QNS
By Susan Herman
February 3, 2021
Excerpt:
When you hear people talking about whether ThriveNYC should be cut – and with political campaigns already heating up, you might – know what that would mean for Queens residents: cutting the mental health support that’s all around you.
Today, ThriveNYC programs are on the ground providing innovative mental health services in Queens, from Astoria to the Rockaways and from Ridgewood to Queens Village.
In fact, because of ThriveNYC, there are more mental health services available in Queens today than there have ever been. The support comes in many different forms, and citywide, is provided by nearly 200 community-based organizations that New Yorkers know and trust. When you think of ThriveNYC, think of them.
Think of Queens Community House, which helps arrange visits and calls between volunteers and isolated older adults through a program managed by the Department for the Aging. Or think of any of the ten Older Adult Centers throughout Queens, including Sunnyside Community Center and the Theodora G. Jackson Center Adult Center, where social workers are now on staff to serve the mental health needs of aging New Yorkers through the Community Advisory Program for the Elderly (CAPE).
In partnership with ThriveNYC and the NYPD, Safe Horizon – the nation’s leading victim services agency – supports victim of crime in every precinct in the city, including all 16 precincts and Police Service Areas in Queens. The advocates offer counseling, safety planning, advocacy, and practical assistance to anyone harmed by crime, violence, or abuse. More than half are bilingual, so victims of crime in Jackson Heights can receive support in Spanish while Flushing residents get help in Chinese. And because of Thrive’s partnership, trusted community organizations in Queens – like Voces Latinas, Sheltering Arms, and CAMBA – are better equipped to address the mental health needs of the people they serve.