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Oneida County’s Mental Health Strategy

Oneida County's Mental Health Strategy

At the end of March, Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon announced two new Office of Mental Health (OMH) initiatives to combat the ongoing youth mental health crisis in New York state and Oneida County. These initiatives aim to address the pressing need for accessible mental health services that are crucial for supporting young individuals facing various challenges.

The initiatives will focus on utilizing $30 million in capital funds to purchase new property, construct new facilities, and rehabilitate existing ones to develop psychiatric residential treatment facilities. Additionally, the OMH has announced plans to make funds available for 37 flexible assertive community treatment (ACT) teams statewide. This approach seeks to ensure that vulnerable populations have access to essential mental health resources and support systems.

Luis Ramirez, a licensed clinical social worker, opened his own practice, Rising Potential Counseling, in Utica a year ago. He emphasizes the numerous challenges that clinicians face in the current environment, with the lack of funding being the most significant issue.

“Each clinician in the practice for each year needs to have up to 12 hours of continuing education credits before they can be certified for their license at total of 36 credits for the three years for each individual person,” Ramirez said. “Some of these trainings that we do attend, for example, can go from anywhere as low as $400 to $1,300.”

In the face of these financial burdens, Ramirez highlights the necessity of ongoing education and training to keep up with the demands of the profession. He recently obtained certification to diagnose autism, acknowledging the high demand for such expertise within the county.

“Training alone for me just to become certified and one of the modalities for autism, which is considered the ADR, was almost $3,000,” Ramirez said.

The increasing demand for mental health services far surpasses the available number of providers, resulting in long waiting lists for those seeking help. This reality poses a significant challenge for individuals in crisis.

“How can you tell a person who has been suicidal or a person who has a need of mental services? Sorry, I don’t have a clinician right now because they’re tapped out when it comes to cases,” Ramirez said.

In response to these challenges, the Office of Mental Health is working to bridge the gap by creating more facilities for psychiatric residential treatment and allocating additional funds to assertive community treatment teams. These teams provide vital services to individuals with mental health needs who have a history of emergency room visits and encounters with law enforcement.

“And clearly we need that,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said. “You know, the problem is we need it now. And while all of this is positive and good for dealing with this problem. We’re still have a long waiting period you know, six months or more. And families can’t wait that long to get into treatment or to get into … some kind of facility.”

Picente argues that the state must take a more comprehensive look at the statistics surrounding mental health service delivery.

“The issue of releasing people, you know, on medication is not the answer,” Picente said. “There needs to be more treatment facilities and more inpatient and outpatient facilities that can handle this.”

In light of these ongoing challenges, Ramirez advocates for increased funding in the state budget to support private practices like his.

“If I don’t have reimbursement coming in for that particular clinician, I can’t pay them,” Ramirez said. “So if I have something that can say, here’s the budget, this person can start tomorrow and here’s a waiting list of 70, this person can start taking 30, then that waiting list and starts to go down again, making mental health accessible for those that need it.”

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At the end of March, Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon announced two new Office of Mental Health (OMH) initiatives to combat the ongoing youth mental health crisis in New York state and Oneida County. These initiatives aim to address the pressing need for accessible mental health services that are crucial for supporting young individuals facing various challenges.

The initiatives will focus on utilizing $30 million in capital funds to purchase new property, construct new facilities, and rehabilitate existing ones to develop psychiatric residential treatment facilities. Additionally, the OMH has announced plans to make funds available for 37 flexible assertive community treatment (ACT) teams statewide. This approach seeks to ensure that vulnerable populations have access to essential mental health resources and support systems.

Luis Ramirez, a licensed clinical social worker, opened his own practice, Rising Potential Counseling, in Utica a year ago. He emphasizes the numerous challenges that clinicians face in the current environment, with the lack of funding being the most significant issue.

“Each clinician in the practice for each year needs to have up to 12 hours of continuing education credits before they can be certified for their license at total of 36 credits for the three years for each individual person,” Ramirez said. “Some of these trainings that we do attend, for example, can go from anywhere as low as $400 to $1,300.”

In the face of these financial burdens, Ramirez highlights the necessity of ongoing education and training to keep up with the demands of the profession. He recently obtained certification to diagnose autism, acknowledging the high demand for such expertise within the county.

“Training alone for me just to become certified and one of the modalities for autism, which is considered the ADR, was almost $3,000,” Ramirez said.

The increasing demand for mental health services far surpasses the available number of providers, resulting in long waiting lists for those seeking help. This reality poses a significant challenge for individuals in crisis.

“How can you tell a person who has been suicidal or a person who has a need of mental services? Sorry, I don’t have a clinician right now because they’re tapped out when it comes to cases,” Ramirez said.

In response to these challenges, the Office of Mental Health is working to bridge the gap by creating more facilities for psychiatric residential treatment and allocating additional funds to assertive community treatment teams. These teams provide vital services to individuals with mental health needs who have a history of emergency room visits and encounters with law enforcement.

“And clearly we need that,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said. “You know, the problem is we need it now. And while all of this is positive and good for dealing with this problem. We’re still have a long waiting period you know, six months or more. And families can’t wait that long to get into treatment or to get into … some kind of facility.”

Picente argues that the state must take a more comprehensive look at the statistics surrounding mental health service delivery.

“The issue of releasing people, you know, on medication is not the answer,” Picente said. “There needs to be more treatment facilities and more inpatient and outpatient facilities that can handle this.”

In light of these ongoing challenges, Ramirez advocates for increased funding in the state budget to support private practices like his.

“If I don’t have reimbursement coming in for that particular clinician, I can’t pay them,” Ramirez said. “So if I have something that can say, here’s the budget, this person can start tomorrow and here’s a waiting list of 70, this person can start taking 30, then that waiting list and starts to go down again, making mental health accessible for those that need it.”

Explore NYC Autism Services with A Better Way ABA

If you or someone you know is seeking comprehensive support for autism, look no further than A Better Way ABA. Our dedicated team offers tailored autism services in New York designed to meet the unique needs of each individual. With a focus on quality and accessibility, we provide effective and compassionate care that empowers individuals and families. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you navigate the journey toward improved mental health and well-being. Your path to a brighter future starts with A Better Way ABA!

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