Establishes a certified community behavioral health clinic public awareness campaign to educate the public regarding certified community behavioral health clinics.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10619
IN ASSEMBLY
March 13, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BERGER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
certified community behavioral health clinic public awareness campaign
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
2 36.08 to read as follows:
3 § 36.08 Certified community behavioral health clinic public awareness
4 campaign.
5 (a) The commissioner of mental health, in consultation with the
6 commissioner of addiction services and supports, commissioner of chil-
7 dren and family services, commissioner of developmental disabilities,
8 and the commissioner of health shall develop and implement a statewide
9 public awareness campaign to educate the general public regarding certi-
10 fied community behavioral health clinics established pursuant to section
11 36.04 of this article.
12 (b) Such campaign may utilize public forums, social media, and mass
13 media, including but not limited to internet, radio, and print advertis-
14 ing, and shall include posting of materials and information on the
15 websites of the office of mental health and the office of addiction
16 services and supports.
17 (c) The campaign shall be designed to:
18 1. educate the public regarding the services provided by certified
19 community behavioral health clinics, including mental health and
20 substance use disorder services, case management services, and access to
21 crisis services;
22 2. inform individuals how to access such services provided by certi-
23 fied community behavioral health clinics; and
24 3. reduce stigma associated with seeking behavioral health treatment.
25 (d) The commissioner of mental health shall require facilities
26 licensed pursuant to article thirty-one of this chapter, and the commis-
27 sioner of addiction services and supports shall require providers certi-
28 fied pursuant to article thirty-two of this chapter to make available to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15046-02-6
A. 10619 2
1 patients educational materials developed pursuant to this section
2 regarding certified community behavioral health clinics. The commission-
3 er of health shall require general hospitals licensed pursuant to arti-
4 cle twenty-eight of the public health law that operate psychiatric inpa-
5 tient, outpatient, or emergency services to make such materials
6 available. Such materials may be distributed electronically, provided in
7 writing, or posted conspicuously within provider facilities, as deter-
8 mined by the applicable commissioner.
9 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
10 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
11 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
12 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
13 completed on or before such date.
