HealthySteps April 2026 Expansion

The New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) announces the availability of funds to support the expanded implementation of HealthySteps (HS). It is anticipated that OMH will make up to 38 awards across the state, contingent upon availability of funding. This funding is specifically designated for new sites, with the goal to expand the capacity of pediatric and family medicine practices to implement HealthySteps, prioritizing statewide access across counties without existing HealthySteps sites as well as at risk areas as determined by higher percent of births covered by Medicaid or self-pay. The combined total of these awards will be up to $18,420,462 distributed over five (5) years. In 2016, OMH first awarded HealthySteps funding to pediatric primary care practices, and since that time, comprehensive services have been provided to tens of thousands of young children and their families across New York State as part of the program. This Request for Applications (RFA) will provide the opportunity to expand this reach to even more children and their families throughout NYS as we continue to work towards enhancing protective factors to foster childhood resiliency, promoting a trauma-informed approach to care, screening for depression of birthing persons, and addressing the deleterious effects of the social determinants of mental health for children and families. This RFA, part of New York State’s historic investment to strengthen the mental health system and drastically reduce the number of individuals with unmet mental health needs throughout the state, clearly demonstrates OMH’s ongoing commitment to primary prevention and the health and well-being of the youngest New Yorkers. The goal is to ultimately promote an intentional focus on prevention activities by identifying and implementing evidence-based programs and data-informed strategies that are universally accessible. HealthySteps is an evidence-based program that delivers dyadic services to both young children (0-3 years) and their families in a pediatric healthcare setting, which is non-stigmatizing and offers universal access. Pediatricians often serve as the initial point of contact for new caregivers. Typically, an infant has seven (7) well-child visits within the first year of life, often occurring before families have contact with any other service system. This early access allows the youngest children to integrate mental health and physical well-being at a critical time in brain development. It also allows the HealthySteps Specialist to support the healthcare team in promoting the child’s developmental, social-emotional, and behavioral health. A HealthySteps Specialist uses a two-generation approach to promote well-being and to address concerns about challenging behaviors, developmental delays, caregiver mental health, and family needs such as food and housing instability. The HealthySteps model offers the ability to instill preventative efforts through anticipatory guidance, which may enhance positive outcomes and prevent future mental health challenges. The HealthySteps model’s preventative efforts are promoted through a HealthySteps Specialist, a professional with expertise in child development who partners with families during well-child visits as part of the primary care team. The HealthySteps Specialist fulfills a variety of roles: Serving as a liaison between the child and family and the healthcare team, offering screenings and support that the physician may lack time to address, including feeding, behavior, sleep, attachment, depression, social determinants of health, and adjusting to the complexities of caring for a newborn child. The HealthySteps Specialist also provides families with parenting/caregiver guidance, support between pediatric visits, referrals, and care coordination, all the while ensuring that the child and family’s needs are identified, addressed, and ultimately met. The full RFA can be found at: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/rfp/ All applicants must be Prequalified by the due date/time of the RFP. All applications/proposals must be submitted through the Statewide Financial System. Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: Upstate Pediatrics and Adolescent CenterJoseph's Primary Care Center WestPlattsburgh Primary Care PediatricsOpen Door Family Medical Centers OssiningEllis Hospital Pediatric Care PracticeMain Pediatrics, Medical Health AssociatesUnity Pediatrics, Rochester Regional HealthBrookdale Family Center New LotsNYC Health & Hospitals Coney Island, Division of Ambulatory PediatricsNYU Lutheran Family Health Centers, Sunset Park for Women's Health and PediatricsWyckoff Pediatric CenterNew York Presbyterian Helmsley Tower 5 Pediatric Primary CareNassau University Medical Center PediatricsFinger Lakes Medical Associates - Geneva CampusNewark PediatricsRochester General Pediatric AssociatesEssen Medical Associates (EMA) 1550 UniversityEMA 1990 McGrawNew York City Health & Hospitals Corporation - Harlem Hospital CenterNew York City Health & Hospitals Corporation - KingsNew York City Health & Hospitals Corporation - Lincoln HospitalNew York Presbyterian Queens - Lang Children's Ambulatory Care CenterNew York Presbyterian Queens Jackson Heights Family Health ClinicNew York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist HospitalLI Jewish Medical Center - Division of General Pediatrics of Cohen Children's Medical CenterLI Jewish Medical Center - HealthySteps Division of General Pediatrics Islandia CountyBarnabas Hospital, Health & Wellness CenterUrban Health Plan - El Nuevo San JuanRyan Chelsea-Clinton Health CenterEast Hill Family Medical - Summit PediatricsNorth Country Family Health Center (NCFHC) Main CampusJoseph's Primary Care Center - MainSunset Park Health Council - Park Slope Family Health Center at NYU LangoneSunset Park Health Council - Park Ridge Family Health Center at NYU LangoneJericho Road Community Health CenterUpstate Family Health Center (UFHC) UticaCommunity Healthcare Network - Jamaica Health CenterCommunity Healthcare Network - Williamsburg Health CenterIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - The Cohen Center for Comprehensive Pediatric CareCommunity Care Physicians - CapitalCare Pediatrics TroyAuburn Community Hospital - Children's Health SpecialistNew York City Health & Hospital Corporation - Morrisania Neighborhood Health CenterEast Harlem Council for Human Services Inc. - BorikenEpiscopal Health Services - St. John's Episcopal Hospital Pediatric Health Services Dept.New York City Health & Hospital Corporation - Metropolitan PediatricsHASC Diagnostic and Treat ADIRONDACK PEDIATRICS PCALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGEBROWNSVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPCARTHAGE AREA HOSPITAL INCCEDAR PEDIATRICS PLLCCHRISTOPHER E BENEY MD PCCLAXTON-HEPBURN MEDICAL CENTERLA CASA DE SALUD INC (Ramon Velez Health Center)LA CASA DE SALUD INC (Claremont Family Health Center)LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER (Clarkstown)LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER (Astoria)LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER (Kew Garden Hills)LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER (Phelps)MAIMONIDES MEDICAL CENTERMONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER (Boston Rd)MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER (Co-Op City)MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER (Riverdale)MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER (New Rochelle)MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER (Via Verde)MOUNTAIN VIEW PEDIATRICSNEWARK WAYNE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (Sodus Pediatrics)NEWARK WAYNE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (Wolcott Pediatrics)NORTHERN OSWEGO COUNTY HEALTH SERVICESOAK ORCHARD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERRICHMOND UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTERTHE CHILDRENS AID SOCIETY (Bronx Health Center)THE CHILDRENS AID SOCIETY (Milbank Health Center)WHEATFIELD PEDIATRICS LLP Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) SDVOB Goal: 0.00% Minority / Women Business Enterprise contracting goals (MWBE) Total MWBE Goals: 0.00% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise contracting goals (DBE) DBE Goal: 0.00%