School-Based Mental Health Clinics Struggle to Meet Rising Demand
Young people in New York are already grappling with mental health challenges, and recent political upheaval and economic uncertainty have intensified the need for support, service providers say. BCW Member Andrus, a nonprofit that provides mental health services across eight school districts in Westchester, has seen demand surge, adding about 25 cases each week.
Yet even as issues such as anxiety, depression, isolation and substance use persist, recent developments such as the immigration crackdown and other federal policy shifts have left some students and families increasingly hesitant to seek help. “It’s like we’re going a little backward around stigma,” said Danni Lapin Zou, senior director of community-based mental health services at Andrus. “I’m concerned that has something to do with the rhetoric around what’s happening politically and what they’re hearing about blaming and shaming mental health.”
Amid the rising demands for care, a growing number of school-based mental health clinics are operating through partnerships between schools and outside providers. Schools provide space and refer students for counseling while clinicians deliver services on-site.
Andrus opened its first clinic at Enrico Fermi School in Yonkers in 2009 and has since expanded to 33 locations across Westchester, including Yonkers, Peekskill, Hastings-on-Hudson, White Plains, Ossining and Lakeland. The goal is to meet students where they are, breaking down barriers such as stigma, transportation and scheduling challenges.
There are 1,520 school-based mental health clinics in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent $1 billion mental health initiative has nearly doubled the number of clinics in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties to 123.
School-based clinics allow students to receive therapy without leaving the building. Parents don’t have to miss work to take children to appointments and can be involved in their children’s treatment or even participate in therapy themselves. And because clinicians are in school every day, they can observe a student’s behaviors directly or offer staff training.
More News
Laura Rizzo, Con Edison’s Director of Westchester Regional & Community Affairs, has joined the BCW’s Board of Directors. Rizzo, a New Rochelle resident, has an extensive understanding of Westchester County’s energy infrastructure. She is the relationship manager and contact for the county’s municipalities, collaborating with elected officials to address, resolve, and escalate operational issues related […]
New Arts Center Will Create World-Class Performing Arts and Gallery Spaces, Meet Local Demand for Arts, STEAM, and Cultural Education, and Create Two Acres of New Public Green Space in the Heart of Rye BCW member, The Rye Arts Center (RAC) is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $422,000 Capital Projects Grant […]
BCW members, Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) and MVP Health Care have announced a new partnership designed to enhance care coordination and improve health outcomes for patients throughout the Hudson Valley. The collaboration brings MVP Health Care’s clinical care managers directly into the care environment at Westchester Medical Center, where they will work alongside […]
Become A Member
Join the county’s largest and most influential business organization today.
JOIN NOW!