Mental Health, Office of

Agency Web Site: https://www.omh.ny.gov/

Mission

The Office of Mental Health’s (OMH) mission is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a particular focus on facilitating hope and recovery for adults and children with serious mental illness or emotional disturbances.

Organization and Staffing

The Office of Mental Health (OMH) directly operates 24 psychiatric facilities and oversees local programs delivered by a combination of local government and community-based service providers. Oversight is provided by OMH’s Central Office program and fiscal staff, and by five regional Field Office Directors, who work with local Directors of Community Services, regional program and fiscal staff, and report to the Commissioner.

Major Programs

New York State has a large, multi-faceted, public mental health system that serves more than 900,000 individuals each year. OMH operates psychiatric centers across the State, and regulates, certifies, and oversees more than 4,500 programs, which are operated by local governments and not-for-profit agencies. These programs fall into four major categories:

State Operated Services. OMH operates 2 Research Institutes and 22 psychiatric centers that provide more than 3,926 inpatient beds for Adult, Children and Youth, and Forensic populations. The agency also runs over 80 outpatient clinics, roughly 1,200 residential beds, and a range of outpatient programs in State prison settings. As part of their ongoing transformation efforts, OMH continues to transition individuals with mental illness to more integrated community-based settings.
Adult Residential Programs. For individuals with mental illness, safe and affordable housing is an essential element of recovery. OMH oversees a large array of adult housing resources and residential habilitation programs in New York State, including congregate treatment, licensed apartments, single room residences, and supported housing. Each residential setting is designed to provide the supports and services necessary for individuals to live in the least restrictive setting possible.
Adult Non-Residential Programs. OMH contracts with local governments and not-for-profit agencies to provide community-based services and supports for individuals with mental illness. The agency supports outpatient programs, including clinic treatment, crisis intervention, emergency services, advocacy and support, and other community services that promote recovery.
Children and Youth Programs. OMH oversees a variety of programs to support children and youth, and their families, including inpatient programs, residential treatment facilities, and community-based services and supports.

Budget Highlights

The Executive Budget provides $6.3 billion in All Funds appropriations, a net increase of $373.3 million from FY 2025, due to additional investments in capital and operating costs and the shift of Medicaid local share costs from DOH’s to OMH’s budget.

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 15,872 FTEs for OMH, reflecting a 604 FTE increase from FY 2025.

Major Mental Health Budget initiatives will:

Bolster Involuntary Commitment and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). The FY 2026 Executive Budget designates $16.5 million to enhance county-level implementation of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) programs across the State and $2 million for additional OMH staff to increase reporting and monitoring, enhance statewide training, and provide additional support for counties and providers.
Expand Clubhouses and Youth Safe Spaces Mental Health Programs. The FY 2026 Executive Budget commits $10 million to establish seven new clubhouses and up to four Youth Safe Spaces across New York State.
Enhance Safe Options Support (SOS) Teams: The FY 2026 Executive Budget invests $2.8 million to add street medicine and street psychiatry to Safe Option Support (SOS) teams and also commits $6.5 million to support the creation of spaces within five New York City subway stations for mobile outreach teams to better connect and coordinate services for unhoused individuals.
Enhance Clinical and Direct Care Staffing at Forensic Psychiatric Centers. The FY 2026 Executive Budget will provide funding for additional staff at the OMH Forensic Psychiatric Centers. The enhanced staffing will improve the patient to staff ratio to improve patient outcomes and improve safety for staff.
Expand Forensic Inpatient Capacity. The FY 2026 Executive Budget will create a new forensic inpatient unit to expand capacity by 100 beds. The beds will provide relief for the demand for forensic services and ensure optimum patient care.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Mental Hygiene

ALL FUNDS
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Category	Available FY 2025	Appropriations Recommended FY 2026	Change From FY 2025	Reappropriations Recommended FY 2026
State Operations	2,318,976,000	2,401,073,000	82,097,000	4,693,000
Aid To Localities	2,983,172,000	3,266,390,000	283,218,000	542,638,000
Capital Projects	596,472,000	604,472,000	8,000,000	4,145,991,000
Total	5,898,620,000	6,271,935,000	373,315,000	4,693,322,000

ALL FUND TYPES
PROJECTED LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT BY PROGRAM
FILLED ANNUAL SALARIED POSITIONS
Program	FY 2025 Estimated FTEs 03/31/25	FY 2026 Estimated FTEs 03/31/26	FTE Change
Administration and Finance
General Fund	430	453	23
Special Revenue Funds - Federal	11	11	0
Special Revenue Funds - Other	10	10	0
Internal Service Funds	10	10	0
Adult Services
General Fund	8,512	8,868	356
Capital Planning
Capital Projects Funds - Other	727	727	0
Children and Youth Services
General Fund	1,496	1,496	0
Forensic Services
General Fund	2,951	3,176	225
Research in Mental Illness
General Fund	429	429	0
Secure Treatment
General Fund	692	692	0
Total	15,268	15,872	604

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change
Enterprise Funds	8,606,000	8,606,000	0
General Fund	2,285,778,000	2,367,875,000	82,097,000
Internal Service Funds	2,597,000	2,597,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Federal	4,513,000	4,513,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Other	17,482,000	17,482,000	0
Total	2,318,976,000	2,401,073,000	82,097,000

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change
Administration and Finance
Enterprise Funds	8,606,000	8,606,000	0
General Fund	102,825,000	111,329,000	8,504,000
Internal Service Funds	2,597,000	2,597,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Federal	4,513,000	4,513,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Other	4,402,000	4,402,000	0
Adult Services
General Fund	1,420,498,000	1,453,175,000	32,677,000
Special Revenue Funds - Other	5,850,000	5,850,000	0
Children and Youth Services
General Fund	252,248,000	247,903,000	(4,345,000)
Forensic Services
General Fund	341,111,000	384,952,000	43,841,000
Research in Mental Illness
General Fund	87,018,000	88,072,000	1,054,000
Special Revenue Funds - Other	7,230,000	7,230,000	0
Secure Treatment
General Fund	82,078,000	82,444,000	366,000
Total	2,318,976,000	2,401,073,000	82,097,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried)
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	69,561,000	4,985,000	68,553,000	4,985,000
Adult Services	1,124,134,000	10,511,000	1,074,946,000	10,511,000
Children and Youth Services	213,548,000	776,000	201,764,000	776,000
Forensic Services	332,182,000	31,795,000	300,303,000	31,795,000
Research in Mental Illness	69,618,000	0	68,694,000	0
Secure Treatment	70,926,000	0	63,514,000	0
Total	1,879,969,000	48,067,000	1,777,774,000	48,067,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Temporary Service (Nonannual Salaried)		Holiday/Overtime Pay
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	772,000	0	236,000	0
Adult Services	3,662,000	0	45,526,000	0
Children and Youth Services	2,410,000	0	9,374,000	0
Forensic Services	2,396,000	0	29,483,000	0
Research in Mental Illness	76,000	0	848,000	0
Secure Treatment	1,000,000	0	6,412,000	0
Total	10,316,000	0	91,879,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Supplies and Materials
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	41,768,000	3,519,000	2,245,000	0
Adult Services	329,041,000	22,166,000	86,691,000	(26,481,000)
Children and Youth Services	34,355,000	(5,121,000)	9,113,000	(7,894,000)
Forensic Services	52,770,000	12,046,000	14,785,000	(2,677,000)
Research in Mental Illness	18,454,000	1,054,000	2,729,000	(2,500,000)
Secure Treatment	11,518,000	366,000	4,754,000	(2,000,000)
Total	487,906,000	34,030,000	120,317,000	(41,552,000)

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Travel		Contractual Services
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	884,000	0	34,309,000	3,519,000
Adult Services	2,418,000	28,000	229,057,000	40,442,000
Children and Youth Services	683,000	4,000	23,689,000	2,765,000
Forensic Services	637,000	21,000	36,303,000	14,678,000
Research in Mental Illness	31,000	0	15,390,000	3,554,000
Secure Treatment	70,000	0	6,271,000	2,366,000
Total	4,723,000	53,000	345,019,000	67,324,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Equipment
Program	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	4,330,000	0
Adult Services	10,875,000	8,177,000
Children and Youth Services	870,000	4,000
Forensic Services	1,045,000	24,000
Research in Mental Illness	304,000	0
Secure Treatment	423,000	0
Total	17,847,000	8,205,000

STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Personal Service
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	20,118,000	0	4,885,000	0
Adult Services	5,850,000	0	0	0
Research in Mental Illness	7,230,000	0	1,915,000	0
Total	33,198,000	0	6,800,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Nonpersonal Service
Program	Amount	Change
Administration and Finance	15,233,000	0
Adult Services	5,850,000	0
Research in Mental Illness	5,315,000	0
Total	26,398,000	0

AID TO LOCALITIES
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change
General Fund	2,841,776,000	3,124,994,000	283,218,000
Special Revenue Funds - Federal	133,466,000	133,466,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Other	7,930,000	7,930,000	0
Total	2,983,172,000	3,266,390,000	283,218,000

AID TO LOCALITIES
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change
Adult Services
General Fund	2,432,619,000	2,666,148,000	233,529,000
Special Revenue Funds - Federal	118,978,000	118,978,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Other	7,930,000	7,930,000	0
Children and Youth Services
General Fund	409,157,000	458,846,000	49,689,000
Special Revenue Funds - Federal	14,488,000	14,488,000	0
Total	2,983,172,000	3,266,390,000	283,218,000

CAPITAL PROJECTS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Comprehensive Construction Program	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change	Reappropriations FY 2026
Community Mental Health Facilities
Capital Projects Fund	6,000,000	6,000,000	0	57,627,000
MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds	90,722,000	65,722,000	(25,000,000)	1,728,349,000
Maintenance and Improvements of Existing Facilities
Capital Projects Fund	0	0	0	165,000
MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds	0	0	0	42,672,000
Non-Bondable Projects
Capital Projects Fund	1,000,000	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
State Mental Health Facilities
Capital Projects Fund	211,750,000	96,750,000	(115,000,000)	265,052,000
MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds	287,000,000	435,000,000	148,000,000	2,051,126,000
Total	596,472,000	604,472,000	8,000,000	4,145,991,000

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/21/2025

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