Highlights Milestone at Opening of New, State-Funded Children's Psychiatric Center at Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx
Significant Expansion Advances Governor's Commitment to Mental Health Resources
Governor Hochul today announced the opening of a new state-funded 21-bed inpatient psychiatric facility to serve youth at the New York City Children’s Center campus in the Bronx. Operated by Montefiore Medical Center with funding from the state, the 18,300-square-foot facility represents a unique collaboration to serve young people experiencing serious behavioral health issues and will bring the total inpatient capacity brought online by Governor Hochul to 1,000 beds statewide.
“We are committed to increasing options for families that need access to intensive behavioral health services and more importantly, to providing top-notch care to all children who experience serious mental illness,” Governor Hochul said. “Montefiore Einstein’s state-of-the-art Center for Children’s Mental Health represents the strong partnership we have with our community-based hospitals, and our ongoing commitment to providing the best possible care for our youth and support for their families.”
Located at 1300 Waters Place, Montefiore Einstein’s new unit is on the Bronx campus of the New York City Children’s Center and includes 21 beds to serve youth between the ages of 5 and 17. The new center will provide intensive treatment for youth with serious behavioral health conditions, including severe depression, anxiety, trauma, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, and other acute psychiatric conditions.
Governor Hochul joined Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan, Montefiore Einstein President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philip O. Ozuah, Assemblymember Michael Benedetto and other local elected officials on a walkthrough of the new facility, including its classrooms and other treatment spaces. Following the viewing, Governor Hochul met with Joziah, a 12-year-old from Manhattan, who attended this short ribbon cutting ceremony with his mother, Courtney, to share their experiences with the mental health system.
With the inpatient capacity added by the center, Governor Hochul has now overseen the enhancement of 1,000 psychiatric inpatient beds statewide. Overall, there are 89 beds serving children in the Bronx, with the new capacity at Montefiore Einstein representing a nearly 31 percent increase in children’s inpatient beds for the borough.
The new center resulted from a $3.1 million capital grant from the state Office of Mental Health, $7 million from New York State’s Behavioral Health Centers of Excellence Fund, and a $6 million capital appropriation from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Michael Benedetto. The project also received support from a private donation received by Montefiore Einstein and additional funding from state Attorney General Letitia James.
The center was developed with direct input from young patients and located in the borough specifically due to community need an estimated 21 percent of children between the ages of five and 17 living in the Bronx have a diagnosed behavioral health disorder. The new center will improve continuity of care for Bronx patients and outpatient treatment, develop a workforce pipeline for multidisciplinary staff to include social workers, nurses, psychologists, and psychiatrists, and offer enriched training for medical students and other health professionals.
We are committed to increasing options for families that need access to intensive behavioral health services and more importantly, to providing top-notch care to all children who experience serious mental illness.”
New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “New York State is strongly committed to helping children and young people recover from mental illness so they can live and thrive in their community. Montefiore Einstein’s project is adding much-needed inpatient capacity to the Bronx, which will complement the many outpatient services and supports we are expanding throughout this area. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are expanding beds and strengthening our network of care to provide high-quality services for our children and families in the Bronx.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “This new facility, operated by Montefiore Medical Center, will improve mental health outcomes, ultimately leading to improved overall health outcomes. Governor Hochul has once again demonstrated her deep commitment to supporting our community-based hospitals and facilities to ensure they have capacity to continue to provide high quality care in the communities they serve.”
State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, “I want to thank Governor Hochul and her administration for partnering with Montefiore Medical Center to open this brand new youth focused inpatient psychiatric facility in The Bronx. This unit will help countless young Bronxites with complex behavioral health needs by providing them with treatment and other mental health services. As we navigate a very uncertain landscape when it comes to healthcare, our State must make these investments in our system to ensure communities can access all the care they need.”
State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “No young person should ever struggle with mental health in silence. The opening of this new children’s mental health facility gives families in the Bronx a place where care is compassionate, treatment is effective, and support is always within reach. This center offers hope to young people and families facing their toughest moments and reminds them they are not alone. At a time when the pressures of modern life and constant connectivity weigh heavily on our kids, this investment is a thoughtful and timely response to the mental health challenges so many families are navigating.”
Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said, “Adolescent mental health is a pressing concern in our city. This announcement of a children’s mental health facility in the Bronx is a much needed resource for a community vulnerable to conditions like anxiety, depression, and many others. I would like to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her continued attention to the community’s needs and the establishment of programs and institutions focused on the overall well being of our youth. Protecting the mental health of young people is an investment that demands the time and effort of all stakeholders - like government, non profits, and healthcare providers. Thank you to Montefiore Health for your partnership and commitment to the Bronx.”
Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “Governor Hochul and New York State elected officials have prioritized expanding mental health services for our youth once again. The opening of this 21-bed center in the Bronx marks an important investment in the well-being of our children and families. This new facility will expand access to life-saving treatment and ensure that young people facing serious behavioral health challenges receive the compassionate, comprehensive, and timely care they deserve. Addressing the mental health needs of all New Yorkers is the only way our great state can succeed and this new facility in the Bronx is a necessary step towards that.”
Assemblymember Michael Benedetto said, “For too long Bronx families have faced limited options when their children are facing mental health crises. This new inpatient center from Montefiore Einstein will change that reality by giving our young people a place to heal, recover, and be supported by experts who understand their needs. I'm deeply thankful to Montefiore for its leadership and honored to have worked with Speaker Heastie and Governor Hochul to secure this project, which represents a major step forward in making youth mental health care more accessible and equitable.”
Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “This new youth inpatient facility will provide compassionate care for young people experiencing mental health challenges. By expanding inpatient capacity in the Bronx, we are strengthening the continuum of care and ensuring children receive the support they need in their communities. I commend Governor Hochul for her continued dedication to building a stronger, more responsive mental health system,”
The new center continues Governor Hochul’s strong record of investing in mental health services and supports for young New Yorkers. In addition to directing a substantial increase of inpatient capacity at state-operated psychiatric centers –the largest in decades –she has greatly expanded outpatient programs designed to help individuals during their recovery.
Governor Hochul’s nation-leading commitment to protect the mental health of young New Yorkers has resulted in major investments into youth services and supports. Her $1 billion mental health initiative and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding in subsequent budgets significantly expanded access to care for young people and their families –from increasing inpatient and residential treatment capacity to building community-based services designed to help youth remain at home and in their community.
OMH now funds 20 Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, which provide youth and family therapy, medication management, family and peer support, and skill-building. The agency supports two Youth ACT teams in the Bronx, including one providing services to 36 youth and another that is in development.
Governor Hochul also expanded school-based mental health clinics, which help students get a licensed mental health care provider in a familiar stigma-free setting on their school campus. The state now supports 1,265 clinic satellites, including 50 now operating in schools in the Bronx.
OMH also now supports 55 Home Based Crisis Intervention teams, which serve youth between the ages of 5 and 20 and provide intensive individualized services to help families maintain young people recovering from mental illness in their own homes. There are two teams now operating in the Bronx that have collectively worked with 200 families so far this year.