One-third of children screened by this program have signs of post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions
NYC CARES program is available at Coney Island Hospital, Staten Island Mental Health Society, and St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
The Health Department today launched an ad campaign to remind New Yorkers that free mental health services are available for children and adolescents living in the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Mental health evaluation and treatment will be provided at no cost through the NYC Child and Adolescent Resiliency Enhancement Services (NYC CARES) program. The NYC CARES program is available at Coney Island Hospital, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital for residents of the Rockaways and at the Staten Island Mental Health Society for Staten Island residents. The ads will run for two months in bus shelters in these Sandy-affected neighborhoods, as well as on the Staten Island Ferry and in the ferry terminals.
One-third of people impacted by a disaster have signs of post-traumatic stress more than two years after the event. Since April 2014, 35 percent of children screened by this Health Department program in Staten Island, the Rockaways and Coney Island showed possible symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and other mental health conditions.
Mental health treatment, including therapy, can reduce distressful symptoms and help children manage their emotional responses. At the Staten Island Mental Health Society and St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, NYC CARES services are available for children and adolescents ages 3-17. At Coney Island Hospital, services are available for New Yorkers ages 3-21. These free services include 10-12 sessions of an evidence-based therapeutic intervention that reduces many of the symptoms associated with post-disaster mental health concerns. The Health Department is able to provide NYC CARES at no cost to New Yorkers through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
If you know a child or adolescent who is feeling overwhelmed after Superstorm Sandy, call 311 to find out how to participate in NYC CARES. For more information about NYC CARES program, visit http://nyc.gov.
