Establishes a centralized mental health data reporting and integration platform to be utilized by all state-operated and county-administered mental health programs, as well as all providers licensed or funded by the office of mental health for the provision of mental health services.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9285A
SPONSOR: Tapia TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
statewide reporting and integration program for public mental health
service providers
PURPOSE:
To create a unified statewide data integration and reporting system for
mental health services, modeled on the Psychiatric Services and Clinical
Knowledge Enhancement System (PSYCKES), and to ensure counties and
providers have the support needed to adopt and use it.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 establishes the short title of the act as the Mental Health
Integration for Networked Data (MIND) Act.
Section 2 sets forth the legislative findings and intent, stating the
need for a statewide, centralized, secure framework for mental health
data integration and identifying PSYCKES as the model system to be
expanded and standardized.
Section 3 amends the mental hygiene law by adding a new section 5.10 to
require:
*Office of Mental Health creates and maintains a statewide mental health
data integration and reporting platform, including PSYCKES or its
successor.
*Mandates all state-operated, county-administered, and state-funded
mental health providers to use the system.
*Directs OMH to establish reporting standards and protocols within 180
days.
*Provides state funding, subject to appropriation, for administrative
costs, staffing, technology upgrades, HIPAA compliance, and training.
*Requires participating entities to follow all state and federal privacy
and confidentiality laws.
*Authorizes OMH to develop grant guidelines, eligibility criteria, and
reporting requirements.
Section 4 sets the effective date, with subdivision (b) of section 5.10
taking effect 180 days after enactment.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York already has proof that integrated mental health data systems
work. PSYCKES, developed by OMB, has shown how secure, structured data
sharing strengthens care coordination, improves clinical decision-mak-
ing, and supports quality improvement. It links Medicaid claims, state
psychiatric center data, Health Home information, AOT records, critical
incident reports, housing and ACT team data, NYC agency records, and
provider-entered assessments. This gives clinicians and care managers a
clearer view of a person's needs and history.
But PSYCKES use has been strongest in New York City. Much of the state
has not had the same level of implementation, training, or system inte-
gration. As a result, New Yorkers outside the city do not receive the
full benefit of coordinated data sharing. Counties and providers operate
on separate platforms, with uneven access to information that would
otherwise prevent crises, reduce duplication, and improve outcomes.
This bill recognizes what PSYCKES has already proven: integrated data
supports better care and smarter policy. A statewide system would give
OMH and counties consistent, high-quality information that can guide
resource allocation, identify gaps, and shape mental health priorities
based on real-world trends. It would also strengthen the state's ability
to evaluate what works, intervene earlier, and track outcomes across
programs.
PSYCKES is built with tiered access levels, which makes it viable for a
full range of service providers. Clinicians, case managers, care coordi-
nators, housing programs, and crisis teams each access only what they
need, while still working from the same shared framework. This design
supports holistic services outside a narrow clinical model and promotes
transparency and continuity across the system.
Statewide expansion is not only good for care but also good for
finances. A unified data infrastructure reduces administrative dupli-
cation, supports efficient operations, and helps prevent avoidable
crises caused by missing information. Providers and counties can respond
faster and coordinate better, which reduces hospitalizations, emergency
interventions, and long-term costs.
By providing funding for staffing, training, and technology, this bill
recognizes the real needs of providers and gives OMH the ability to
oversee a system that benefits the entire state. The result is a strong-
er, more connected mental health system that provides consistent care
statewide, improves outcomes, and gives policymakers the reliable infor-
mation required to act with precision.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act takes effect immediately. Section 5.10(b) takes effect 180 days
after enactment.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9285--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
December 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TAPIA -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Mental Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
statewide reporting and integration program for public mental health
service providers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "mental health integration for networked data (MIND) act".
3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that the
4 effective treatment and coordination of mental health services across
5 the state of New York requires a centralized, secure, and standardized
6 framework for the collection, integration, and sharing of mental health
7 data. The office of mental health currently administers data systems,
8 including the psychiatric services and clinical knowledge enhancement
9 system (PSYCKES), which facilitate such integration and support improved
10 outcomes, accountability, and provider coordination. It is the intent of
11 the legislature to expand and standardize the use of such platforms
12 across counties and local mental health systems statewide.
13 § 3. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 5.10 to
14 read as follows:
15 § 5.10 Statewide mental health data integration and reporting framework.
16 (a) The office of mental health shall establish and maintain a
17 centralized mental health data reporting and integration platform to be
18 utilized by all state-operated and county-administered mental health
19 programs, as well as all providers licensed or funded by the office of
20 mental health for the provision of mental health services. Such system
21 shall include, but not be limited to, the functionality currently
22 provided by the psychiatric services and clinical knowledge enhancement
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13634-02-6
A. 9285--A 2
1 system (PSYCKES), or its successor system as designated by the commis-
2 sioner.
3 (b) All covered entities shall report mental health-related incidents,
4 treatment utilization, and support services in accordance with standards
5 and protocols developed by the office of mental health. The office shall
6 promulgate such standards through regulation within one hundred eighty
7 days of the effective date of this section.
8 (c) Subject to appropriation, funds shall be made available to coun-
9 ties, municipalities, and eligible provider organizations for costs
10 associated with compliance with this section, including, but not limited
11 to:
12 (1) administrative expenses;
13 (2) staffing and personnel support;
14 (3) system upgrades and technological integration;
15 (4) training and education for provider staff and administrators on
16 system use, data reporting standards, and compliance procedures;
17 (5) training on the health insurance portability and accountability
18 act (HIPAA), including privacy, consent, and data-sharing protocols; and
19 (6) procedures to ensure informed consent from individuals whose data
20 will be entered into or accessed through the centralized system.
21 (d) The office of mental health shall administer such funding pursuant
22 to guidelines it shall develop, which may include grant application
23 procedures, eligibility criteria, and reporting requirements.
24 (e) The office of mental health shall ensure that all participating
25 entities demonstrate compliance with federal and state data privacy and
26 confidentiality laws, including HIPAA, as a condition of receiving fund-
27 ing pursuant to this section.
28 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
29 subdivision (b) of section 5.10 of the mental hygiene law as added by
30 section three of this act shall take effect one hundred eighty days
31 after such effective date.
