Disabilities Beat: NY Mental Health Advocates Urge 4% Funding Boost to Address Service Gaps

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | By Emyle Watkins

When the United States moved towards deinstitutionalizing people with mental health conditions and disabilities, the idea was to create a network of community services that would allow people to live as integrated into their communities as possible.

The laws since then have affirmed a person’s right to live and get treatment in the most integrated setting possible, but that doesn’t always mean the services are there.

This week on the Disabilities Beat, we share the personal story of a young Western New Yorker, Emma Pratt, who found herself cycling through the state’s mental health system. She shares her belief that the cycle could have ended if resources in her rural community had been stronger. We also speak with a policy expert who says a 4% funding increase in the state budget for mental health services could help stabilize the programs meant to help New Yorkers get help in their communities.