Investments in Mental Health Services

Providing High Schoolers With Teen Mental Health First Aid Training
This proposal builds on Governor Hochul's commitment to investing in training adolescent New Yorkers in teen mental health first aid. This skill set equips high school-aged youth with evidence-based tools to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers, including the impacts of bullying and school violence. This year, Governor Hochul will roll out a teen mental health first aid program in high schools to equip students with the basic skills to support themselves and their peers to drive a generational culture change and strengthen mental wellness.

Supporting Youth Mental Health in After-School Programs
To help promote the health and well-being of young people, Governor Hochul will connect mental health resources to after-school programs. By connecting licensed health care facilities to State-funded after-school programs, the Governor will ensure that youth have access to these critical resources after school hours. Additionally, the State will offer youth mental health first aid training to all State-funded after-school providers and will partner with SUNY to match social work graduate students with local State-funded after-school programs to complete their required fieldwork and support vulnerable youth.

Development of Youth Safe Spaces
In response to ideas put forward by the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board and young New Yorkers, Governor Hochul will develop new safe spaces for youth. These spaces outside of school or home will provide a place where youth can access mental wellness resources, foster positive relationships with their peers and receive support in a comfortable setting, alongside friends and community members.

Expanding the Latina Mentoring Initiative and Creating the Black Girls Mentoring Initiative
Young Latinas have the highest rate of suicide attempts among teen populations in the U.S. In New York State, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Latina teens, and in New York City, 18.5 percent of Latina teens seriously considered suicide in 2019, a percentage higher than their peers. In 2021, the State launched the Latina Mentoring Initiative (LMI) to empower future Latina leaders ages 8 to 24 by building soft skills, confidence and nurturing aspirations via personal and professional development.

In the last three years, LMI has created a safe space that builds community where youth are inspired by Latina representation, encouraged to expand their possibilities and are affirmed and celebrated. This year, the Governor has proposed to increase investment in the LMI to increase the number of youths served by this impactful program. Additionally, leveraging learnings from the success of the Latina Mentoring Initiative, the Governor has proposed launching the Black Girls Mentoring Initiative to support young Black women.