Advocating for the continuation and preservation of the community-based behavioral health outpatient treatment models.

The Federation is a 56 year old trade association of agencies licensed by New York State under Article 31 (for mental health services) and/or Article 32 (for substance use services) of the Mental Hygiene Law. As of 2025, to better reflect the focus and scope of the work done by our member agencies, the association now does business as The Federation of Behavioral Health Services.

Advocacy: Our Major Focus

The Federation is a 501(c)(6) that provides a strong presence and advocacy for "Clinic Treatment" through government relations, advocacy leadership and monthly meetings resulting in significant successes over the years.

For decades we have continued to provide a strong voice of advocacy in Albany. Our past successes include establishing fair rates and increases, and recently, through a variety of venues, The Federation achieved the modest success of the 6 month extension in APG government rates. Currently, we are involved in issues such as Medicaid Redesign with its move to total Managed Care and Value Based Payments. Our advocacy is focused on maintaining community-based behavioral health treatment, and having a seat at the table in this critical environment which will affect the access to treatment for over half a million patients in more than 500 licensed Article 31 and 32 clinics and satellites throughout New York State.

We remain deeply concerned about the future of the outpatient mental health system, which we believe has been ignored in the State’s rush to implement Medicaid Redesign with Value Based Payments. We urge you to join us!

The Federation of Behavioral Health Services represents the interests of licensed Article 31 and 32 programs, advocating for the unique issues facing outpatient mental health and substance use providers.

Our mission is two-fold: advocating for the continuation and preservation of the community-based treatment models and assisting members with minimizing ambiguity related to systemic changes.

Tracy Schneider, LCSW-R, Federation President

Tracy brings to the Federation more than four decades of professional and leadership experience combined with a unique blend of insights that can positively help the Federation position itself to assure that the voice of the community based behavioral health provider community is heard. Well versed in the issues affecting managed care, case management, social work/discharge planning, external public and government/ community affairs, and provider relations/network development in the public sector, she also has a proven track record designing sustainable, revenue-generating programs that achieve desired outcomes as well as promote high client and provider satisfaction and experience scores.

She is recognized for her commitment to building strategic alliances and partnerships between agencies that share the common goal of increasing and assuring access to care for the most vulnerable populations.

Currently serving as CEO of Behavioral Health NYC IPA, she is dedicated to the transformational efforts required for assisting member agencies in keeping pace with the challenges associated with an evolving health care service delivery landscape.

Tracy is a NYS licensed clinical social worker (R designation). She also earned a post graduate certificate in Aging from the Brookdale Center on Aging/Hunter College. As an adjunct faculty member at the New School for Social Research- Graduate School of Management and Urban Professions, she initiated and taught the core curriculum course for their inaugural Gerontological Post Graduate Case Management Certificate program.