$175K for South Fork Mental Health Services

The final version of the 2015-16 New York State budget includes $175,000 for the South Fork Behavioral Health Initiative, according to an announcement Tuesday by State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle and Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr.

The money will help schools, hospitals, the Family Service League, and other local mental health care providers continue addressing what Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele called "the growing mental health and suicide crisis facing school-aged children in our area."

The new funding will allow expansion of the crisis services and clinical staff resources that the South Fork Behavioral Health Initiative established in 2014 with an initial $150,000 from the state and $120,000 raised from other sources.

Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele also said the newly designated funds will allow the creation of a Community Behavioral Healthcare Collaborative. This would put a formal "cross-collaboration" measure in place under a program coordinator and support staff.

"The amount of progress our community has made in addressing this crisis over the last year is incredibly inspirational," Mr. Thiele said in a statement.

Adam Fine, principal of East Hampton High School principal, and Ralph Naglieri, the school district's psychologist, reported in February that the South Fork Behavioral Health Initiative was indeed effective.

Mr. Fine said in the statement Tuesday that "given the wealth of other matters and issues affecting our state, it is unbelievable that our little corner of the state can receive funding, two years in a row. When government works like this, we can save lives."