NEW YORK — Wednesday was World Teen Psychological Wellness Day, a day to boost better consciousness concerning the psychological well being points amongst teenagers.
A Queens nonprofit is tackling this head on, opening a brand new psychological well being clinic. CBS2’s Jenna DeAngelis received an unique first look and spoke to teenagers concerning the want.
“It has been a rocky highway, actually,” mentioned Saskia Walters, a junior at Martin Van Buren Excessive College.
Two pandemic years have been robust to navigate as a teen.
“Sitting behind a pc display screen all day was very tense,” Saskia mentioned.
“Earlier than, like, the pandemic and quarantine, I used to be so goofy, bubbly, like, so outgoing and now I simply, like, isolate myself,” mentioned Francesca Pierre, a senior at Martin Van Buren Excessive College.
Francesca suffered in silence for months earlier than opening up about feeling depressed.
“Psychological well being wasn’t such, like, an enormous factor that was talked about, so, like, when it did occur to me I did not know what to do,” she mentioned.
Each teenagers have been approached by employees at their highschool who related them to packages in partnership with Commonpoint Queens. The nonprofit says the pandemic exacerbated the necessity for youth psychological well being providers.
“This final summer time, we surveyed over 6,000 summer time youth employment members to seek out out what do they want, what do they need,” mentioned Commonpoint Queens CEO Danielle Ellman. “Our younger individuals reported feeling remoted, feeling depressed, feeling anxious.”
Commonpoint rapidly responded, inside months making a protected haven for these in want.
Their new adolescent psychological well being clinic in Little Neck provides particular person and group remedy areas.
“Actually welcoming,” Ellman mentioned. “Diet teams, gender-based teams…”
She says the doorways are open to anybody, even with out insurance coverage, closing the hole in entry to psychological well being providers.
“The true driving power of this clinic is to assist our younger individuals really feel like youngsters once more, to have entry to well being care … that’s inexpensive, that is top quality, that isn’t in sacrifice of anything,” Ellman mentioned.
As chair of the New York Metropolis Committee on Psychological Well being, Disabilities and Addictions, Linda Lee factors out not addressing psychological well being can result in hospitalization, homelessness or incarceration, all which comes at a price to the town.
“What we have to do is make it possible for we get them at early levels, we’re capable of assist them and provides them the service that they want early on,” she mentioned.
She says preventative providers are crucial, like the brand new area situated at Sam Area Heart, which already has an grownup outpatient psychological well being clinic. Its director, Debra Ilberman, says the addition of the brand new clinic means total households can get assist in one place.
“It is actually stigmatized, particularly should you’re a child, and I am actually hoping by having this welcoming setting that children are gonna understand … I can get assist for this, I can get higher,” she mentioned.
“I feel numerous teenagers would recognize and make the most of that as a result of lots of people do not actually know who they’ll discuss to,” Saskia mentioned.
The long-term aim is so as to add main care to the clinic so households have entry to all facets of well being care beneath one roof.
The clinic formally opens March 14, but it surely’s already accepting inquiries. Telehealth can be an choice.
To enroll, go to commonpointqueens.org/program/youth-mental-health-services.
