Figuring out how to access mental health or addiction services can be a challenge, but a new website launched by the Mamdani administration offers New Yorkers a simple starting point.
NYC Mental Health Connect provides a database of more than 600 behavioral healthcare providers across the five boroughs that’s searchable by the type of service users are looking for or the symptoms they’re dealing with, as well as factors such as age, location and insurance type.
The goal is to make sure New Yorkers are aware of all the behavioral health services that are available to them, said Jorge Petit, executive deputy commissioner for mental hygiene at the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
“We operate within a healthcare system that is fragmented by nature and can be really difficult to navigate,” Petit said when the website was recently launched.
Petit said the website was partially inspired by findings from the city’s first State of Mental Health report, published in 2024, which found that nearly half of adults who said they struggled to function due to their mental health weren’t getting counseling or medication.
More than 40% of those who said they were not getting treatment reported not knowing who to contact or where to go. Among teens, the survey found that 24% needed or wanted mental healthcare but didn’t know where to go.
“With the launch of Mental Health Connect, we’re making it easier than ever to find and access mental health services that meet the needs of everyone in our city,” said Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner.
The website targets a range of needs and demographics, including teens, parents, people experiencing their first psychotic episode, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and older adults with dementia. Users can also access services well beyond therapy or medication, including help with things like employment and food stamps.
While the website aims to create a central repository for behavioral health services, it still only reveals a segment of the behavioral health landscape. It includes services offered at a wide range of nonprofit clinics and hospitals but doesn’t appear to include therapists or doctors operating in private practice.
According to the city’s announcement, it aims to connect people with state-licensed programs and city-contracted services.
Still, the search format aims to ease the process of finding behavioral health providers that are affordable and actually have availability. Users can filter for providers that offer free or sliding scale services in addition to those that take private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.
The website was launched in collaboration with the state Office of Mental Health, which also provided the city with $5 million to help maintain it moving forward and ensure that it’s up-to-date on which service providers are taking referrals.