What Is the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Website?
Updated
omh.ny.gov is the official website of the New York State Office of Mental Health. It is a public information and service-navigation site for New Yorkers seeking mental wellness resources, crisis contacts, and mental health programs, and for behavioral health providers looking for guidance, reimbursement rates, and reporting tools. It is not a clinical service itself: the site directs visitors to programs, hotlines, and documents rather than providing treatment or online booking.
Who the Site Serves
The homepage navigation splits the audience into four clear groups, which is the fastest way to decide whether the site is relevant to you:
| Section | Intended user | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Consumers & Families | Individuals and family members | Mental wellness resources, insurance help, rights information, cost guidance |
| Behavioral Health Providers | Clinicians and provider organizations | Managed care info, program guidance documents, Medicaid reimbursement rates, PSYCKES |
| About OMH | Anyone researching the agency | Commissioner and executive team, reports, regulations, advisory boards |
| Employment | Job seekers | Agency job information |
If you are looking for care for yourself or someone else, start with Consumers & Families. If you run or work for a provider organization, the provider section is the practical entry point.
Crisis and Immediate Help
The site places crisis contacts prominently, and these are the numbers to use when someone needs help now:
- Emergency: dial 911 for immediate medical assistance
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat
- New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906
- New York HOPEline: 1-877-8-HOPENY, or text HOPENY (467369)
- The Trevor Project (24/7 crisis services for LGBTQ+ people): 1-866-488-7386
These are the site's own published contacts. The site does not describe response times or eligibility rules for each line, so choose based on the situation: 911 for medical emergencies, 988 for suicidal or mental health crisis, and the specialized lines for domestic violence or LGBTQ+ support.
Finding a Mental Health Program
The program directory is the site's main practical tool for locating services. According to the site, it allows you to:
- Search for mental health programs by county, program category, or subcategory.
- View program details, including program name, address, and phone number.
- Click any county on the map to see all programs in that county.
A workable approach: select your county first to see the full local list, then narrow by program category if the list is long. Because the directory returns addresses and phone numbers rather than availability, you will still need to call the program to confirm it is accepting patients and fits your needs.
Mental Wellness Resources for Everyday Use
Beyond crisis and program lookup, the site hosts general wellness material: coping tips and resiliency resources, guidance on starting a conversation about mental health, and information on challenges faced by different populations. It also links New York City residents to Mental Health Connect, a city service for finding programs and checking availability.
For practical questions about paying for care, the Consumers & Families section includes help navigating health insurance (888-614-5400), information on keeping SNAP benefits and health care coverage, rights when getting treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and a page explaining costs associated with care.
What Providers and Researchers Will Find
The provider section covers behavioral health managed care, MHOTRS program guidance documents, Medicaid reimbursement rates, New York gun laws as they relate to mental health reporting, and PSYCKES. The About OMH area publishes agency reports, regulations, incident review panel information, and details on task forces and advisory councils. Public data reports and dashboards are also listed, which makes the site useful for policy or research work, not just for individuals seeking care.
Limits to Keep in Mind
- The site is an information hub; it does not appear to offer direct online treatment, scheduling, or chat with clinicians outside the listed crisis lines.
- Program listings show contact details, not real-time availability.
- The site does not publish pricing for services; cost questions are routed to insurance help and the "understanding the cost of your care" page.
- Content is New York-specific. If you live outside New York State, the crisis lines may still be useful, but the program directory and benefits information will not apply.
Bottom Line
Use omh.ny.gov if you need New York State mental health program listings, crisis numbers, wellness guidance, or official provider and agency documents. Start with the section matching your role — Consumers & Families for care-seeking, Behavioral Health Providers for operational guidance — and treat the program directory as a starting point that requires a follow-up phone call.