New York
New York suicide prevention plans and initiatives
New York Mental Hygiene law tasks the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) with assuring the development of plans, programs, and services in the areas of research and prevention of suicide (§ 7.07 (g)) and with periodically reviewing state suicide prevention programs to ensure that the needs of individuals at risk of suicide are being met (§ 7.07 (h)). In 2014, OMH created the Suicide Prevention Office (SPO) to coordinate all OMH-sponsored suicide prevention activities. In 2016, the SPO released 1700 Too Many: The 2016-2017 New York State Suicide Prevention Plan focusing on prevention in health and behavioral healthcare settings (i.e. Zero Suicide), prevention in communities across the lifespan, and suicide surveillance and data collection. Through the SPO, OMH funds the Suicide Prevention Center of New York State (SPC-NY), which is operated by the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, to advance and support community-based suicide prevention efforts and state and local actions via education, training, consultation, and coalition building.
In 2017, the Governor initiated the New York State Suicide Prevention Task Force through an announcement in the State of the State Address, and it was officially formed that November. The Task Force was charged with enhancing the efforts of the New York State Suicide Prevention Plan by (1) examining current programs, services, and policies related to suicide prevention and identifying gaps, and (2) making recommendations to facilitate greater access, awareness, collaboration, and support of effective suicide prevention activities. In 2019, the Task Force released the Communities United for a Suicide Free New York report with their recommendations. In addition, Governor Kathy Hochul proclaimed May 2023 as Mental Health Awareness Month in the State of New York.
New York laws
Key:
- Required by law
- Encouraged by law
- No law in place
Crisis lines and 988 implementation
- Addresses 988 infrastructure and provides for telecom user fee
- Addresses 988 infrastructure but does not include telecom user fee
- 988 law limited to creating an exploratory commission, advisory committee, or task force
Mental health parity
- Public health plans (e.g., Medicaid) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
- Private health plans (individual and group) regularly submit parity compliance analyses to state regulators
K – 12 school suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Student allowances for excused mental health absences
- School personnel must report student suicide risk to a parent and/or guardian
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, annual
- Suicide prevention and/or mental health training for certain school personnel, not annual
- Suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention policies/programming
- Student education on suicide prevention
- Student education on mental health
Health professional training in suicide assessment, treatment and management
- Mental health professionals receive regular training
- Mental health professionals receive one time training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive regular training
- Medical/surgical professionals receive one time training
Conversion therapy bans
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with minors under 18 years of age
- Prohibits licensed/board certified mental health providers from engaging in conversion therapy with vulnerable adults
- Prohibits use of state funds for any purpose related to conversion therapy (e.g., conducting, making a referral for, or extending health benefits coverage for)
University and college campus suicide prevention
- Inclusion of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and/or other crisis line(s) on student ID cards
- Students receive information on available mental health and/or suicide prevention services and/or resources
- Adoption of suicide prevention/awareness policy or program