NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors

06/12/2026

Please join us in congratulating Michael Orth, MSW, on his appointment as Chair of the NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors (CLMHD). We look forward to Michael's leadership as we continue working together to strengthen New York's local behavioral health systems and advocate for the communities we serve.

Congratulations, Michael!

Westchester County Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH), Michael Orth, MSW, was named Chair of the New York State Conference of Mental Hygiene Directors on June 11, taking the leadership position in the statewide organization representing all of New York’s Mental and Behavioral Health Commissioners and Community Service Directors.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “I am so proud that the outstanding leader of our County’s Department of Community Mental Health, Michael Orth, has been chosen to lead this very important statewide group. CLMHD is in no small part involved in making New York’s system of care better for many of our most vulnerable people, and the recognition that Michael is the right person to move us all forward is a great credit to the organization and to Westchester.”

Read more: https://ow.ly/5Vak50Zbbzx

06/11/2026

In this week's e-News: CLMHD Elects New Slate of Officers for the 2026–2028 Term
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Email from NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors June 11, 2026 From L-R: Richelle Gregory, M.Ed.; Jean-Marie Niebuhr, LCSW-R; Lynda Battaglia, LCSW; Laura Kelemen, LCSW-R; Suzanne Lavigne,

06/04/2026

In this week's CLMHD e-News: Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults Use AI Chatbots for Mental Health Advice
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Email from NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors June 4, 2026 Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults Use AI Chatbots for Mental Health Advice Use of artificial intelligence chatbot

06/02/2026

CLMHD is grateful for the New York State Senate's passage of S10309 (Brouk), legislation establishing a statewide Competency Restoration Workgroup to evaluate and improve New York’s competency restoration system.

We appreciate Senator Samra Brouk and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (A.11024) for your sponsorship. This bill would bring together various stakeholders, including behavioral health, legal, county and state, to evaluate existing law and explore evidence-based restorative alternatives, including outpatient restoration models that have shown promise in other states. We strongly support passage in the New York State Assembly Majority before the end of session.

05/28/2026

In this week's CLMHD e-News: Mental disorders are affecting over 1.2 billion globally

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Email from NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors May 28, 2026 Nearly 1.2 Billion People Worldwide Are Living With Mental Disorders: The Number Has Been Growing Nearly 1.2 billion people wor

05/25/2026

05/21/2026

Check out this week's CLMHD e-News: https://conta.cc/4nEQL7I

Email from NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors May 21, 2026 CLMHD Marks 50 Years at Spring Full Membership Meeting CLMHD's Spring 2026 Full Membership Meeting brought Directors of Communi

05/15/2026

Many thanks to Paula Granger New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services for participating in CLMHD's spring full membership meeting to discuss updates around county Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) Teams.

Preventing targeted violence in our communities takes a team & New York State county mental health leaders are a pivotal part of that work.

Our Domestic Terrorism Prevention Unit, alongside our FBI Threat Management Coordinator, was grateful to join the discussion at the NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors, to support the cross-sector collaboration that makes targeted violence prevention possible.

05/11/2026

Proud to be a New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) affiliate!

This during , we’re recognizing our partners at the NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors as they celebrate an incredible milestone — 50 years of leadership, advocacy, and service to communities across New York State!

We're especially proud to celebrate the dedicated county officials who make up the Conference’s membership. These local leaders work every day to oversee and strengthen mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services in their communities — often under growing demands and increasing complexity. Their commitment to compassionate, community-centered care reflects the very best of county government leadership.

Since 1976, the Conference has served as the collective voice for county Directors of Community Services, bringing together leaders from all 57 county mental hygiene departments and New York City to strengthen behavioral health systems and improve outcomes for residents statewide. Their work has helped shape policies and programs that promote hope, recovery, resilience, and access to care in every corner of New York.

Congratulations to CLMHD on 50 years of impact, partnership, and advocacy — and thank you to your members for all you do to serve New Yorkers every day.

05/07/2026

In this week's CLMHD e-News: CLMHD Celebrates 50 Years of Partnership, Advocacy, and Service to New York Communities
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Email from NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors May 7, 2026 CLMHD Celebrates 50 Years of Partnership, Advocacy, and Service to New York Communities The New York State Conference of Local M