REMARKS
Council Member Linda Lee discusses maternal mental health legislation
0:35:39
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71 sec
Council Member Linda Lee addresses the City Council about recent efforts to address the city's mental health crisis, focusing on maternal mental health legislation. She highlights the importance of postpartum support groups and acknowledges the challenges new parents face.
- Lee mentions the mental health road map created by the council to address the city's mental health crisis
- She draws attention to Intro 890, which would establish a 3-year pilot program for postpartum support groups
- Lee emphasizes the need to break the stigma surrounding postpartum challenges and promote maternal mental health
Linda Lee
0:35:39
Good afternoon, and I'm speaker majority leader and colleagues.
0:35:42
A little over a year ago, this council embarked on the mental health road map and ambitious policy plan to help chart a way out of our city's current mental health crisis.
0:35:51
Together, we create a blueprint spanning multiple levels of government to address decades of government, neglect, and the revolving door of hospitalizations, discharges, and arrests that have trapped some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers.
0:36:03
Today, we are here as a women led city council to pass the 3rd stop of that mental health road map focusing on maternal mental health.
0:36:11
I wanna draw special attention to intro 890, which would establish a 3 year pilot program of postpartum support groups across the city.
0:36:18
Many of us in this room know firsthand that the period after childbirth is full of emotional, physical, and psychological challenges.
0:36:25
Becoming a parent is wonderful, but can also be extremely difficult.
0:36:29
Due to stigma or complacency, our society has not talked about this nearly as much as it should.
0:36:34
For too long, too many have suffered in silence while navigating life with a newborn.
0:36:38
There's still a lot of work to do, but I wanna thank the advocates who have worked to shed light on this vital issue as well as speaker Adams and chair Lewis for their leadership and partnership to promote maternal mental health.
0:36:49
Thank you.
