December 17, 2025

Good afternoon,

As we head into the holiday season and 2025 comes to a close, we are struck by how much we have achieved together, but also by how much there still is to accomplish! 

One thing is for sure — throughout 2025, the NYS Council stayed focused on what matters: delivering state-level wins, preparing members for a dramatically shifting Medicaid landscape, and equipping state leaders and elected officials with the information they need to center their efforts on preserving and increasing access to care for New Yorkers with mental health and substance use disorders, and ensuring stability for the providers that serve them each day.

NYS Council is a National Leader in Advancing Policy Reform

Last month, a bill in the Illinois statehouse that creates commercial insurance reimbursement rate floors for in-network behavioral health services passed both chambers and is waiting for the Governor’s signature. This is a direct result of the advocacy the NYS Council led for over a decade here in New York to secure a law that mandates a reimbursement floor for commercial insurance rates that must be paid for services provided by OASAS and OMH providers when certain conditions are met. And while the implementation is not complete, and it has been challenging, it is also true that an increasing number of NYS Council members are (finally) being paid the correct rates under the new mandate, and (based on the language of the new law) 2026 promises to be much easier.  

And in another groundbreaking win for our field, the NYS Council saw the implementation of the third cohort of CCBHC Demo Agencies go live on July 1, 2025, increasing the total number of Demo agencies here in New York from 13 to 39 agencies, dramatically expanding access to care for New Yorkers in need of these services. The 2022 Financial Analysis we commissioned from HMA that we used to compel the Governor’s Office to expand the Program is currently being used across the country as a model for other provider associations that are working to grow their CCBHC footprint. 

Preparing NYS Council Members for a new Medicaid Reality

Following the passage of HR1, we knew several things: millions of New Yorkers with mental health or substance use conditions were at risk of losing coverage; many would remain eligible but lose coverage due to paperwork — just as we saw in the post-COVID unwinding when 69% of people who lost coverage remained eligible; and states’ implementation choices would determine whether people stayed connected to care. We immediately took action to equip our members with the tools and data they would need to prepare for the uncertainty ahead. 

Essential Training and Technical Assistance

Once HR1 was enacted, we retained Health Management Associates (HMA) to facilitate a group of training sessions for our members that focused on financial scenario planning, gave clarity around the information and data agencies would need to collect to be able to respond to whatever comes in the months ahead, and to use a pre-populated tool we distributed to members that helped them model various financial scenarios. This activity also resulted in important key leader discussions as to how to manage during uncertain times.  At the same time, we hosted a group of Webinars hosted by immigration law experts at Feldesman, LLP that focused on immigration law, the risks facing the individuals we serve, and the rights and responsibilities of providers that serve them.

Harnessing Public Opinion

In August, we commenced SFY27 budget meetings with state leaders to push for a carve out of our services from the state’s Medicaid managed care program, to secure a Targeted Inflationary Increase, and to ensure we are prepared for an uncertain future. Recently the NYS Council retained Mercury Public Affairs — a top-notch communications group, to assist us in spreading our message that we must remove certain mental health and substance use disorder services from the clutches of mostly for-profit insurers and return to a more direct reimbursement model. We are using national data as well as member agency survey data to make our case and we are grateful to all of you for taking the time to respond to the survey we conducted in August.

Workgroups and Listservs

In 2025, the NYS Council continued its Member Support and Public Policy call on Thursday mornings, and the Billing Geeks calls we host each Wednesday, to assist your billers, coders, revenue cycle managers, and contract managers. We also held monthly workgroup meetings on topics including Compliance, Scope of Practice, CCBHCs, and Children, Youth, and Families. We host numerous active listservs for our membership that allow for communication and engagement among members. 

Awards and Recognition

This year, the NYS Council, and Lauri Cole specifically, received several awards in recognition of the advocacy work that is done on behalf of New York’s community-based mental health and substance use disorder agencies that serve millions of New Yorkers with mental health and/or substance abuse disorders. In May, Lauri was awarded the Behavioral Health Advocacy Award at the Mental Health News Education Annual Leadership Awards event in Manhattan. In September, the NYS Council was named one of New York’s Top 25 Trade Associations by City & State Magazine as part of its inaugural list of the most effective associations in NYS. In November, Lauri was honored as a Gold Key Award recipient at the WNY Chemical Dependency Consortium’s Gold Key Awards event. We are deeply grateful for the recognition we have received on behalf of you, our members, and the dedication and commitment you demonstrate every day.

Next Steps

In the days ahead, we will increase our advocacy efforts to secure a carve out of our services, to ensure our workforce gets a Targeted Inflationary Increase, and to address what we believe to be risks associated with increasing numbers of New Yorkers who are likely to wind up uninsured as the fallout from the July OBBA provisions are implemented. There is still so much to do, and the potential consequences for care recipients and our safety net system of care could not be more serious. For all of these reasons, we hope you will continue to support the work of our association, and to lean in as we elevate our needs before local, state, and federal leaders.

Linked please find the 2026 NYS Council Dues Calculation Worksheet and the 2026 Invoice you can use to renew your membership. We hope we have exceeded your expectations this year, and that you can feel and see the dedication we bring to our work and your success. Your partnership, your trust, and your belief in this mission to protect and enhance access to care for any New Yorker who needs it, is the fuel for every win. NYS Council Dues are due by February 15, 2026.

THANK YOU for your service to New Yorkers with mental health and/or substance use disorder challenges. You are beyond courageous, and we are so proud to represent your organization.  

If you have questions about the documents or on any matter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of us at your convenience.

With Gratitude,

Lisa Hoeschele, Board President, NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
CEO and President, Family and Children’s Counseling Services
lhoeschele@familycs.org

Stacey Roberts, Board Vice President, NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
CEO and President, Greater Mental Health of New York
Robertss@greatermentalhealth.org

Lauri Cole, Executive Director, NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
lauri@nyscouncil.org or 518 461-8200