Governor Hochul announced the opening of a new 21-bed youth psychiatric facility at the New York City Children’s Center in the Bronx, operated by Montefiore Medical Center. This marks the 1,000th psychiatric bed brought online statewide since she took office ny.

The facility received $29 million in state funding ny to convert 18,300 square feet of underutilized space into a therapeutic environment for young people with serious behavioral health issues. The new beds double the inpatient capacity in the Bronx.

Governor Hochul emphasized that New York invested $1 billion in mental health services, the highest amount ever committed in state history ny, addressing decades of neglect in the mental health system. She highlighted various youth mental health initiatives including school-based services, eating disorder programs, and the state’s efforts to restrict cell phone use in schools to combat cyberbullying and social media-related stress.