Advocating for the City's Investment in Mental Health

This month, ICL submitted testimony to the New York City Council for a hearing on the Mayor’s mental health plan. ICL stressed the need for a community-based model with a continuum of integrated whole health services to address the city's mental health crisis.

ICL knows trauma-informed and person-centered whole health services work best because people never have just one challenge and much of what makes people feel better happens outside a doctor’s office. That's why ICL blends mental health and physical health services with a range of supports including housing and food security, life skills and connecting with community resources, employment  and education. 

ICL applauded the City for recognizing that we face a mental health crisis and committing to support the expansion of behavioral health and housing initiatives that are instrumental in helping people get better. But we also stressed that any programs expanded will rely on dedicated staff to make them work. Therefore all plans to address the mental health crisis should include adequate compensation for our human services workforce.

Spotlight: Judy Rudin on NY1

ICL President and CEO Jody Rudin sat down with NY1 Inside City Hall host Errol Louis to discuss Governor Hochul’s $1 billion plan to expand and improve access to mental health care in New York State.

Governor Hochul’s executive budget calls for a long-term investments New York's continuum of mental health care and proposes funding to develop new residential units, increase operational capacity for inpatient psychiatric treatment, expand outpatient services, improve post-discharge connections to services by creating care coordination teams, and expand mental health services in schools.  

“This is a transformational plan that really has the potential to take us from a fragmented system of care to an integrated and comprehensive one by investing in community-based trauma-informed services that we know work,” said Jody. 

Significant investments in mental health services are needed to address the mental health crisis, Jody said, and the Governor’s plan invests in the right places to provide a continuum of evidence-based programs, from prevention to permanency.

Jody also thanked the many human service workers, including the staff at ICL, who show up every day and walk alongside the people ICL serves, no matter how challenging that journey gets.

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Celebrate black History Month & Giving Back with Love

On Saturday, February 18th, ICL and Brooklyn community members joined together for a fun day of food, music, art, and more! 

ICL partnered with the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN) and New York’s Power 105.1 FM for a special event celebrating Black History Month at ICL’s East New York Health Hub.

Thank you to all who came to celebrate a good time and donated to benefit youth, veterans and other individuals living in ICL shelters.