Mental Health Services

We have behavioral health outpatient services at our 11 hospitals. We also have specialty clinics for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers, survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, developmental evaluation clinics, On-Track, Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), and much more. Our care extends beyond the hospital walls and into New York City neighborhoods and schools.

We will support individuals to get the care they need to reduce unnecessary emergency or inpatient hospital visits. This could include connecting people to short-term support during periods of transition, or long-term community resources.

By filling these gaps in care, we make sure that you have the support you need when you need it most, so you can feel confident and supported to achieve your recovery goals.

We also have teams of mental health professionals who can respond in-person to provide help if someone is in crisis. These response teams provide trauma-informed de-escalation, assessment, and connection to ongoing support.

The Behavioral Health Emergency Assessment Response Division, known as B-HEARD is the City’s health-centered response to 911 mental health calls. In areas where B-HEARD operates, 911 call operators dispatch B-HEARD Units – FDNY Emergency Medical Technicians teamed with licensed mental health professionals from NYC Health + Hospitals – as first responders to people experiencing a mental health emergency in instances that are not identified as involving a weapon or imminent risk of violence.

NYC Mobile Crisis Teams are groups of behavioral health professionals – such as social workers, peer specialists and family peer advocates – who can provide care and short-term management for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The teams respond within two hours after receiving a referral and this service is for people who do not need immediate hospitalization.

In addition to the medical Emergency Department, most of our hospitals have Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs (CPEP)—specialized emergency departments for people experiencing acute mental or emotional distress. The CPEP is open 24/7 and provides a safe place for evaluation, observation, short-term treatment, stabilization, referrals, and peer support. You can access a CPEP by walking in, through a provider referral, or by ambulance or police transport.

The three hospitals that do not have a CPEP have Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), which are emergency teams that offer specialized care for the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric crises, including suicidal or aggressive behavior in children and adults.

NYC Health + Hospitals also provides Behavioral Health Virtual ExpressCare, a 24/7 service for urgent mental health or substance use concerns that are not emergencies, but allow the caller to speak with someone right away. You can connect with a provider by video or phone anytime—day or night—for support with anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, substance use, withdrawal, or emotional distress.

To get started, visit expresscare.nyc or call 631-EXP-CARE or 631-397-2273

Inpatient psychiatric services provide a safe, supportive environment for people who are experiencing acute mental health symptoms and need round-the-clock care. A person may benefit from a hospital stay if they are experiencing:

• Active suicidal thoughts or actions
• Severe depression or mania
• Psychosis (seeing or hearing things that others do not)
• Dangerous behaviors towards themselves or others
• Disorganized thinking or behaviors
• Inability to care for themselves or maintain safety
• Failure of outpatient treatment
• Other mental health conditions or crises for which your doctor recommends inpatient care

During a person’s stay, a team of mental health professionals will work with them to understand what they are experiencing and create a treatment plan. Some people stay a few days, while others may need a longer period to stabilize.

Before discharge, our staff will help the patient plan for a safe return to the community and follow-up care, and after they leave, they’ll check in to make sure the patient is connected to the services they need.

We offer person-centered and trauma-informed individual and group psychotherapy sessions along with medication-assisted treatment for substance use and co-occurring mental health issues, and aim to provide community members with a sense of community and belonging.

Our Addiction Service programs also provide resources for basic needs, such as food and clothing, as well as harm reduction supplies, including naloxone kits, and fentanyl and xylazine test strips.