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mental health support
COVID-19 Top Story 

Mental Health Support (& Other Resources) Available from Home

LaToya ,

While our city stays home to help stop the spread of coronavirus, New Yorkers can access a range of mental health services by phone or online. If you or someone you care about needs support, please reach out to the programs below, compiled by ThriveNYC. Help is available.

Every mental health service below is free to New Yorkers, regardless of insurance coverage or immigration status. Check back often for updates. If you need other kinds of support during this state of emergency, from employment to medical and food assistance, the City has compiled a list of available resources here. 

NYC Well

An infectious illness outbreak such as the coronavirus can be stressful to you, your loved ones, and your friends. It is natural to feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious, and afraid, or to experience other symptoms of distress, such as trouble sleeping. To reduce your stress and to manage the situation more resiliently, try to remain positive, remind yourself of your strengths, connect with friends and loved ones, and use healthy coping skills. NYC Well’s website offers a number of wellbeing and emotional support apps that can help you cope.

If your symptoms of stress become overwhelming, reach out for support and help. You can contact NYC Well, a confidential helpline for mental health and substance misuse services. Trained counselors can provide you with support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 200 languages. Services include:

  • Crisis counseling
  • Peer support
  • Short-term counseling
  • Mobile crisis teams
  • Connection to ongoing mental health and substance misuse services

CALL: 888-NYC-Well (692-9355)

TEXT: “Well” to 65173

VISIT ON THE WEB: nyc.gov/nycwell

For ideas about maintaining connection and developing coping strategies, Vibrant, the non-profit that operates NYC Well, is offering a Safe Space resource guide on their website.

Click here for information on coping with stress during infectious disease outbreaks, from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Aging New Yorkers

If you feel lonely or isolated, the NYC Department for the Aging’s Aging Connect hotline provides a direct link to a range of aging services. Call 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469) to learn about services and support available to older adults and their caregivers. If you have questions about modifications to mental health services you currently receive through the NYC Department for the Aging, call 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469).

Veterans

If you are a veteran living in New York or New Jersey, you can get trauma counseling and crisis intervention support. Call 311 to get connected to these services; in an emergency, call 911. Veterans can also access mental health support by calling the Veterans Crisis Line: 800-273-8255.

The NYC Department of Veterans’ Services is releasing a weekly newsletter featuring the latest news and information regarding COVID-19’s impact on the veteran community. Learn more and subscribe by clicking here. 

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs also has a VA Care Resource Guide for Veterans and their Families with many resources available to answer their questions on services related to the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the care, benefits and services available from the Department of Veterans Affairs, other agencies and non-profit organizations. Learn more by clicking here.

Students and Young People

The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development continues to provide services for young people in Runaway and Homeless Youth Residences and Drop-In Centers. If you have questions about programming or service modifications, call DYCD Youth Connect at 800-246-4646 or 646-343-6800 or email DYCDCOVID19@dycd.nyc.gov.

To get mental health help immediately, students and their families should contact NYC Well: text “WELL” to 65173, call 888-NYC-WELL (692-9355), or chat now. Additional information from the NYC Department of Education on remote learning and support for students is available here.

To successfully fight COVID-19, our first responders, health care providers, transit workers, and other key personnel must be able to come to work. Children of these front-line workers can be safely cared for in Regional Enrichment Centers, which offer three daily hot meals; remote learning time with teachers; activities like art, music, and physical education; and social and emotional support. Information on Regional Enrichment Centers is available here.

People Harmed by Crime, Violence, or Abuse

Safe Horizon operates NYC’s 24-hour hotline: 800-621-4673. You can also chat with a Safe Horizon advocate, who can offer information, advocacy, and support through SafeChat. The latest information on hours and how to access this service is available here.

Anyone needing resources to help themselves or a loved one experiencing dating, domestic, or gender-based violence can also visit the NYC Hope Resource Directory at nyc.gov/NYCHOPE. For immediate safety planning, shelter assistance, mental health support, and other resources, all NYC Family Justice Centers are providing support by phone, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The physical locations of the Family Justice Centers are temporarily closed.

  • Bronx: 718-508-1220
  • Brooklyn: 718-250-5113
  • Manhattan: 212-602-2800
  • Queens: 718-575-4545
  • Staten Island: 718-697-4300

During evenings and weekends, call NYC’s 24-hour hotline: 800-621-4673.