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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                MARCH 13, 2026      |  The Indian Eye 20

              NYC Health + Hospitals Reports Second Year

            of Progress Under Behavioral Health Blueprint

            OUR BUREAU
            New York, NY
                  YC Health + Hospitals announced the ac-
                   complishments of the second year of its
            Nthree-year effort to strengthen and expand
            behavioral health services across the city, highlight-
            ing  increased  access  to  care,  expanded  programs,
            and a stronger workforce.
                The 2025 Behavioral Health Annual Progress
            Report outlines progress under the system’s strate-
            gic plan, the Behavioral Health Blueprint: Turning
            Crisis into Opportunity, which was launched in 2024
            to address growing mental health needs across New
            York City. The blueprint focuses on six core priori-
            ties: restoring inpatient capacity, expanding outpa-
            tient access, improving services for vulnerable popu-
            lations, strengthening social work and peer services,
            preventing violence and increasing safety, and build-
            ing the behavioral health workforce.
                As the largest provider of behavioral health care
            in the city, NYC Health + Hospitals delivers nearly
            60 percent of behavioral health services across New
            York City. The system employs about 5,700 behavior-
            al health professionals and serves more than 82,000
            patients each year through psychiatric emergency de-
            partments, inpatient units, and outpatient programs.
               “Our  accomplishments  reflect  that  excellence
            in behavioral health care is at the heart of NYC   experiencing homelessness, individuals with co-oc-  mental health services for survivors of domestic
            Health + Hospitals’ mission as we serve all New  curring substance use disorders, and children and   violence. Through its Domestic Violence Shelter
            Yorkers, without exception,” said Omar Fattal. “At  adolescents.  Among  them  was  “Hotspotting,”  an   Mental Health Initiative, the system embedded
            a pivotal moment for behavioral health in our city  innovative pilot program designed to reduce opioid   social workers and psychiatrists in 41 shelters
            and our country, we are proud to advance our stra- overdoses and emergency department use by engag-  across four boroughs. The program delivered
            tegic vision. We are strengthening our commitment  ing patients directly in the emergency setting. The   more than 9,800 behavioral health appointments
            to delivering outstanding behavioral health services   program launched at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lin-  and served over 1,200 clients while also providing
            across the full continuum of care.”           coln and engaged more than 150 patients during its   trauma-focused training for hundreds of shelter
                One of the key achievements highlighted in  first five months.                         staff members.
            the report was the maintenance of strong inpatient   To strengthen treatment for opioid use disorder,   Another new initiative addressed a persistent
            capacity. Throughout 2025, the health system kept  the system also introduced simulation-based train-  challenge for patients with severe mental illness
            an average of approximately 1,090 psychiatric beds   ing for emergency department clinicians to improve   who are ready to leave the hospital but do not yet
            available across its facilities, with a daily census of  how they engage with patients at risk of overdose.   have stable housing. The Bridge to Home program
            about 950 patients. To improve coordination and re- Since the program began, 350 emergency depart-  offers a temporary, supportive environment where
            duce delays in admissions, the system launched a Be- ment prescribers have completed the training.  patients can continue receiving clinical care while
            havioral Health Transfer Unit to streamline transfers   The report also highlighted expanded mental   transitioning toward permanent housing.
            for adults, children, and adolescents within the hos- health support for young people. The Caring Transi-  Strengthening  the  behavioral  health  work-
            pital network. By December 2025, the transfer cen- tions program, a suicide prevention and intervention   force was another major focus of the blueprint.
            ter had completed more than 600 patient transfers,  initiative for youth supported by the New York City   The system reported historically low vacancy and
            helping ensure that patients awaiting psychiatric  Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was ex-  turnover rates in 2025 after implementing a range
            admission could access inpatient care more quickly.  tended to all three acute-care facilities in the Bronx.   of recruitment, training, and retention strategies.
                The  health  system  also  reported  significant  Since its launch, the program has served nearly 150   Behavioral health staff turnover fell to 8 percent,
            growth in outpatient behavioral health services.  young patients.                          down sharply from nearly 18 percent in 2022 and
            Scheduled visits with behavioral health providers in-  In addition, telepsychiatry services for chil-  well below the national average of 31 percent.
            creased by 12 percent in 2025, while completed visits   dren experiencing acute mental health crises were   Vacancy rates across behavioral health disci-
            with individual patients rose by 9 percent compared   expanded to three hospitals: NYC Health + Hos-  plines dropped to 6 percent, compared with a na-
            with the previous year. Patient feedback remained   pitals/Harlem,  NYC  Health  +  Hospitals/Lincoln,   tional average of 14 percent. The number of vacant
            positive: 89 percent of patients said they were satis- and NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. The ini-  social worker positions declined significantly, fall-
            fied with the care they received, and 88 percent re- tiative ensures children receive timely psychiatric   ing from 12 percent in 2024 to 5 percent in 2025.
            ported they would recommend the services to others.  evaluations and interventions when they arrive in   Vacancies among psychiatric nurse practitioners,
                Several initiatives focused on populations with   emergency departments.               psychologists, and behavioral health associates
            complex behavioral health needs, including people   NYC Health + Hospitals also expanded   were each reduced by more than half.

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