NAMI-NYC is firmly committed to enacting policies that increase access to stable housing and mental healthcare and improve the quality of those services. 

We believe in a person-centered approach to healthcare to assist people living with mental illness. To achieve this, people living with a mental illness must be able to access the most appropriate treatments to advance their recovery. Healthcare projects NAMI-NYC supports include: 

Improving the Psych ER Experience for Patients 

We launched the second part of our psychiatric Emergency Room survey in Spring 2023. We are collecting more data to share with legislators and hospital executives to demand improvements in quality-of-care standards in psych ERs. We would like to see:  

• Fewer closures,  

• Better staff-to-patient ratio,  

• More humanizing treatment, and  

• Knowledge of follow-up resources in the community, e.g. supportive housing, alternatives to crisis care, mental health professionals, and more. 

Investing in a Culturally Competent Behavioral Health Workforce 

New York is facing a shortage of mental health professionals. We support initiatives to increase the number of mental health professionals, especially minority mental health professionals, who are culturally competent and multilingual.  

We support the Social Work Workforce Act, which would eliminate the examination requirement to qualify as a licensed master social worker (LMSW). The current exam is a barrier for clinical coverage in our communities, particularly with disparities in pass rates between Black first-time test takers and white first-time test takers. Potential LMSWs may leave the profession or work at a lower level, despite completing their educational training and being well-versed in responding to real-life scenarios. When 80% of New York City public schools do not meet the recommended ratio of one social worker for every 250 students, we cannot allow something as simple as third-party testing to be a reason for this high number. 

Creating More Supportive Crisis Stabilization Centers 

Crisis Respite Centers can be life changing for someone experiencing a mental health crisis. These centers can also help shift people with a substance use disorder away from the criminal legal system and towards recovery. Currently, only nine centers operate in New York City. We applaud the City Council for enacting important legislation in 2023 that mandates the creation of four more centers by 2026 and will continue working with City Hall to secure additional sites and beds to meet the needs of those suffering from mental illness. 

In addition to supporting the creation of more stabilization centers, we would like to see increased city funding for community-based organizations to operate centers to promote more culturally competent, linguistically appropriate local care and resources. We believe that putting these centers in the hands of well-experienced organizations will ensure the success of these centers emphasizing long-term treatment and recovery. 

Investing in Maternal Mental Health 

We support the enactment of the City Council’s maternal mental health legislative package. 

 We specifically want to highlight our support for Intro 869-2024 and Intro 912-2024, as both pieces of legislation aim to raise awareness for new parents about resources, information, and community-based organizations that they can utilize for any mental health challenges they may be facing. Additionally, Intro 890-2024 would establish support groups for individuals who are up to one year postpartum. 

Enforcing Insurance Parity for Mental Health Coverage 

We support stronger enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to ensure equitable health insurance coverage for individuals needing coverage for mental health conditions or a substance use disorder. This is a federal law that aims to prevent health insurance companies from reducing coverage or imposing less favorable benefit limitations for individuals needing coverage for mental health conditions or a substance use disorder. While this effort to end discrimination against those who seek behavioral health coverage parity has been a law for well over a decade, there have been issues of noncompliance as state insurance regulators are tasked with monitoring compliance with the federal law. We support New York State’s robust enforcement of the act to ensure equitable coverage. 

Preventing Overdose Deaths from Substance Use Disorders 

NAMI-NYC supports the Safer Consumption Services Act to expand safe injection sites through public funding in the State. This will help prevent unnecessary overdose deaths by having medical professionals on site. It also will minimize improperly discarded syringes through syringe exchange and disposal programs.  

Currently, two Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) operate in New York City. We would like to see more OPC’s in operation as these sites increase access to treatment for those experiencing behavioral health issues, along with connections to resources to care for individuals’ other basic needs and social services supports. 

Improving Supportive Housing 

Everyone deserves safe and stable housing. Supportive housing is a proven, long-term solution to help people find stability, employment, and aid their road to recovery.  

In the supportive housing model, various support services combined with affordable housing help provide stability and assistance for people living with serious mental illness or dual diagnoses. We work in conjunction with SHOUT- Supportive Housing Organizations & United Tenants, to uplift the work that supportive housing tenants and applicants are doing to advocate for their own rights, demand accountability from housing providers, and improve the application process. Everyone deserves to live in dignified conditions and feel comfortable in their own homes.  

The city and state must also increase the number of available units in the supportive housing stock to meet growing demand, so we support initiatives that aim to responsibly achieve this goal. 

Protecting Funding for Mental Health Professionals in Shelters 

Alongside community partners, NAMI-NYC advocated for at least one full-time mental health professional in shelters with families. We would like to see the same provision of on-site mental health services for single adult shelters given the increase of individuals with mental health conditions in need of these services at shelters since 2020.