Geriatric Mental Health

Geriatric Mental Health Initiative

NYC Aging provides mental health services in local communities by placing licensed health clinicians at older adult centers in all five boroughs.

Mental health services offered in older adult centers include screenings to determine mental health needs, supportive and evidenced-based therapeutic counseling (which may be individual, group, family, or couples counseling), engagement activities to raise awareness about mental health symptoms and concerns, as well as providing information and referrals.

Our mental health services are available to all older New Yorkers ages 60 and older and are provided by bilingual/bicultural licensed clinicians who speak the local community’s spoken languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. You do not have to be an older adult center member to receive service. Services are offered in-person, virtually, or telephonically.

Mental Health Warning Signs

Mental Health impacts how we think, feel, and how we cope with life stressors. Some signs that may indicate that a person should consider reaching out for help include:

• Feelings of sadness or hopelessness
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Withdrawal from people and activities that you enjoy
• Excessive thoughts of worry or fear
• Feeling unusually confused, angry, aggressive, or irritable
• Thoughts of hurting oneself or others
• Decreased ability to manage everyday stressors

How to reach Mental Health Services

If you, or someone you know, needs services or would like to learn more about NYC Aging’s Geriatric Mental Health Initiative, please call Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469).