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Q&A
Mental health continuum funding and services in schools
3:56:56
ยท
129 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph discusses the importance of baselining funding for the mental health continuum program and inquires about the services provided by these centers. Chief of Schools for Community Supports and Wellness Flavia Puello-Perdomo provides details on the program's impact.
- The mental health continuum is a collaboration between NYC Public Schools, Health and Hospitals, and DOHMH
- Continuing the program without renewed funding would be challenging, as it relies on Health and Hospitals hiring clinicians
- As of March 2025, 16 school-based satellite clinics have been opened
- The program has provided 231 universal interventions, received 262 referrals, and served 144 unique patients
- Services are focused on schools in Central Brooklyn and the South Bronx
Rita Joseph
3:56:56
Mental health continuum, we need to baseline that.
3:57:00
Would centers that would have been open using mental health continuum funding be able to continue in fiscal twenty twenty six if the funding is not renewed?
Flavia Puello-Perdomo
3:57:11
Good afternoon again.
3:57:12
So mental health continue is an effort between New York City Public Schools, Health and Hospital, and DOHMH.
3:57:21
It will be incredibly challenging to sustain the support without the funding because the funding is utilized by health and hospital to hire clinicians that are servicing in both satellite clinics as well as the five clinical hubs that are leveraged for the mental health continuum.
Rita Joseph
3:57:40
What services have these centers provided since the opening?
Flavia Puello-Perdomo
3:57:43
If you give me a quick second, I can tell you some very specific details.
3:57:49
And for context, these schools are primarily located in Central Brooklyn and the South Bronx.
3:57:55
And we specifically focus on working with schools where we sow need, both from the principal lens, from the community, and from advocates.
3:58:05
So to your question, what are some of the things that we have done in the time of doing the work?
3:58:12
So as of March 2025, '16 school based satellite clinics have been open.
3:58:20
We have been able to provide two thirty one universal interventions in terms of training and consultant meetings for support.
3:58:30
There has been two sixty two referrals that have been made as of December of last year in terms of schools referring students to clinical services.
3:58:41
These include 144 unique patients that have been receiving support.
3:58:48
This also includes more than sixteen eighteen appointments that have been able to be completed for students that are part of the mental health continuum.
3:58:58
And this is specifically for those 50 schools that are serviced.
Rita Joseph
3:59:03
They're serviced through these programs.
Flavia Puello-Perdomo
3:59:04
Correct.