/ March 19, 2025

NYC Celebrates Mental Health Week with Community Centered Behavioral Health Workforce Initiatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 2025
CONTACT: press@mentalhealth.nyc.gov, (212) 788-4254     

NYC Celebrates Mental Health Week with Community Centered Behavioral Health Workforce Initiatives  

OCMH Makes Key Advancements in Empowering New Yorkers in Behavioral Health Careers to Make a Positive Impact While Earning a Stable Income 

New York, NY – New York City Hall will be hosting “Mental Health Week” from March 17th to March 22nd. As part of the celebration, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) is proud to showcase its ongoing commitment to enhancing the City’s behavioral health workforce.  

With a focus on innovative training, support, and career development, OCMH is addressing the critical workforce shortages that have impacted the availability of mental health support for all New Yorkers. 

Key Initiatives: 

    • Developing First Ever U.S. Model for “Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions” (EASE): OCMH officially launched EASE, a brief psychological intervention designed to equip non-clinical staff with skills to support young people experiencing emotional distress, along with their parents and caregivers. This culturally adapted and evidence-based initiative was developed in partnership with the New School Center for Global Mental Health, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), and local non-profits, marking a major step in expanding accessible, community-based mental health support.
    • Publishing a Strategic Workforce Whitepaper and Hosting a Symposium to Address Challenges for the Behavioral Health Workforce and Present Promising Solutions: In January 2025, OCMH published a whitepaper titled, “Bridging the Gap: Challenges and Solutions for a Thriving Behavioral Health Workforce,” which presented a four-pronged analysis of the causes for the workforce shortage crisis and a four-pronged framework to resolve these challenges and build a resilient workforce. 
    • Building and Supporting the Behavioral Health Workforce through User Friendly Navigation Tools: In response to the need for a robust behavioral health workforce to support all New Yorkers, OCMH developed a career roadmap to strengthen workforce navigation resources for students, job seekers, and those supporting them. 
    • Strengthening and Supporting the Non-Clinical Behavioral Health Workforce: Amidst the behavioral health workforce crisis in New York City, OCMH published the “2024 Peer Support Workers (PSWs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) Listening and Feedback Tour Report” to better understand these essential roles and to inform strategies for enhancing support, retention, and career pathways of PSWs and CHWs in the behavioral health workforce. To meet the needs identified in this report, OCMH is partnering to offer enhanced support and career development to PSWs and CHWs: 
        • In collaboration with NYC Health, OCMH is piloting a free WRAP seminar for CHWs on March 25th and 26th. 
        • In partnership with NYU Langone Health, OCMH is developing a web-based education initiative to highlight the vital contributions of CHWs and enhance awareness of their critical role. 
    • Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Graduate Degrees: OCMH co-hosted an information session with the 1199 SEIU Training and Employment Funds on March 17th with over 559 attendees. This session highlighted the fully funded “Career Pathways Training” program, offering full scholarships for graduate degrees in social work and mental health counseling to eligible New York State residents, thereby strengthening the behavioral health workforce

“Our city’s heart lies in our people, and that includes our incredible behavioral health workforce. They are valued members of our community, and their well-being and growth are a priority.  Their work is also essential to a healthier, more equitable New York for all.” said Eva Wong, Executive Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health. “Our commitment extends beyond expanding access to mental health services — we are also dedicated to supporting and uplifting those who provide that care. Together, we’re building a community of support for both those who seek care and those who so compassionately deliver it.” 

These initiatives represent important steps towards building a strong, resilient, diverse, and well-supported behavioral health workforce to create a healthier and more equitable city. By working together with City and community partners, OCMH is committed to seeing that all New Yorkers have access to the high-quality and responsive mental health mental health services they need.  

About NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health: 

The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health is committed to improving mental health outcomes for all New Yorkers, so that more people can get the mental health support they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We advance our goals by coordinating the development of citywide policies and strategies to fill critical gaps in mental healthcare.     

OCMH works with City agencies to reduce barriers to mental health care for marginalized communities. Our priorities are rooted in equity, racial justice, and cultural responsiveness. We adopt a community-centered and strength-based approach that recognizes diverse perspectives, lived experiences, resilience, and the unique needs of New Yorkers.   

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