Governor Pataki Signs Children's Mental Health Act of 2006

Albany, NY (September 15, 2006)

The Children’s Mental Health Act is consistent with this year’s Executive Budget initiative,  Achieving the Promise for New York’s Children and Families - the single largest one year investment in children’s mental health services in the State’s history.  Currently being implemented, this $62 million initiative includes a highly interrelated series of fundamental changes in the ways that mental health services are provided, and also incorporates profound improvements in clinical quality.

Sharon E. Carpinello, RN, PhD, Commissioner of OMH, said, “Governor Pataki has made unprecedented investments in children’s mental health and under his leadership, OMH is transforming New York’s public mental health system for children.  The Children’s Mental Health Act underscores the importance of putting children and families in the forefront of the children’s mental health system, and recognizes that the social and emotional well-being of children are essential.  The emphasis on prevention, early recognition and quality treatment, will be felt not only by today’s children, but generations to come.  The Children’s Mental Health Act and Achieving the Promise for New York’s Children and Families represent historic advancements in the area of children’s mental health that together will make an enormous difference in the lives of New York’s children.  I would also like to commend Senator Thomas Morahan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities,  and Assemblyman Peter Rivera, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Mental Health, for their vision and leadership in the area of children and families.” 

"Implementing early-intervention services and cross-system planning will ultimately decrease the likelihood of more severe emotional or behavioral problems, and those which often lead to alcohol or substance abuse, involvement with the criminal justice system, school failure or suicide.  The Children's Mental Health Act forges an invaluable collaboration between the Education Department and OMH which I feel will bring opportunity to expand and improve social and emotional development practices in our schools. I compliment Commissioner Carpinello and OMH  professionals for developing these improvements to the way mental health  services are provided," said Senator Thomas Morahan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.        

The Children’s Mental Health Act will enhance and build upon the Office of Mental Health’s ongoing commitment to transform the children’s mental health system through strategic planning, performance management and continuous quality improvement.  The law supports cross-system collaboration that will result in recommendations for coordinated provider services and interagency networks to maximize resources and minimize duplication of services.  The law also calls for OMH and the Education Department to jointly develop guidelines for voluntary incorporation of social and emotional development of children into elementary and secondary school educational programs.

The elements of Achieving the Promise for New York’s Children and Families include:  Child and Family Clinic Plus, which provides for the  systematic, early recognition of emotional disturbance in children and adolescents with comprehensive assessments for children who need them; a telepsychiatry initiative that provides children and their families in rural areas with expert consultation by child psychiatrists; an Evidence-Based Treatment Dissemination Center, to ensure that scientifically-driven treatment approaches are available to frontline clinicians on a statewide basis; and expansion of the Home and Community-Based waiver program will enable more that 2,150 children at risk for institutional placement to remain at home and in school each year while receiving needed mental health services.