Chronically low reimbursement rates for youth behavioral health providers have led to massive staff turnover and vacancies, and widespread provider shortages. These shortages are, in turn, leading to unacceptably long waitlists for services. As a result, parents are leaving their jobs so they can navigate the mental health system for their children; children are cycling in and out of ERs and hospitals; and young peoples’ needs are becoming more acute, complex, and difficult to address as they grow into adults.

All program types – Article 31 Outpatient Clinics, Children and Family Treatment and Support Services, and CFTSS Peer Services – rated barriers such as inadequate reimbursement, staff turnover, and staff vacancy as significant, while CFTSS program types also nearly unanimously identified inadequate reimbursement for travel, care coordination, and documentation barriers as significant.

To understand the depth of the waitlist crisis, HMHK conducted a survey in the Fall of 2024 of outpatient providers across the state. We received a total of 43 responses representing Long Island, New York City, Mid-Hudson, Capital District, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier, Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York, and the North Country (Empire State Development Regions).