Governor Hochul Announces Opening of $4.3 Million Crisis Residence for Youth in Queens

OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan, right, joins the ribbon-cutting for YAI's Children's Crisis Residence.

YAI Children's Crisis Residence to Support Young People Experiencing Behavioral Health Challenges

State Now Supports 21 Licensed Children's Crisis Residences to Help Youth Return to Home, School and the Community

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of the YAI Children's Crisis Residence in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens. Funded with $4.3 million through the state Office of Mental Health, this facility will serve young people between the ages of 5 and 21 during a mental health crisis, enabling them to receive support and continue their recovery within the community.

"As our state's first mom governor, I will always prioritize the mental wellbeing of our children and families," Governor Kathy Hochul said. "This new Children's Crisis Residence will allow young people and their families to receive needed support so they can safely return home and avoid higher levels of care."

YAI received $4.3 million in capital and program development funding through OMH for the project, which is adaptive reuse of a former Our Lady of Fatima convent. Located at 25-56 80^th St. in East Elmhurst, the facility includes two six-bed suites, which will provide 24/7 therapeutic support to young people, including individualized recovery plans.

The crisis residence is the first to begin operating in Queens and YAI is among 21 of these programs now licensed by the state, promoting stability and providing the services to help youth remain strongly connected with their families as they recover and ultimately return home. Crisis residences offer comprehensive risk assessment, health assessment, family counseling, and one-on-one support provided by a multidisciplinary team, among other services.

Voluntary stays of up to three weeks in a Children's Crisis Residence also help prevent unnecessary visits to higher levels of care, like hospital emergency rooms. These programs can also foster connections to support and other resources designed to help youth remain in the community -something that is often most conducive to recovery.

Children's Crisis Residences are a key component of OMH's comprehensive crisis response system, which is designed to help New Yorkers who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The new facility in East Elmhurst will partner with New York City Health + Hospitals, local providers offering home-based crisis intervention, Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, and Children's Health Homes, among other community partners.

"It is essential that young people and their families can receive community-based support when confronting a behavioral health challenge," OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. "The new YAI Children's Crisis Residence will enable youth and their families to receive needed care in a safe, comfortable environment and take steps to return home in a timely manner with ongoing connections to support. Under Governor Hochul's leadership, we continue to strengthen the state's continuum of mental health care, with a particular focus on supporting youth and families."

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