The New York state Office of Mental Health awarded grants to fund three community pilot programs intended to represent a step toward the state’s goal of pivoting to a health-led response in behavioral health crises, as opposed to police involvement. This transition is driven by the push to pass Daniel’s Law, named for Daniel Prude, who died in Rochester police custody while experiencing a mental health crisis in 2020.
The $6 million in funding for the pilot programs was announced as part of last year’s state budget, along with $2 million to establish a statewide crisis response technical assistance center. The funding—$2 million each to the city of Rochester, Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, and Children’s Home of Jefferson County—will allow those organizations to incorporate teams with trained behavioral health professionals and peer support staff into their crisis response system.
The city of Rochester will use the funding to expand its Person In Crisis team, a round-the-clock service that responds to calls without law enforcement. Children’s Home of Jefferson County will use the funding to address service gaps and reduce reliance on law enforcement as primary responders in Jefferson and Lewis counties. Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling will collaborate with community partners to implement a health-led crisis response building upon existing Mobile Crisis Teams.
While praised as a significant step forward, funding has been criticized by some advocates as inadequate for creating sustainable programs. The money awarded for the pilot programs is expected to last three years. State Sen. Samra Brouk of Rochester called for an additional $8 million in the state budget this legislative session for more pilots and sustainable funding. Governor Hochul’s Deputy Press Secretary did not rule out more funding coming out of budget negotiations, only saying that Hochul is engaging in talks with state lawmakers.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: http://www.spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/politics/2026/02/18/ny-awards-daniel-s-law-pilots