Governor Hochul Meets With Advocates to Highlight Mental Health Resources for Young People and Efforts to Address Harmful Impacts of Social Media

Governor Kathy Hochul met with advocates from the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS) this week to highlight her ongoing investments in mental health resources for young New Yorkers, including expanded access to innovative youth and teen Mental Health First Aid training programs.

The Governor reiterated her commitment to enacting nation-leading legislation addressing online safety and the harmful impacts of social media in the final weeks of the 2024 State Legislative Session.

“We are working closely with mental health advocates and service providers to ensure young New Yorkers have access to the support they need,” Governor Hochul said.

“But even as we continue making progress, I know we still have more work to do. Meeting with advocates and families across the state has only reinforced my commitment to advance legislation to combat addictive social media feeds and protect kids online.”

Governor Hochul highlighted her investments to support Mental Health First Aid training programs offered by MHANYS and other organizations statewide to enable New Yorkers to assist friends, family or other community members who experience challenges with mental health or substance use.

The State Office of Mental Health has provided $1.5 million to support the organization’s youth and teen Mental Health First Aid programs, which offer age-specific training to either adults or teens so they can support young people who may be facing challenges with mental health or addiction.

As part of her discussion with MHANYS leadership, the Governor also continued to hear about the challenges facing young people today due to excessive and unhealthy use of social media.

According to Hochul's office, the Governor is focused on advancing two pieces of legislation by the end of the legislative session in June, including the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act to restrict the addictive features of social media, and the New York Child Data Protection Act to restrict the collection of minors’ personal data by online sites.

This commitment is part of the Governor’s broader effort to address the youth mental health crisis and ensure that young people can get the care and resources they need.

For more, visit Governor Hochul's website.

Governor Kathy Hochul image.