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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Justine Tetteh, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
8:31:15
ยท
114 sec
Justine Tetteh, representing Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, advocates for increased investment in community-based mental health services. She highlights the organization's diverse mental health programs and emphasizes the effectiveness of non-clinical, community-centered approaches to mental health treatment.
- Lenox Hill Neighborhood House offers mental health programs including a women's mental health shelter, supportive housing, social adult day program, and services in early childhood centers.
- Tetteh argues that community-based mental health services can reduce long-term suffering, decrease emergency care costs, and support vulnerable populations.
- She calls for sustainable funding for community mental health treatment citywide, emphasizing its proactive approach to mental health crises.
Justine Tetteh
8:31:15
Good evening, Chair Lee, Chair Schulman, and esteemed members of the Committee on, Mental Health Disabilities and Addiction and also the Committee on Health.
8:31:26
My name is Justine Tademi, Director of policy and advocacy at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
8:31:30
The Neighborhood House offers several mental health programs targeted at addressing, a full range of mental health symptoms and those living with various disorders, including a women's mental health shelter, supportive housing residents, a social adult day program, a caregiver program, and mental services as part of our early childhood centers family services.
8:31:48
And as a licensed mental health counselor and an advocate for improved mental health treatment, I urgently request that you increase investments in mental health services for our community.
8:31:57
Cities like, city agencies like, DOHMH and DFTA have successfully implemented clinic based services for individuals who seek mental health treatment as well as psychoeducational disorders and intervention.
8:32:09
The neighborhood houses implementation of mental health support is not a typical clinical setting.
8:32:13
Our work provides, mental health services to all age groups and maintains a person centered model.
8:32:19
This work has, shown us that mental health treatment for your constituents can be based on community centers, older adult centers, after school programs, support groups, and churches.
8:32:29
And these spaces foster socialization and can reduce long term suffering among vulnerable populations.
8:32:35
Additional investment in mental health services in the community can in turn, assist with, decreasing overall cost of emergency care, add additional support for vulnerable populations like New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, displacement, or impacted by co occurring physical health conditions, and highlight the need for continued support from city agencies and other corners of community care.
8:32:56
We hope that the committee members consider prioritizing sustainable funding for this method of community mental health treatment citywide as the neighborhood house actively strives to be proactive in our response to mental health crises.
8:33:09
Thank you.