We Need Your Support for Child and Family Treatment Support Services

February 12, 2020

Mental Hygiene Chairwoman Aileen Gunther has written a letter to support enhanced rates for Child and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS). We need all members of the Assembly to now sign on to this letter as well.

We are asking all NYS Council members to call, email, or text your members of the Assembly and ask them to sign-on to the enhanced rates letter to help get CFTSS to children and families in their districts.

Here are the details:

Who: Members of the Democratic Majority in the Assembly

What: Call your Assemblymembers’ Albany Office via the Assembly Switchboard (518) 455-4100 and ask for your Assemblymembers’ office

When: Today or Tomorrow – letters have to be in to Speaker Heastie by Friday, February 14

Message to your Assemblymembers: Hello, I am from (name your agency) and we are designated to provide the new children’s mental health services called, Child and Family Treatment and Support Services. 

Chairperson Aileen Gunther is circulating a sign-on letter to the Speaker to keep the start-up and Medicaid Transition funding needed to build new capacity for children’s community mental health services through CFTSS. Please contact Tom Gatto in Assemblymember Gunther’s office today and indicate that you will sign on to this “enhanced rate” letter. I have his email address if you need it : gattot@nyassembly.gov 

They may end the call at this point, asking for your name and address. If they ask for more information, you can talk about: 

At (your agency), we have (big #) of children on a wait list for one or more of these services. The (small #) of families that are getting CFTSS are sure their child is improving and want the service to continue. 

Do NOT CUT the enhanced rate that was supposed to pay for the start-up of counseling, psychotherapy, behavioral supports, skill building and family peer support. Please contact Member Gunther’s office today about signing onto her letter. Thank you 

If you also want to thank Assemblymember Gunther for taking the lead on this, please email Tom Gatto at gattot@nyassembly.gov and let him know that you are a member of the NYS Council and you are grateful for Chairperson Gunther’s support for children’s mental health.