Commissioner Martin opening testimony on mental health priorities

Oh, sorry, one thing really quickly.

We've been joined by Councilmember Aldebell.

And sorry, go ahead.

Fantastic.

Thank you very much, Chair Lee, Chair Kavan, Chair Shulman.

Council members who are here with us today.

My name is Dr.

Alistair Martin.

I'm the Commissioner of Health at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

I'm joined today by our Chief Financial Officer, Aaron Anderson, Executive Deputy Commissioner of Mental Hygiene, Dr.

George Petit, and Assistant Commissioner Jamie Nichols, and Dr.

Rebecca Lynn Walton.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on our executive budget as it relates to mental health.

Our mental health work is a core component of our larger vision for the health department and the city.

We offer a wide range of free services for justice-involved populations and New Yorkers struggling with mental health.

mental illness, or substance use.

Some of those services are delivered directly by the health department employees.

In addition, we work with more than 200 community providers to deliver more than 500 programs.

These programs offer crisis intervention, housing, clinical support, and many other mental health programming.

We build on that work every day.

For example, in my first 90 days at the agency, I was proud to announce a $12 million investment in the peer workforce at substance use recovery programs across New York City,

a $20 million investment in perinatal and early childhood mental health services, as well as the expansion of our nurse-family partnership program.

And a new campaign that encourages New Yorkers to order and carry our free naloxone kits.

Last year alone, we distributed more than 285,000 naloxone kits and more than 100,000 fentanyl test strips.

Across every service, we are focused on harm reduction, accessibility, and honoring every person's humanity.