Albany – Senator Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele announced they secured $175,000 in the Final 2016-17 State Budget to expand the ongoing South Fork Behavioral Health Initiative.

In 2014, Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele assembled a South Fork Behavioral Health Roundtable to discuss the growing mental health and suicide crisis facing school-aged children in our area. Since then, the Legislators have been joined by Suffolk County, Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook Hospital, South Fork Towns, South Fork School Districts, Family Service League and other mental health care providers in securing funding, designing and then implementing a new, unprecedented community-based effort.

Over the last three years, Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele have secured $500,000 in State funding.

Senator LaValle said, “It’s vitally important that we continue to provide state funding for crucial mental health crisis services for the East End. This has been a priority since the creation of the task force, who made recommendations and formulated a plan towards adequately addressing the issue. Assemblyman Thiele and I are pleased to be successful in securing additional state funds to continue this program providing these crucial mental health services for another year.”

Assemblyman Thiele noted, “The amount of progress our community has made in addressing this crisis over the few years is incredibly inspirational. I am proud that Senator LaValle and I were able to secure additional State funding to expand the breadth and scope of mental health services in our schools.”

Karen Boorshtein, President & CEO of Family Service League stated, “We are grateful to Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele for once again securing $175,000 in the NYS budget to support our work for mental health services with children and adolescents on the East End and specifically in the school districts. We have seen the benefits of our work in truly preventing and averting crises with teens by intervening early. This has been a wonderful example of how a strong public-private partnership can positively impact communities.”

“On behalf of the South Fork Behavioral Health Initiative, I would like to express our gratitude to NYS Senator Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele for their continued support for the communities they serve in securing $175,000 for Family Service League in the NYS 2016-2017 budget,” said Robert S. Chaloner, President and CEO, Southampton Hospital. “This funding is critical to our efforts in providing mental health services for adolescents and their families on the East End.”

Adam Fine, Principal of the East Hampton High School and regional advocate for enhanced mental health services noted, “Once again this is wonderful news for the East End. We are so pleased and appreciative of Assemblyman Thiele’s and Senator LaValle’s commitment to the emotional well-being of the students in our school-community. This is a true testament of cooperation between State and local officials.”