Establishes a certified community behavioral health clinic public awareness campaign to educate the public regarding certified community behavioral health clinics.
Summary
This bill would add a new section to the Mental Hygiene Law requiring the Commissioner of Mental Health, in consultation with the commissioners of Addiction Services and Supports, Children and Family Services, Developmental Disabilities, and Health, to create and carry out a statewide public awareness campaign about certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs). The campaign would use public forums, social media, mass media, and agency websites to explain what CCBHCs are and what services they provide.
The bill specifies that the campaign should educate the public about the range of services offered by CCBHCs, including mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, case management, and crisis services. It also directs the campaign to explain how people can access these services and to reduce stigma associated with seeking behavioral health treatment. In addition to the statewide campaign, the bill requires certain licensed or certified providers and general hospitals that offer psychiatric services to make educational materials about CCBHCs available to patients.
Impact
The bill would amend the Mental Hygiene Law by creating a new state-level outreach and education mandate tied to certified community behavioral health clinics. It would require the Office of Mental Health, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the Department of Health, and related agencies to develop public-facing materials and ensure that certain behavioral health providers and hospitals distribute or display them. The measure does not change eligibility for services or create new clinical benefits, but it would impose administrative and informational duties on state agencies and covered providers.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded votes or committee debate, the measure appears to be framed as a broadly supportive public-information initiative rather than a controversial policy change. Its stated goals—improving awareness, helping people access care, and reducing stigma—suggest a generally favorable posture toward behavioral health access and outreach. No opposition or formal concerns are reflected in the available record.
Contention
No committee transcript or voting history is available, so there are no documented points of contention in the record provided. Potential areas of discussion, if the bill advances, could include the administrative burden on state agencies and providers, the cost of producing and distributing materials, and whether a public awareness campaign is the most effective way to increase use of CCBHC services. However, none of those concerns are expressly raised in the supplied materials.
Establishes a certified community behavioral health clinic public awareness campaign to educate the public regarding certified community behavioral health clinics.
Creates the certified community behavioral health clinic accountability and oversight act to ensure transparency, fiscal responsibility, and service quality by certified community behavioral health clinics.