Gov. Hochul receives award for leadership in mental health policy

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at a news conference, Feb. 20, 2025, in New York. Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

STATEWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL HAS RECEIVED A NATIONAL AWARD for her leadership in mental health policy, recognizing her efforts to expand access to life-saving care throughout New York state, her office announced via press release. Mental Health America presented her with the 2026 Governor’s Leadership Award, recognizing the “significant and sustained investments” that have strengthened mental health systems across the state; mention of the award is also on MHA’s website.

Hochul invested in a $1 billion initiative to strengthen New York state’s mental health care system in 2023 and continued with investments made in subsequent budgets, funding improvements in services and support, including the expansion of outpatient programs and the creation of thousands of new units of specialized housing.

Hochul also has focused on improving youth mental health, including through her legislative initiatives to address the harmful impacts of social media and to eliminate the use of smartphones by students in K-12 public schools. Signed into law last year, the governor’s Safe for Kids Act now requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18.

Last September, Mental Health America ranked New York first nationally in the organization’s report, ‘The State of Mental Health in America.’ This designation was based on 17 indicators measuring the prevalence of mental illness and access to care.

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