Long Island Families Together

01/20/2026

01/12/2026

The New York State Office of Mental Health Services wants to hear from you at their upcoming Community Engagement Sessions! Two sessions will be held this Wednesday, Jan. 14th and Thursday, Jan. 15th at the Suffolk County Community College Grant Campus in Brentwood. To register, visit https://tinvurl.com/ywcf5we6.

01/11/2026

It's important to be clear, we still do not know what causes most mental illnesses, and inflammation is likely one piece of a much larger puzzle rather than a universal explanation

New research links inflammation to mental health symptoms. Personalized care using brain and immune data could improve symptoms when standard treatments don’t work.

01/10/2026

A new study found that young people who sleep in on weekends may be giving their mental health a boost.

Teens who sleep in on weekends may be giving their mental health a boost. A new study found that young people who made up for lost weekday sleep had a significantly lower risk of depression. While consistent sleep is still best, weekend catch-up sleep appears to offer meaningful protection. The find...

01/05/2026

Our CEO spoke to News 12 about new legislation to require social media platforms to display labels warning of the dangerous impact certain features can have on young users’ mental health. While this is a helpful step, MHAW encourages parents to keep an open dialogue about social media, monitor and model appropriate use and set boundaries and expectations for responsible use.

https://longisland.news12.com/new-law-aims-to-protect-minors-on-social-media

12/29/2025

Happiness isn’t the goal, emotional awareness and coping are. Let’s help kids with all their feelings.

Record numbers of children and teens are struggling emotionally right now. Here's how parents can help.

12/21/2025

Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) are funded by taxpayer dollars meant for patient care.
MCOs are required to spend most of their Medicaid payments on direct services for people with serious mental health and substance use needs. Yet for years, many failed to meet this standard while being paid as if they had, allowing hundreds of millions of dollars to sit unused, earning interest, instead of funding care for New Yorkers.
After sustained advocacy, the Hochul Administration began recouping these funds last year. But the larger truth remains: when enforcing basic compliance takes years, the system itself is broken. You cannot regulate your way to accountability when profit incentives reward noncompliance.
This is evident in companies like Maximus Inc (https://maximus.com/) a major Medicaid contractor, which reports high-single-digit operating profit margins, profits generated not from care delivery, but from administering and managing public programs.
The solution isn’t more oversight; it’s structural change. Remove profit-driven middlemen, carve community-based behavioral health services out of Medicaid managed care, and reinvest the $400M now retained by insurers into actual care, not insurer profits.

Alliance for Rights and Recovery Association for Community Living Citizens Committee for Children Coalition of Community Services Coalition of Medication Assisted Treatment Providers & Advocates Families Together in New York State FOR-NY Federation of Mental Health Services HealthyMinds, HealthyKids...

12/12/2025

Estrangement is rarely a straightforward story, and healing isn’t a one-sided process. When repair is possible, it requires effort, reflection, and openness from everyone involved. Forgiveness, whether it leads to renewed connection or simply to more ease within oneself, can be a powerful way to release longstanding hurt and reclaim a sense of agency, compassion, and emotional freedom.

Therapists can help estranged families understand the past, work on making amends, and potentially rebuild their relationships.

12/09/2025

The fight to carve behavioral health out of Medicaid Managed Care continues. If you or someone you know has struggled to access mental health or substance-use services while enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care plans we want to hear from you! 
 
These Managed Care companies aren’t just delaying and denying care, they’re collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds. Money that should be going directly to the behavioral health services. 
 
Learn more and complete a brief questionare to share your expereince: https://conta.cc/48Ryq1w

12/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1L1YTVqM39/

Explore resources for youth at risk of developmental disabilities, mental health issues, or substance use. Know the warning signs; find local support. Early action matters!
See comments for a link to a video presentation on warning signs and how to access resources.
For further information or to schedule a free in-person presentation in your community, contact 631-853-3129 or Colleen.Truocchio@SuffolkCountyny.gov

12/04/2025

https://southshorepress.com/stories/676598068-national-teen-mental-health-crisis-felt-in-suffolk-classrooms
A nationwide spike in adolescent -health problems and su***des is hitting home on Long Island — and local school districts are scrambling to respond. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, su***de is now the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10–24, and more than 40% of high-school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.