Mental health advocates were back in Albany Wednesday three months before the start of the legislative session, pleading with the state for a 2.7% inflationary increase to human services funding. They laid out how New York individuals and families are in crisis with massive waitlists, high turnover rates and limited funds to make progress in addressing those issues.
Fearing the impact of federal cuts on other areas of funding and a state budget sure to be battered by them, advocates are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul and budget officials to provide the increase, and to look elsewhere as they attempt to absorb the impact of those cuts set to ramp up by late next year.
Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, is working to get the message across that if these programs aren’t funded properly, taxpayers will end up footing the bill somewhere else at a time when Hochul’s administration continues to drive home an affordability message…