ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and school psychologists around New York are pushing for more resources to help those struggling.
Each year, 1 in 10 adults and children experience mental health challenges that affect their job, family, or school, that’s according to the NYS Department of Mental Health.
A big challenge for individuals and families is finding help.
A bill in the Senate and Assembly would help fill those gaps through school psychologists by changing how school psychologists can practice in the state.
“School psychologists currently are certified, and we work within the confines of the school building, also called an exempt setting,” said Kelly Caci, president of the New York Association of School Psychologists. “So we are unfortunately restricted in our practice to only work within schools.”
The bills would allow school psychologists to be licensed, allowing them to work in the communities or private practice.
Caci, who is a school psychologist in Orange County, says the mental health crisis was happening long before COVID-19.
“The issue is nothing’s changed. We have not been able to build in any additional supports in the community,” Caci added.
According to a 2025 report from Comptroller DiNapoli’s office, multiple rural counties were designated health professional shortage areas when it came to mental health professionals.
Both bills have recieved bipartisan support.
Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh says she hears from constituents about a lack of access.
“I hear about it all the time, and I have been hearing about it for years, and it’s really frustrating to find a psychologist,” added Walsh. “If you need more for your kid, it’s really almost impossible to find a psychiatrist for your child for medication management.”
Advocates say adding the license would help fill the gaps in mental health services.
“We provide therapy to children in school. We do psychoeducational evaluations to determine learning disabilities to determine social emotional issues. So we already have the training and utilize that training every day in the school system. Now we would just like to be able to utilize that outside in the community,” added Caci.
Advocates say that individuals would pay for their licenses, potentially putting more money into the state’s pocket.
The bill has been introduced in the past but has been sidelined due to late budgets and other bills.