NEW YORK STATE RECOGNIZES TOMPKINS-SENECA-TIOGA BOCES FOR WORK TO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLNESS

 

NEW YORK STATE RECOGNIZES TOMPKINS-SENECA-TIOGA BOCES FOR WORK TO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLNESS 

 

Board of Cooperative Educational Services Honored for Fostering Collaboration and Improving Partnerships to Deliver Better Mental Health Care to Youth and Families 

 

New York State honored the Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES with the 2026 What’s Great in our State’ School/School District Award, which recognizes education systems that have increasingly recognized the importance of supporting wellness and addressing the mental health needs of students. School Health Systems Medical Director Dr. Melissa Dhundale and School Health Systems Assistant Medical Director Jessica Hoff accepted the award together during the event in Albany on Tuesday after BOCES was recognized for its collaborative work to forge connections between physicians, educators and providers.

 

“Through partnerships and collaboration, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES is helping to break down siloes and remove barriers to care, which is helping youth and families to access care in this three-county area,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “This district fosters compassion, collaboration, and innovation, which are having a profound impact on the wellbeing of its young students. We congratulate Middleburgh for its commitment to youth mental health.” 

 

Serving a largely rural area of the state, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES is addressing key barriers to care, including siloed systems, provider shortages, and limited access. By moving beyond the traditional school-based clinic model, this team has developed innovative programs and fostered a system of interprofessional collaboration to provide care that is more responsive to the needs of youth and their families.  

 

Initiatives include the ‘Huddle’ model, which connects pediatricians, school staff, and mental health specialists for real-time consultation and coordinated care. The organization’s Psychiatric Education for Pediatric Providers program increases diagnostic and treatment access in underserved areas by training primary care clinicians in pediatric mental health. 

 

Additionally, embedding clinicians directly onto school campuses improves early identification and intervention, ensuring students receive timely, coordinated support while reducing reliance on fragmented care systems.  

 

BOCES’s Co-Ser model is a sustainable, scalable approach that integrates medical and educational systems. Weekly interdisciplinary meetings, shared communication pathways, and on-site school presence break down long-standing silos and improve continuity of care.  

 

Their work also reduces stigma by reframing behavioral challenges through a clinical lens and equipping school staff as informed partners. By aligning systems, building trust, and creating a unified approach for families, this model transforms care delivery—offering a clear, accessible pathway to support and establishing a resilient, community-based mental health system for youth. 

 

"We are truly honored to be nominated and selected for this award. We have been incredibly fortunate to work with both past and present leadership in the Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES region who have the vision and determination to support all kids by bridging medicine and education,” Dr. Dhundalem said. “We are grateful for a community of schools and pediatric providers who are committed to working together as a team to support families. We also deeply value our partnership with Project TEACH, the New York State Education Department, as well as our collaborations with colleagues statewide who share resources and the mission to ensure that we are reaching all children." 

 

‘What’s Great in Our State’ recognizes individuals and programs that are successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health in New York State and is celebrated annually during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Established in 2010, the day-long conference in Albany features a ceremony recognizing honorees, workshops, and an art show featuring artwork created by children receiving services from New York State’s mental health system.  

Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation recognizing Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the What’s Great in Our State event and the importance of fostering positive mental well-being among youth. Under her leadership, the state has undertaken key initiatives to improve youth mental health, including expanding Teen Mental Health First Aid training in schools, establishing the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board, funding Youth Safe Spaces, and adopting strong digital and social media protections for young people, including the nation’s first bell-to-bell restrictions on smart phone use during school.

The event is sponsored by the state Office of Mental Health, Department of Health, Department of Education, Office of Children and Family Services and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports. In addition, several children’s mental health advocacy organizations sponsor the event, including the Council on Children and Families, the Early Care & Learning Council, Families Together in New York State, Inc., Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc., National Alliance on Mental Illness - New York State, New York State Network for Youth Success, and Prevent Child Abuse New York.  

 

###  

• NYSOMH - What's Great in Our State, TST BOCES.jpg