Advocates for childhood mental health efforts on Monday cheered the approval of a package of bills in recent weeks that are meant to boost aid for kids after the multiple stresses created by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The bills in the New York Legislature included extending diagnostic authority for licensed mental health professionals amid an ongoing shortage of providers, enabling summer camps to hire behavioral health professionals and a strengthening of data collection for health professionals. Lawmakers also backed the creation of 9-8-8 suicide and crisis hotline.

The measures now go to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his consideration. The bills also come amid a year of disruption and uncertainty for kids in nearly every aspect of their lives, from education to health, as well as family disruptions. 

"These bills represent important steps towards preventing an escalation of the state’s behavioral health crisis and would help to expand access to critical behavioral health supports for children and families," said Alice Bufkin of the Citizens' Committee for Children. 

But advocates want more efforts to help kids struggling with mental health, including a bill that would allow for coverage of children and family treatment support services in Child Health Plus as well as legislation that would guarantee rate equity for telehealth services.

"Furthermore, we look forward to continuing to work with New York’s leaders in Albany to strengthen the child behavioral health continuum and to ensure a substantial portion of new federal funding goes directly to support children and their caregivers," Bufkin said. "Only by investing in the behavioral health continuum that includes preventive and clinical services for children of all ages in schools, homes, communities, and hospitals can our state break the cycle of a behavioral health crisis that turns struggling children into adults with even greater needs and no recourse for care."