Division of Mental Hygiene

Office of Child and Adolescent Services

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Page Contents

• • Roles and Functions
• • Children’s Single Point of Access
• • Community Support
• • Outpatient Services
• • Emergency/Crisis Services
• • Inpatient Services
• • Community Residential Services
• • Information and Referral

Roles and Functions

The Division of Mental Hygiene's (DMH or Division) is responsible for planning, funding, and overseeing much of New York City's comprehensive network of child and adolescent services throughout, and addressing the unique needs of children, adolescents (birth through young adulthood), and their families. The Division aims to promote and ensure access and reduce access barriers to high-quality services for those children and adolescents who have mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Its goals are to promote high quality, research-based care for children and adolescents. Furthermore, the Division seeks to foster a comprehensive, culturally competent and effective system of care able to provide family-driven services.

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Children's Single Point of Access

Children's single point of access is a centralized referral system for seriously emotionally disturbed children and adolescents (ages 5-17) who need intensive mental health services to remain at home or in their community. CSPOA is operational through The Child and Family Institute at the St Luke's and Roosevelt Hospital. CSPOA refers children and adolescents to high-end intensive community services such as case management, home and community based services waiver, community residence and family based treatment (see listings below). These services can only be accessed through CSPOA with a universal referral form. Based on their identified needs, CSPOA will make referrals to appropriate programs. As of July 5, 2006, all borough-based CSPOA offices will be fully operational.

The intake process is through the central office. To reach CSPOA and for all referrals call 1-888-CSPOA-58 (1-888-277-6258).

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Community Support

• • Home And Community Based Services Waiver

  The Home and Community Based Services Waiver (HCBS) is the most intensive program available for youth living with family at home. It serves children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances, who have multiple and complex mental health care needs, and who would otherwise require institutionalization. HCBS waiver is used to replace hospitalization or a step down from institutionalization if the youngster is capable of being cared for in the home. Waiver services offer individualized care coordination, family support, crisis response, skill building, intensive in-home services and respite care.

  For a list of all Home and Community Based Waiver programs, click here.

  All referrals to Home and Community Based Services Waiver go through CSPOA at 1-888-CSPOA-58 (1-888-277-6258).

• • Case Management Services
  • Intensive Case Management (ICM)

    Intensive case management (ICM) is a less intensive service than the Waiver program, but still provides intensive mental health services to those youngsters who cannot successfully engage in community-based mental health services. A case manager who is a trained mental health professional provides frequent contact and much support to the child and family in an effort to keep that child in the community. Programs are available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. This program does not provide direct clinical services, but rather coordinates the care for the youth and families. Case managers see the youth in their natural environment (home, school, and clinic) at least four times a month.

    For a list of all Intensive Case Management programs, click here.

  • Supportive Case Management

    Supportive case management (SCM) is a less intensive service than the ICM. These youngsters are involved in community mental health programs but have some functional disability requiring support. This program coordinates services for youngsters and sees them as frequently as needed with a minimum of twice a month.

    For a list of all Supportive Case Management programs, click here.

  • Blended Case Management

    Blended Case Management (BCM) is a team approach to case management services that blends the intensive and supportive aspects of case management, depending on the youngster's need. Clients can fluctuate from one level of service to another (intensive and supportive) without severing ties with a familiar case manager.

    For a list of all Blended Case Management programs, click here.

    All referrals to Case Management Programs go through CSPOA at 1-888-CSPOA-58 (1-888-277-6258).

  • Children's Assertive Community Teatment (ACT) Teams

    An ACT team is composed of mental health interdisciplinary professionals who go into the child's home and work with the child and family. It is an intensive program that is utilized when a child is not able to benefit from traditional services. It is not a crisis program; services last six months to one year. In New York City, there is only one ACT program which covers certain catchment areas in Brooklyn - Community Districts 8,9,14, and 17.

    For a list of Brooklyn’s ACT programs, click here.

    For further information and referral, call CSPOA at 1-888-CSPOA-58 (1-888-277-6258).

  • Family Support Services

    Family support programs provide various services to support and empower families with children and adolescents who have serious emotional disturbances. Services include education and information, individual advocacy, family support groups, respite, family recreation events and peer services for youth. Parent resource centers are staffed with trained parent advocates and are located in each borough.

    For a list of Parent Resource Centers, click here.

    Referrals are made through the Program Directors at individual programs.

    For a copy of the Family Support Report: A Call To Action, click here.

• • New York City Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative

  The Coordinated Children's Services Initiative (CCSI) provides family network/care coordination services and supports to families with children with serious emotional and behavioral challenges who are involved with two or more child-serving systems. The goal of CCSI is to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and out-of -home placements through care coordination services that are strength-based, family driven and culturally and linguistically competent. Family network meetings bring the family together with all the service providers who are involved with the child's care to develop an individualized care plan that is based on the child and family's needs and preferences.

  Opportunities for service providers, families, and policymakers to work collaboratively to implement CCSI's vision of an improved and better coordinated system of care for children and youth and to engage in cross-system problem-solving are provided through monthly meetings of borough based councils of the Federation (WITH LINK) and a citywide oversight committee. CCSI's Training Initiative also offers training opportunities for providers to develop skills in delivering strength -based, family-driven, and culturally and linguistically competent care and provides in-depth training on how to facilitate family network meetings.

  For referrals and information about CCSI, call the CCSI Supervisor at 212-964-5253, ext 320. For information about the Training Initiative, contact the training coordinator at 212-964-5253, ext, 756.

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Outpatient Services

Clinic Treatment

Clinic treatment programs offer traditional outpatient mental health services such as assessment, individual, family and group therapies, case management and medication management.

For specific clinic locations and referrals, contact LIFENET: 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638); 1-877-AYUDESE (en Espanol); or 1-877-990-8585 (Asian-speaking populations).

School-Based Mental Health Services

These services are provided by a clinic in a school satellite location. Clinical staff from mental health clinics work in the schools to provide an array of services to students. These services include screening, assessments, referrals, and treatment (brief or longer-term) with an individual, group, or with families. Consultation on specific students or general mental health issues may be offered to teachers and other school staff. .

For a list of school-based mental health programs click here.

Day Treatment Programs

Children's day treatment programs are highly structured, intensive, non-residential mental health programs that offer a blend of clinical intervention and special education to children and adolescents who cannot be maintained in a special education classroom. Programs also provide social and clinical support to their families.

Referral Information: If a parent with a child in general education or in special education wants a referral to a day treatment program, he or she must discuss it with the principal or the psychologist of the school that the child is attending and ask for a referral for an evaluation. For information regarding this procedure as well as additional information, see the NYC Department of Education website.

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Emergency/Crisis Services

Home Based Crisis Intervention

This program provides in-home crisis services to families where a child is at imminent risk of psychiatric hospitalization. These programs may be linked to emergency rooms and provide intensive in-home interventions for 4 to 6 weeks with the goals of diverting hospitalization. Caseloads are small with each counselor working with only two families at one time. A counselor is available 24 hours a day, 7days a week to work with the child and family if needed.

For a list of Home Based Crisis Intervention Services, click here.

Referrals are made directly through the HBCI teams.

Intensive Crisis Stablization and Treatment

This new service is a hybrid model that integrates features from home based crisis intervention and clinic treatment. The purpose is to divert children and adolescents from hospitalization, and treat and monitor them in the community. The objective is two fold: first, to stabilize the child/adolescent in crisis while remaining in the community; and second, to provide in-depth individual and family treatment for up to three months. In addition, linkages to appropriate community resources are provided upon discharge from the program.

Mobile Crisis Teams

Mobile crisis teams (MCTs) are run by licensed mental health agencies that respond to an immediate need for mental health services within 24 hours of a call. These teams go into the home or wherever needed to see a youngster. Teams are comprised of mental health professionals and include a nurse, social worker, psychologist, and psychiatrist. Mobile crisis is a short-term service that provides evaluation, triage, and linkages to treatment. Note that not all MCTs are able to see children and adolescents.

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Inpatient Services

Residential Treatment Facilities

A residential treatment facility (RTF) is an intensive psychiatric facility that provides comprehensive mental health treatment services to children and adolescents between the ages of 5-21 who are in need of longer term treatment than that provided in a residential setting. Eligibility for an RTF is determined by the Pre-Admission Certification Committee (PACC). All referrals or questions should be addressed to:

PACC Coordinator
Mental Health Association
50 Broadway, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10004
212-614-6306

For a list of Residential Treatment Facilities, click here.

Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals

Inpatient services are hospitals that offer treatment and support services in an intensively supervised, locked, structured setting. Based on the clinical need of the youth, inpatient care is available for acute or intermediate treatment. There are 13 hospitals with acute inpatient psychiatric units for children and adolescents in New York City. Referrals for acute inpatient stays are managed directly by the hospitals. The New York State Office of Mental Health manages the facilities for youth who require intermediate-level inpatient treatment.

For a list of Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals, click here.

For referrals to intermediate level inpatient care call: Central Intake at 718-264-4546. This includes referrals to Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn Children's Center. Referrals to South Beach Psychiatric Center should be made to South Beach: at 718-221-6672, ext 300.

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Community Residential Services

Family Based Treatment

Family based treatment (FBT) is a program that matches a youngster with a surrogate family. It is for the seriously emotionally disturbed youngster who can function in a family setting but may be at risk for admission to a more restrictive setting. Surrogate parents receive special training in behavioral management and other related aspects of caring for youth with serious emotional problems. The child's natural family, foster and/or legal guardian is expected to participate in treatment and is provided with counseling and support.

For a list of Family Based Treatment Programs, click here.

For further information and referral, call CSPOA at 1-888-CSPOA-58 (1-888-277-6258).

Children's Community Residence

Community residences provide a therapeutic residential program for eight children in a group setting in the community for seriously emotionally disturbed youth who are unable to live with their families. Programs offer structured daily living activities, problem solving skills training, behavioral management and caring consistent adult relationships. Each residence is linked with one or more day treatment program and/or special education program.

For a list of Children’s Community Residences, click here.

For further information and referral, call CSPOA at 1-888-CSPOA-58 (1-888-277-6258).

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Information and Referral

LIFENET

LIFENET: 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638); 1-877-AYUDESE (en Espanol); and 1-877-990-8585 (Asian-speaking populations) are toll-free, confidential help lines that provide callers with information on and referrals to mental health and substance abuse resources throughout the New York City area. LIFENET operates 24 hours per day / seven days per week. For more information on LIFENET, click here.

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