STAYING NOW WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION.

AS YOU KNOW BY NOW, THOSE ARE TWO ISSUES THAT AFFECT EVERYONE.

BUT A SPECIAL FOCUS IS BEING PLACED ON CHILDREN IN NEW YORK SCHOOLS AND YOUNG ADULTS.

THAT'S WHERE YOUTH PEER ADVOCATES COME IN.

THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO FACED THEIR OWN CHALLENGES WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH OR ADDICTION AND NOW WANT TO HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME.

SO IN THIS STORY FROM PRODUCER KATHERINE RAFFERTY, WE LOOK AT HOW THEY DO IT AND THE DIFFERENCE THEY CAN MAKE.

[ THEME MUSIC ] IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, GOVERNOR HOCHUL LAUNCHED A STATEWIDE SERIES OF LISTENING SESSIONS AIMED AT EXPLORING THE ISSUES IMPACTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUTH THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE, COORDINATED BY THE STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES.

THE SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED WITH APPROXIMATELY 200 YOUTH IN 5 LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE.

IT WAS PART OF GOVERNOR HOCHUL'S $1 BILLION PLAN TO OVERHAUL NEW YORK STATE'S MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM OF CARE.

THAT INCLUDES $30 MILLION TO EXPAND SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

$10 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR HIGH RISK YOUTH, AND $12 MILLION FOR PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND IN-HOME CRISIS INTERVENTION TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS.

SARAH KURIAKOSE, ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER IN THE DIVISION OF INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND IN THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH SAID THE LISTENING TOUR FOCUSED ON YOUTH VOICE.

GOVERNOR HOCHUL REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY OF THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT WERE PUT OUT THAT SHE INVESTED IN, THAT SHE DIRECTED HAD AT THE VERY CENTER THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED THE MOST, WHICH IS YOUNG PEOPLE.

WHAT SHE ASKED US TO DO, ALONG WITH OUR SISTER AGENCY, THE OFFICE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, IS TO HELP HER GO AROUND TO THE ENTIRE STATE AND FIND PLACES WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE, MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS, SO 13 TO 18-YEAR-OLDS, COULD COME TOGETHER AND REALLY TELL US WHAT'S LIFE BEEN LIKE FOR THEM SINCE THE PANDEMIC.

WHAT'S GOING WELL?

WHAT'S NOT GOING WELL?

HOW DO THINGS FEEL FOR THEM?

HOW DO THINGS FEEL FOR THEIR PEERS?

THE LISTENING TOUR BREAKOUT GROUPS WERE FACILITATED BY YOUTH PEER ADVOCATES, A YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE IS SOMEONE 18 TO 30 YEARS OLD WHO SELF-IDENTIFIES AS A PERSON WHO HAS FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE WITH SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, MEDICAL, DEVELOPMENTAL, SUBSTANCE USE, AND/OR BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES.

FAMILIES TOGETHER IN NEW YORK ADMINISTERS THE NEW YORK STATE YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE CREDENTIAL.

PAIGE PIERCE IS THE CEO OF FAMILIES TOGETHER IN NEW YORK.

FAMILIES TOGETHER STARTED IN THE MID-'90S BY PARENTS WHO HAD CHILDREN MOSTLY INVOLVED IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND THE IDEA WAS, REALLY, THAT FAMILIES WERE FEELING FRUSTRATED THAT THE SYSTEM WASN'T RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS AND THERE WAS A SYSTEM DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF KIDS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT IT WASN'T TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE FAMILIES PERSPECTIVE.

SO OFTEN WE WERE SEEN AS PART OF THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF PART OF THE SOLUTION, AND OUR PHILOSOPHY IS NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US.

THAT FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE PEERS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE HAVE EXPERTISE THAT CAN HELP POLICYMAKERS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND HELP, IN GENERAL, WITH ANYTHING WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A PERSON OR A FAMILY.

YOUTH POWER IS A NETWORK HOSTED BY FAMILIES TOGETHER THAT IS RUN FOR AND BY YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS TO ENSURE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT ON ALL LEVELS OF THE SERVICES THEY RECEIVE.

JUSTICE WALCOTT, DIRECTOR OF YOUTH POWER AT FAMILIES TOGETHER, SAYS THE NETWORK ALLOWS YOUNG PEOPLE TO USE THEIR EXPERIENCE TO TAKE ACTION.

ADVOCATES IN THE CHILD-SERVING SYSTEMS, THEIR IMPORTANCE IS TO HOLD FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE AND TO EDUCATE THEIR PEERS, RIGHT, TO LET YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEIR VOICE DOES MATTER, THAT THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE VALID, THAT THEIR EMOTIONS ARE VALID AND GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO ARTICULATELY WORK THROUGH WHATEVER THEY'RE FEELING AND TURN ANY TRAUMA, ANY PAIN, ANYTHING THAT THEY FEEL WAS DONE WRONGLY TO THEM INTO A FORM OF POWER, RIGHT, INTO A FORM OF ADVOCACY AND MOVE WITH THAT ADVOCACY INTO POLICY, RIGHT, AND LEGISLATION.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY TO EMPOWER OR GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES.

RACHEL CARR-REPETTI IS A YOUTH PEER SPECIALIST AT THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF WESTCHESTER.

HER LIVED EXPERIENCE INFORMS HER ADVOCACY AND WORK WITH YOUTH, SHE SAYS.

FROM MY EXPERIENCE, GOING IN AND OUT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, I THOUGHT MY VOICE WAS NEVER HEARD OR TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND THEN LATER ON IN LIFE, I SUFFERED FROM A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY WHERE I HAD TO RELEARN HOW TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF.

YOUTH PEERS ARE NOT FOCUSED ON PRESCRIBING MEDICATIONS OR DIAGNOSING.

THEY ARE MORE THERE TO BUILD A RAPPORT AND HELPING THE YOUTH MAKE THEIR VOICE HEARD, WHETHER IT'S IN TREATMENT, IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS, OR EVEN AT HOME.

A REPORT FROM THE TOUR WAS RELEASED AT THE STATE'S YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN JUNE IN NEW YORK CITY.

THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THE INTERSECTIONS OF RACISM AND MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN PRESENTATION FOR SUICIDAL AND SELF-HARMING BEHAVIORS AND, IN EMERGENCY SETTINGS IN TEENAGE GIRLS AND LGBTQ IDENTIFYING YOUTH.

SEVERAL OVERALL THEMES EMERGED FROM THE TOUR, INCLUDING THE LINGERING IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF SOCIAL NEED YEAH, A NEED FOR MULTIPLE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACHES TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND A NEED FOR INCREASED REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE.

THE U.S. IS CURRENTLY FACING A MENTAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE.

BY 2025, THE U.S. WILL BE SHORT ABOUT 31,000 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, ACCORDING TO THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.

YOUTH PEER ADVOCATES ARE PART OF THAT WORKFORCE.

PAIGE PIERCE, CEO OF FAMILIES TOGETHER IN NEW YORK, SAYS THAT YOUTH PEER ADVOCATES NEED FAIR COMPENSATION TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE INTO THE PROFESSION.

AS A WHOLE AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO HAVING A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR WORKERS AND PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SERVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES.

INCLUDING OUR YOUTH PEER ADVOCATES AND FAMILY PEER ADVOCATES THAT JUSTICE DESCRIBED, THAT WE TRAIN AND CREDENTIAL, THEY NEED TO MAKE A LIVING WAGE SO THEY CAN FEED THEIR FAMILIES AND PAY THEIR RENT AND STAY IN THE FIELD.

ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS THE REPORT IDENTIFIED WAS INCORPORATING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE YOUTH LISTENING SESSIONS TO INFORM THE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED CLINIC AND PREVENTION SERVICES IN THE FORMATION OF YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD AND PARENT CAREGIVER ADVISORY BOARDS.

OMH IS IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING THOSE ADVISORY BOARDS TO START CONVENING IN 2024.

OMH ALSO HAS PLANS FOR MORE SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS AROUND THE STATE.

WE HAVE ABOUT 1,100 CLINICS ALREADY AND WE OFFER START-UP FOR MORE CLINICS.

I ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE THAN 100 NEW CLINICS AND WE ARE PLANNING TO CONTINUE DOING START-UP IN ADDITION TO A RATE INCREASE FOR SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE REALLY GET ACCESS TO THOSE CRITICAL SERVICES IN SCHOOLS.

RACHEL CARR-REPETTI, YOUTH SPECIALIST AND MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF WESTCHESTER, WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE YOUTH PEER ADVOCATES A PART OF THOSE SYSTEMS OF CARE GOING FORWARD.

I THINK IT'S MORE PEER SUPPORT THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE TREATMENT PLANS IN SCHOOLS AND IN COMMUNITY CENTERS.

IT'S CREATING A POSITIVE, SAFE AFFIRMATION ENVIRONMENT FOR THE YOUTH.

WHILE ALLEVIATING SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF THE PARENTS AND GUARDIANS.

OTHER SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE PROVIDING EDUCATION TO FAMILY MEMBERS, SO WHETHER IT'S ABOUT THE CHILD'S DIAGNOSIS OR MEDICATION JUST SO THAT THE PARENTS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SUPPORT AS WELL AS BEING THEIR CAREGIVER.

WE JUST NEED TO CHECK OUR PERSPECTIVE OF TREATMENT IN A MORE HOLISTIC, FULL, FAMILY-ORIENTED, COMMUNITY-CENTERED APPROACH.

[ THEME MUSIC ] IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE PROGRAM, WE'LL PUT A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S AN NYNOW.ORG.

AND A QUICK PROGRAMMING NOTE