Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24. Yet in New York, many young people with mental health conditions face significant barriers to accessing care. Youth advocate Emma Pratt, who attempted suicide at age 12, navigated years in the state’s system that she described as isolating and dehumanizing.
Pratt spent months at a hospital unit designated for short-term stabilization while waiting for residential placement. She described being locked on a unit for months while waiting, during which she attempted to whittle a hole in her window to get fresh air. She felt the environment “felt more like a punishment than help,” with inadequate consideration for her dignity and needs. Pratt experienced months-long stays in settings meant for short-term stabilization, followed by periods in residential care living an hour and a half away from her family.
The state has a menu of community-based services that exist on paper but remain inaccessible in practice. According to Pratt’s mother, Amanda Marie, “the state has failed to provide adequate funding for agencies to be able to maintain offering these services. So there’s not a lot available at all, actually not a lot accessible.” Rural communities face increased barriers, with the federal Health Resources and Services Administration reporting that 61.6% of areas with shortages of mental health professionals are in rural or partially rural areas.
Pratt and Marie now work as youth and family peer advocates. Pratt hopes the state will invest more money in community-based services to help young people stay at home and receive care in their communities. “A lot of kids who really could use those community-based services, they’re kind of just getting thrown in the hospital and that’s kind of the solution,” Pratt said. The state’s budget process remains ongoing, and advocates are calling for adequate funding to strengthen the system.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.btpm.org/local/2026-04-03/dehumanizing-ahead-of-nys-budget-wny-family-denounces-gaps-in-rural-youth-mental-health