ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $4.5 million investment this week to expand mental health services for youth across New York State, selecting ten organizations—including the Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) of New York—as recipients of the targeted funding.
Each organization will receive a $450,000 grant as part of an initiative to enhance Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams. These specialized teams provide intensive, community-based mental health services for young people with serious emotional disturbances, particularly those at risk of institutionalization or transitioning out of residential or inpatient care.
“Children and youth living with mental illness sometimes require additional care to remain at home or return back into the community,” said Gov. Hochul. “This expansion of our Youth ACT program will help provide more families with this critical support and the services they can rely on to bring their child home after inpatient care or from a residential facility.”
JCCA plans to use the funding to expand its existing Brooklyn-based team, which has seen success in keeping youth with complex mental health needs connected to their families, schools, and communities.
Deb Falk, chief program officer at JCCA, emphasized the impact of the grant, stating it will help the organization reach more young people in need. “Our Brooklyn team has demonstrated the power of community-based, mental-health care in helping youth with the most complex needs remain connected to their families, schools, and communities while on a path to stability,” Falk said.
The funding represents a broader effort by the state to address a growing youth mental health crisis, exacerbated by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and gaps in access to intensive, personalized care.
