Divisionof Mental Hygiene

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/dmh/dmh-mental_illness.shtml

What To Do

If you have questions, call 311,New York Citysphone number for government and non-emergency services or directly to theOffice of Consumer Affairs at 212-219-5393.

For mental health or treatment referrals callLIFENET: 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638; 1-877-AYUDESE en Español; 1-800-543-3638for Asian-speaking populations) is a toll-free, confidential help line thatprovides callers with information and referrals for those seeking services tomental health and substance abuse resources throughout the New York City area. LIFENET operates 24 hoursper day/seven days per week.

What DOHMH Is Doing

The New York City Department of Health andMental Hygiene contracts with hundreds of agencies throughout the 5 boroughs tohelp people of all ages with mental illness. Most consumers are served inoutpatient treatment programs, although some consumers occasionally require ahigher level of care (such as inpatient) during times of crisis. There areseparate programs targeting children, ranging from young children toadolescents, and DOHMH also funds programs tailored for older adults.

As part of the Take Care New York program, DOHMH is committed tocombating depression by making depression screening and management available asa routine part of primary care in New York City. DOHMH promotes the use of the PHQ-9, asimple set of nine questions that tells a primary care doctor whether his orher patient is likely to be depressed. The goal is to give primary carephysicians a simple, numerical measure to detect depression, similar tomeasuring *la*hd pressure or cholesterol. If the measurement is too high, thenthe doctor, patient and family know that something needs to be done. DOHMH alsocurrently oversees, in collaboration with the NYC Department for the Aging andthe Mental Health Association of New York City, the Geriatric DepressionScreening Initiative, which provides detection and treatment of depressionamong New Yorkers over 55.

Individuals who suffer from mental illness aremore likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and abusing these substances cantrigger or exacerbate mental illness. During the past several years, also aspart of Take Care New York, DOHMH has promoted the useof buprenorphine, a new treatment for heroin and other opioids. These effortsresulted in a steady increase in New Yorkers prescribed buprenorphine, fromnear zero in January 2003 to more than 1,300 in January 2007.

DOHMH focuses on helping consumers recoverfrom their illness and lead productive lives. The Department realizes thatrecovery from mental illness is more difficult without a stable homeenvironment. As a result, getting homeless mentally ill consumers off thestreets and into permanent housing is one of the Departments goals.

The City also funds over 40 other types ofprograms that serve people with mental illnesses, helping them to lead fullproductive lives within their communities and to recover. These includeclubhouses, employment programs and case management as well as other housingprograms,

Consumer Support

Furthering our mission of supporting recovery,the Departments Office of Consumer Affairs ensures that the systems servingNew Yorkers with mental hygiene conditions are aware of the practical needsconsumers face. The Office of Consumer Affairs achieves this mission by makingsure that the Department understands, listens to and integrates the voices ofconsumers in service delivery, policy and planning. The Office of ConsumerAffairs directly serves the community through the provision of an informationand referral line; library and Internet access; scholarships to pertinentconferences and seminars; promoting leadership development; and by advocatingat public speaking events, among other activities.