OP-ED
In Queens, mental health support is all around you
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | FEB. 12-FEB. 18, 2021 13
BY SUSAN HERMAN
When you hear people talking
about whether ThriveNYC
should be cut — and with political
campaigns already
heating up, you might — know
what that would mean for
Queens residents: cutting the
mental health support that’s
all around you.
Today, ThriveNYC programs
are on the ground
providing innovative mental
health services in Queens,
from Astoria to the Rockaways
and from Ridgewood to Queens
Village.
In fact, because of
ThriveNYC, there are more
mental health services available
in Queens today than
there have ever been. The support
comes in many different
forms, and citywide, is provided
by nearly 200 communitybased
organizations that New
Yorkers know and trust. When
you think of ThriveNYC, think
of them.
Think of Queens Community
House, which helps arrange
visits and calls between
volunteers and isolated older
adults through a program
managed by the Department
for the Aging. Or think of any
of the 10 Older Adult Centers
throughout Queens, including
Sunnyside Community Center
and the Theodora G. Jackson
Center Adult Center, where social
workers are now on staff to
serve the mental health needs
of aging New Yorkers through
the Community Advisory Program
for the Elderly (CAPE).
In partnership with
ThriveNYC and the NYPD,
Safe Horizon — the nation’s
leading victim services
agency — supports victims of
crime in every precinct in the
city, including all 16 precincts
and Police Service Areas in
Queens. The advocates offer
counseling, safety planning,
advocacy and practical assistance
to anyone harmed
by crime, violence or abuse.
More than half are bilingual,
so victims of crime in Jackson
Heights can receive support
in Spanish while Flushing
residents get help in Chinese.
And because of Thrive’s partnership,
trusted community
organizations in Queens —
like Voces Latinas, Sheltering
Arms and CAMBA — are
better equipped to address
the mental health needs of the
people they serve.
For Queens residents experiencing
homelessness,
ThriveNYC has added mental
health counselors on site at
the 12 city-run family shelters
throughout the borough. The
same is true for the residences
and drop-in centers for runaway
and homeless youth. And
the Visiting Nurse Service of
New York and the Federation
of Organizations operate mobile
mental health treatment
teams to provide ongoing care
for New Yorkers who live with
serious mental illness and
have a history of justice involvement
and homelessness.
When you think of
ThriveNYC, you can also think
of the services now available
for children and young people.
Through the Early Childhood
Mental Health Network,
the Child Center of NY offers
therapy and other services
for the youngest New Yorkers
and their families. And in 33
high-needs public schools in
Queens, social workers from
organizations like Queens Geniuses,
Commonpoint Queens
and the Southern Queens
Parks Association have been
able to support students
through the most tumultuous
school year in memory.
You can find out more about
all of these programs through
the ThriveNYC website, which
is updated regularly with data
on our reach and impact.
With so many new services
available, it’s helpful to have
a starting point. Queens residents
looking to find mental
health support for themselves
or their loved ones can explore
ThriveNYC’s online guide,
which includes tips on coping
with stress and grief and links
to services for aging New Yorkers,
young people, veterans
and more.
Additionally, any New
Yorker in need can call, text
or chat online with a trained
counselor or peer support specialist
through NYC Well. The
service offers crisis counseling
and immediate mental health
support, referrals to ongoing
care, and, when needed, mobile
crisis teams of clinicians
and peers travel to provide
assessments and short-term
care for people experiencing a
behavioral health crisis. NYC
Well is culturally and linguistically
responsive, with translation
services available in
more than 200 languages.
When you think of
ThriveNYC, think of the critical
services that Queens residents
and all New Yorkers rely
on. Think of the mental health
support that’s all around you.
Susan Herman is the
director of the Mayor’s Office
of ThriveNYC.
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