Mental Health Services in Family Shelters
Mental Health Services in Family Shelters
City implementation partner: Department of Homeless Services
Families experiencing homelessness often have multiple service needs – which can be easier to navigate with support from a behavioral health professional. The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health and DHS have placed Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSWs) or Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) in family shelters to provide assessments to families and coordinate with other shelter social service staff to better connect families to behavioral health and other services.
23,901
families were screened for behavioral health needs since this program began in 2016
12,124
families, including 21,726 children, were in New York City’s shelter system as of December 2019. Data from the NYC Department of Homeless Services.