Governor Hochul launches expansion of school based mental health clinics to combat youth mental health crisis

ALBANY, NY- Governor Hochul has announced $20 million in start-up funding for school-based mental health clinics and launched a rolling application, which will make it easier for interested schools to access state funding.

With support from a school wanting to establish a clinic satellite, providers can now apply for start-up funding on a rolling basis rather than through the state procurement process previously used.

This effort is part of the Governor's State of the State commitment to put a school-based mental health clinic in every school that wants one.

“Our kids are in crisis, and as the adults in the room it's our responsibility to help," Governor Hochul said.

“The mental health crisis is one of the biggest challenges we face, and I'm committed to giving kids, parents and teachers the tools they need to address this issue.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 4 teens have considered suicide, a significant increase from a decade ago, and for teenage girls, that number rises to 1 in 3.

In response to this crisis, the Governor’s actions announced will expand mental health support for children across the state, protect them from harmful social media features, and ensure their voice is heard.

Furthermore, Governor Hochul is continuing to advocate for the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act (SAFE for Kids Act), which she included in her FY25 Executive Budget.

This groundbreaking proposal would regulate unhealthy social media usage by prohibiting platforms from providing addictive algorithmic feeds to kids without parental consent.

In 2023, the US Surgeon General said that social media can "have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents," the Governor's Office claimed.

This legislation would require social media companies to restrict the addictive features that harm young users while still allowing access to the platform and empower the Office of the Attorney General to bring actions forward for violators.

Additionally, the New York Child Data Protection Act would prohibit online sites from collecting, using, sharing, or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18 without their consent.

For more, check out the Governor's website.

Governor Kathy Hochul image.