FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 11, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
In Queens, mental health support is all around you
WHY WOULD CITY
HALL HELP THE PORT
AUTHORITY?
Th e Port Authority is counting on the
sale of air rights as a source for several
billion dollars to help defray construction
costs of their new $10 billion 42nd Street
Bus Terminal.
Th ere is a glut of surplus offi ce space
in Hudson Yards and other Manhattan
commercial districts. Governor Cuomo
is counting on the same private sector
investments to help raise several billion to
off set costs of his $16 billion Penn Station
South project. Th is competing project on
the Manhattan west side is only 10 blocks
south.
In the COVID-19 world, the Port
Authority will have to reevaluate anticipated
future ridership growth projections.
Post COVID-19, many former commuters
will continue working from home. It
will be many years before ridership comes
close to pre-COVID-19 numbers. Th e
Port Authority-anticipated signifi cant ridership
growth for utilization of the new
facility may be overly optimistic.
If the air rights sale generates less than
anticipated revenue, the shortfall will have
to be made up by the Port Authority via
taxpayers and riders. Will this add to the
Port Authority’s long-term defi cit and
periodic ongoing fi nancial crises?
Th ere is also the need for agreements
with NYC and various owners of underground
utilities including water, sewer,
gas, electric, steam and cable before being
ready to commence construction.
Successful completion of these agreements
can take several years. Who will
pay for additional critical NYC municipal
services such as fi re, police and sanitation?
NYC faces its own fi nancial crises
and growing long-term debt. Why
would City Hall honor a request from
the Port Authority to exempt developers
from municipal taxes by issuing PILOTs
(Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) that would
defray these costs?
Larry Penner, Great Neck
WHY I’M LEAVING
MY CHRISTMAS
DECORATIONS UP
I don’t know how many people leave
Christmas decorations up aft er Christmas.
My wife Eva and I are still leaving our
Christmas tree and our manger up in
memory of the over 400,000 who have lost
their lives to the COVID-19 virus. We are
doing this also for all those who have been
sick and are recovering from this virus.
We will be doing this until we have beaten
this terrible disease that has caused so
much pain and suff ering for so many families.
For those who have taken down their
Christmas decorations, please think of
putting a few things back up in respect to
all those lost lives.
We are all in this fi ght together, so let us
band together in solidarity and pray for an
end to this pandemic. Th ese decorations
might show our resolve that we will never
give up. So, let’s do it!
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose
oped
letters & comments
BLIZZARD IN QUEENS // PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGE SEBASTIAN
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email editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps).
BY SUSAN HERMAN
When you hear people
talking about whether
Th riveNYC 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, Th riveNYC 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 Th riveNYC, there are
more mental health services available in
Queens today than there have ever been.
Th e support comes in many diff erent
forms, and citywide, is provided by nearly
200 community-based organizations that
New Yorkers know and trust. When you
think of Th riveNYC, think of them.
Th ink 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 Th eodora 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 Th riveNYC 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. Th e advocates
off er 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 Th rive’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, Th riveNYC has added
mental health counselors on site at the
12 city-run family shelters throughout
the borough. Th e 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 Th riveNYC, you can
also think of the services now available for
children and young people. Th rough the
Early Childhood Mental Health Network,
the Child Center of NY off ers therapy
and other services for the youngest New
Yorkers and their families. And in 33 highneeds
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 fi nd out more about all of these
programs through the Th riveNYC 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 fi nd mental health
support for themselves or their loved ones
can explore Th riveNYC’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. Th e service off ers
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 Th riveNYC, think
of the critical services that Queens residents
and all New Yorkers rely on. Th ink
of the mental health support that’s all
around you.
Susan Herman is the director of the
Mayor’s Offi ce of Th riveNYC
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