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Alliance Note: The current mental health workforce crisis paired with the increased demand for services has led to long wait times and less access for people seeking services. Last week Alliance Public Policy Director, Luke Sikinyi, highlighted the difficult decisions service providers must make due to the little investment in the workforce over the past 15 years while offering testimony at a NYS Assembly hearing on health care workforce challenges. Many providers are forced to stop taking new clients because they cannot retain the workforce needed to provide those services, as St. Peter’s Health Partners did this week. This leaves many more people without access to services in the area, removing another avenue to recovery.

The state must make continued investments into the workforce for providers to meet the current and future demand for mental health services. The Alliance is joining nearly a dozen other statewide advocacy organizations in calling for a 3.2% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and $500 million investment to meet the shortfall caused by years of missed COLAs. We cannot continue to pay our essential workers so little that they must take second and third jobs just to feed their families. Read below to learn more about St. Peter’s recent halt on new mental health clients and stay on the lookout for ways you can join our advocacy efforts including attending The Alliance’s Legislative Day in Albany on March 5^th!

St. Peter’s to halt new mental health patients, for now
By James De La Fuente | News10 ABC | December 26^th, 2023

RENSSEALEAR COUNTY, N.Y. () — St. Peter’s Health Partners temporarily stopped accepting new mental health patients. The medical provider decided to stop taking new clients on Christmas Day.

They have nearly 700 active mental health cases with 200 more on a waitlist. Those on the waitlist will not be affected by the temporary hold, St. Peter’s said.

The medical group cited staffing as the main issue, one of the challenges of doing business post-COVID. Those who work in the mental health field say that problems with staffing levels are more common than you might think.

“We kind of are always in that crisis mode,” said Dan Egan, the board chair of the Capital Region’s American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “COVID really did open a lot of folks’ eyes to the importance of mental health and that need to get help. And now, we’re at the point where we’re struggling to make sure the help is there and received by those folks who need it.”

That’s why St. Peter’s is cutting back on the much-needed services, for now. In a statement, it said: “This is not a permanent change, nor is it a closure plan. We continue to do everything we can to get to full staffing and are working fully with the ���������� State Office of Mental Health to assist the community in accessing other providers, therapists, care management, and other supportive resources.”

Egan said that there are simply not enough providers in the field. “There’s Telehealth that’s out there. There are issues with insurance and some providers who don’t take insurance, that only do folks who can pay cash pay.  So, it’s really figuring out ways we can get more resources out there,” he said.

Rensselaer County leaders fear this is only the beginning. In a statement, County Executive Steve McLaughlin said, “Our concerns are growing that St. Peter’s is reducing on-demand medical services at Samaritan, and the sudden announcement only deepens that worry.”  He said that he’s called on state leaders to address the shortfalls in behavioral health services.

Egan said that there are other resources available. “If someone’s really struggling right now and they’re in crisis, there’s 988 they can call or text,” he said. “It’s anonymous. It’s there 24 hours.”

For more ways on how you can help, Egan urges folks to advocate with their elected officials for improved mental health care, and says you can join MHANYS and AFSP at .