May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness. With data indicating more and more people are living with a mental health issue, starting these conversations promotes understanding and compassion while reassuring those affected that they are not alone.
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) offers resources for individuals experiencing mental health conditions. NYC residents can access free, confidential crisis counseling, mental health and substance misuse support through NYC 988, which is available 24/7 via phone call (988), text (988), or online chat.
DOHMH also provides specialized information on various mental health conditions and resources including:
- Depression
- Postpartum depression
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Mobile Crisis Teams that can provide mental health services in people’s homes
- Crisis Respite Centers offering alternatives to hospitalization for people experiencing emotional crises
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Emergency & Crisis Services
For more information about mental health resources and services, please visit the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website.
The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) seeks to improve the mental health of all New Yorkers by expanding the reach of care outside clinical settings and providers and embedding support in the everyday community locations people inhabit.
They offer a variety of educational resources designed to help community organizations be better prepared to care for the mental health of their neighbors, including the Community Health Workers in Action initiative, in partnership with NYU Langone’s Community Health Worker Research and Resource Center, which highlights how community health workers make an important impact on New York City; and the EASE (Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions) program, which is an evidence-based intervention that trains non-clinical staff who work with youth how to better manage adversity and internalizing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
OCMH also provides a guide on how to access mental health services.
