New York Health Foundation

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Year: 2021

New York Cares, Inc.

The number of veteran suicide deaths throughout the country has risen steadily since 2001, with an average of 17 veterans dying by suicide each day.

On top of these sobering suicide rates, overall veteran mortality rates have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the second half of 2021 was an exceptionally difficult and traumatic period for the post-9/11 generation of veterans: the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 was triggering for many and came on the heels of a violent and chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover, 90% of Afghanistan war veterans with a history of mental illness experienced new or worsening mental health symptoms, including depression and thoughts of suicide. Access to mental health care and social support are essential elements of an evidence-based suicide prevention approach. In 2021, NYHealth awarded a grant to New York Cares, as part of a larger project with the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone, Western New York Heroes, and Veterans Outreach Center, to provide community-based mental health and peer support, as well as screenings and support service referrals to veterans across New York State.

Under this grant, New York Cares partnered with the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services to continue its Mission: VetCheck program, which provides “buddy checks,” peer-to-peer support, and referrals across New York City. It recruited and trained 500 volunteers to conduct telephone outreach to veterans in need; identified veterans deemed to be at high risk of attempting suicide, based on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ suicide risk guidelines, and contacted a total of 17,000 veterans in the region; and prioritized connecting veterans facing food insecurity and a lack of mental health care with services provided by community partners and other NYHealth grantees. Finally, New York Cares tracked demographic and referral information of veterans served.

Veterans Outreach Center, Inc.

The number of veteran suicide deaths throughout the country has risen steadily since 2001, with an average of 17 veterans dying by suicide each day.

On top of these sobering suicide rates, overall veteran mortality rates have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the second half of 2021 was an exceptionally difficult and traumatic period for the post-9/11 generation of veterans: the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 was triggering for many and came on the heels of a violent and chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover, 90% of Afghanistan war veterans with a history of mental illness experienced new or worsening mental health symptoms, including depression and thoughts of suicide. Access to mental health care and social support are essential elements of an evidence-based suicide prevention approach. In 2021, NYHealth awarded a grant to the Veterans Outreach Center, Inc. (VOC) as part of a larger project with the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone, New York Cares, and Western New York Heroes, to provide community-based mental health and peer support, as well as screenings and support service referrals to veterans across New York State.

Under this grant, VOC expanded its peer support and behavioral health care services across Rochester and Monroe County. It conducted outreach to recruit and engage 600 veterans to participate in tailored programs focused on reducing social isolation and connecting veterans to community resources, including support groups and trauma recovery services. VOC also made referrals to partner organizations for support services and tracked program participation.

Western New York Heroes, Inc.

The number of veteran suicide deaths throughout the country has risen steadily since 2001, with an average of 17 veterans dying by suicide each day.

On top of these sobering suicide rates, overall veteran mortality rates have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the second half of 2021 was an exceptionally difficult and traumatic period for the post-9/11 generation of veterans: the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 was triggering for many and came on the heels of a violent and chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover, 90% of Afghanistan war veterans with a history of mental illness experienced new or worsening mental health symptoms, including depression and thoughts of suicide. Access to mental health care and social support are essential elements of an evidence-based suicide prevention approach. In 2021, NYHealth awarded a grant to Western New York Heroes (WNY Heroes), as part of a larger project with the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone, New York Cares, and Veterans Outreach Center, to provide community-based mental health and peer support, as well as screenings and support service referrals to veterans across New York State.

Under this grant, WNY Heroes expanded the reach of its peer support programs by conducting outreach to recruit and engage 400 veterans to participate in its flagship programs, Operation B.O.O.T.S. and Heroes Bridge. These programs addressed upstream factors that could lead to suicide, such as social isolation and financial insecurity. WNY Heroes also made referrals to partner organizations for support services and tracked program participation.

Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone

The number of veteran suicide deaths throughout the country has risen steadily since 2001, with an average of 17 veterans dying by suicide each day.

On top of these sobering suicide rates, overall veteran mortality rates have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the second half of 2021 was an exceptionally difficult and traumatic period for the post-9/11 generation of veterans: the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 was triggering for many and came on the heels of a violent and chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After the Taliban takeover, 90% of Afghanistan war veterans with a history of mental illness experienced new or worsening mental health symptoms, including depression and thoughts of suicide. Access to mental health care and social support are essential elements of an evidence-based suicide prevention approach. In 2021, NYHealth awarded a grant to the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center (MFC) at NYU Langone, as part of a larger project with New York Cares, Western New York Heroes, and Veterans Outreach Center, to provide community-based mental health and peer support, as well as screenings and support service referrals to veterans across New York State.

Under this grant, MFC provided high-quality telemental health services to post-9/11 veterans in hard-to-reach, under-resourced areas of New York State. It conducted targeted outreach to identify veterans in need of mental health services, with a focus on Afghanistan war veterans. It also increased the capacity of its patient intake staff and tracked demographic data, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction of all clients served.

New York Immigration Coalition, Inc.

In August 2021, U.S. armed forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan to officially end the war, leaving behind a humanitarian crisis.

The Taliban quickly retook the country, making many Afghans vulnerable to persecution. More than 12,000 Afghans have fled the country and a total of 75,000 evacuees are expected to arrive in the United States—with 1,300 expected to be resettled in New York State. Most of them have been categorized as humanitarian parolees, and their eligibility for resettlement services has been changing on a regular basis. It is unclear if they will have long-term access to public benefits like Medicaid, be eligible for Office of Refugee Resettlement-funded services, or have any kind of path to permanent residency and/or citizenship. Refugee resettlement agencies frequently provide assistance to individuals with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, and they typically rely on mental health and health care providers to meet the physical and mental health needs of arriving refugees. In 2021, NYHealth awarded the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) a grant to provide and coordinate services and help Afghan refugees resettling in New York State navigate complex bureaucracies. NYHealth is also supporting a complementary initiative with Jewish Family Services of Western New York.

Under this grant, NYIC provided technical assistance to prepare its network organizations for the unique needs of Afghan refugees, including training on trauma-informed health screenings and treatment for pre-existing chronic conditions, as well as screening for conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. NYIC’s membership network includes organizations that offer or facilitate health and mental health services, and a subset of these organizations also offer resettlement or health services specifically for refugees. NYIC also provided technical assistance to these organizations regarding navigating the complexities of public benefit eligibility and enrollment for humanitarian parolees. It helped members apply for mini-grants that allowed them to enhance their health and mental health service delivery to meet the unique needs of Afghan refugees.

 

Jewish Family Services of Western New York

In August 2021, U.S. armed forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan to officially end the war, leaving behind a humanitarian crisis.

The Taliban quickly retook the country, making many Afghans vulnerable to persecution. More than 12,000 Afghans have fled the country and a total of 75,000 evacuees are expected to arrive in the United States—with 1,300 expected to be resettled in New York State. Most of them have been categorized as humanitarian parolees, and their eligibility for resettlement services has been changing on a regular basis. It is unclear if they will have long-term access to public benefits like Medicaid, be eligible for Office of Refugee Resettlement-funded services, or have any kind of path to permanent residency and/or citizenship. Refugee resettlement agencies frequently provide assistance to individuals with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, and they typically rely on mental health and health care providers to meet the physical and mental health needs of arriving refugees. In 2021, NYHealth awarded the Jewish Family Services of Western New York (JFS) a grant to provide and coordinate services and help Afghan refugees resettling in New York State navigate complex bureaucracies. NYHealth is also supporting a complementary initiative with the New York Immigration Coalition.

Under this grant, JFS provided access to mental health services that often fell outside the boundaries of resettlement services by leveraging its extensive partner network within the region. It ensured that each arriving refugee was screened and connected to necessary services. Trained professionals provided refugees with two mental health screenings, within 30 days and 6 months of arrival, using a culturally appropriate method. JFS also delivered and connected refugees to emergency mental health services and nonclinical support groups as needed. Through screenings, JFC identified additional health-related needs and made referrals to relevant programs and treatment provided by its network of partners.

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