pain lasting more than three months that can result from an underlying medical disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, inflammation, or unknown cause.1 Studies find a strong correlation between pain and mental...
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New York Health Equity Reform: A Transformative Shift in New York’s Medicaid Landscape
On January 9, 2024, New York’s Department of Health received its long-awaited amendment to our Medicaid 1115 demonstration, newly rebranded NYHER (NY Health Equity Reform). It’s not as flashy nor as generously funded as the special purpose DSRIP (Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment)...
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The Detrimental Health Impact of Unemployment
Employment has the potential to contribute to positive health outcomes for people with serious mental illnesses; however, its analog, long-term unemployment, is a social determinant that has not been consistently recognized for its extremely negative effects on the individual’s recovery and other...
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New Mental Health Parity Laws in New York State
About one in five New Yorkers require behavioral health services, but many do not receive treatment because of a lack of access to insurance coverage. More than 10 years ago, the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act required large group health plans that provide mental health...
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Leading the Way in Older Adult Mental Health: Recommendations for New York State
In 2005, New York State enacted the Geriatric Mental Health Act, the first act of its kind in the nation. With this legislation, New York demonstrated a significant commitment to older adults with mental health challenges, allocating $2 million per year in funding for statewide geriatric mental...
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We Need to Do More Than Just Talk About Mental Illness
Reprinted from The Hill There was a time when no one talked about mental illness. But, today, every tragic shooting is accompanied by calls for greater access to mental health treatment. The wheels of legislation turn slowly, but mental illness is a public health crisis that requires immediate...
