Virtually Endless Possibilities in Trauma-Related Mental Health Care: A New NYC-DOHMH Training Initiative

We are at a turning point in the way we teach and learn medicine. In this information age, virtual technology-based training methods are becoming powerful learning tools for medical professionals, allowing them to learn and practice new skills, anytime, anywhere: from their homes, offices or from...

Many New York City Residents Helped by DOHMH’s Depression and Primary Care Initiatives

The term depression has become pervasive within our culture, from the more common use of the word reflecting a person’s temporary state of unhappiness, to the DSM-IV TR classification used to describe a person’s medical condition involving a prolonged state of sadness, loss of interest in life,...

Supportive Housing: A Cornerstone to Recovery in a Changing World

Advocates, providers, recipients, and policymakers are adjusting to the rapid pace of change in the mental health care system including behavioral health organizations, Health Homes, Medicaid reform, and many others. These changes, while challenging, present opportunities to improve efficiency,...

Senior Peers Provide Companionship to Homebound: New York City Program Addresses Social Isolation in Older Adults

Individuals of any age group benefit from being socially connected: having friends, outside activities and people to talk to. Older adults, especially those with a mental illness, potentially have more difficulty remaining connected because it is easier for them to gradually lose their social...

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Responds to Post 9/11 Public Need

In recognition of the lasting psychological consequences of the WTC attack for many New York City residents, the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene launched the NYC 9/11 Benefit Program for Mental Health and Substance Use Services. This benefit helps cover the costs of services...

Health Integration Activities in the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

In recent years, health has come to be recognized more as a state of physical, mental, behavioral and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The link between physical and behavioral health has been measured in New York’s own population. According to the 2004 New...