Next school year, the city will open satellite mental health clinics inside seven Bronx schools, Mayor Eric Adams announced last week. The new clinics will serve over 6,000 students between the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn, and the effort more than triples the current number of mental health clinics inside Department of Education (DOE) schools.
At the satellite clinics, students will have access to individual, group and family therapy, as well as crisis management. School staff will also receive guidance and training from clinic professionals with the goal of reducing unnecessary calls to 911 and emergency room visits.
In addition to the school-based clinics, 34 more schools in the South Bronx and Brooklyn will have a pipeline for “rapid referrals” to NYC Health + Hospitals outpatient mental health clinics, bringing the total number of schools receiving increased mental health access up to 50.
In announcing the new clinics, city officials celebrated the ability to serve more young people in a way that is easy and accessible.
“Reaching students where they spend so much of their time and supporting school staff will help improve access and reduce stigma,” said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the commissioner of the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
To determine where to place satellite clinics, the city examined data to identify schools without a strong connection to existing mental health services that also had issues with absenteeism, suspensions and NYPD interventions.
The Bronx schools set to receive satellite clinics are:
- Mott Hall III
- S. X140 The Eagle School
- Port Morris School of Community Leadership
- P.S. 035 Franz Siegel
- P.S. 063 Author’s Academy
- P.S. 277X
- South Bronx Preparatory
The schools cover grade levels from elementary through high school, and the forthcoming satellite clinics are just one effort at every level of government to help the many young people who struggle with isolation and anxiety made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul just announced $20 million in funding in the 2025 budget for statewide school-based mental health services, plus another $19 million for youth services outside of schools.
At the city level, last year Mayor Adams launched TeenSpace, a free telehealth service to connect teens and therapists. He also recently joined a lawsuit against social media companies, including TikTok and Instagram, for failing to protect youth on their platforms.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
