A public hearing, cosponsored with public officials from county and state government, was held to solicit comments on the proposed Request for Information to establish adult mental health special needs plans. Their outreach efforts during the first year reached 6,000 community members. Tompkins County Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, Tompkins County has 96,000 residents, including a large population of college students who attend the variety of two and four year colleges in Ithaca. With growing participation in managed care plans, access to mental health treatment services are limited or refused. Children's mental health needs, in particular, are inadequately met.
Gaps are particularly evident in youth with mental illness and alcohol or substance abuse diagnoses.
The Tompkins CMHP team efforts began with involvement of community organizations, including a neighborhood-based Parent Advocate Network and the Youth Bureau. A forum on managed care was presented to community leaders and advocates. Many people seem unaware that mental health problems and substance abuse problems can and do co-exist in the same person, according to Martha Steuding, CMHP team leader in Ulster County. In Ulster County approximately 40 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are incarcerated on any given day. The Ulster County CMHP team will spearhead their coalition efforts on mental illness and chemical addiction issues.