GNYHA Testifies on Mental Health Services

The New York City Council Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Committee and Hospitals Committee held a joint oversight hearing on December 3 on “Access to Mental Health Services in New York City Hospitals.” GNYHA Vice President Alison Burke described how hospitals deliver behavioral health services amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the longer-term shift from inpatient psychiatric care to outpatient and community-based care. NYC Health + Hospitals’ testimony detailed the mental health services it provides, how it engages in follow-up care, and its pandemic experience. Several small organizations testified to request funding from the City to provide mental health services to specific populations.