You are reading

QBP Richards Announces $2 million in Free Mental Health Services for Queens

A national provider of virtual mental health therapy is working with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards to provide $2 million in services through community-based organizations in Queens. Richards made the announcement at Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities in Corona Tuesday (Photo: @QnsBPRichards)

Oct. 12, 2022 By Christian Murray

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Tuesday that a national provider of online mental health services is partnering with 10 Queens-based organizations to offer $2 million in therapy services.

Richards made the announcement at Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities in Corona and noted that many residents are in need of help given the hardship caused by the pandemic.

“The past few years have been extremely difficult for all of us in Queens, as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the crises around housing, an economic downturn, food insecurity, racial injustice and more. To all those struggling, you don’t have to struggle alone,” Richards said.

The services will be provided by BetterHelp, the nation’s leading virtual mental health therapy provider, with the 10 organizations receiving $175,000 in services to make available through their networks.

The remaining $250,000 in services will be distributed to residents at the discretion of the borough president’s office.

“Now, more than ever, we need to support one another. I couldn’t be prouder to partner with BetterHelp to bring its expertise and badly needed therapy services to Queens and the community-based organizations who uplift so many families every day,” Richards said.

The 10 community-based organizations that will receive the services cover the entire borough. The 10 recipients of the services are:

  • Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities in Corona
  • Forest Hills Jewish Center in Forest Hills
  • Glow Community Center in Flushing
  • Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association in Jackson Heights
  • LIFE Camp, Inc. in Jamaica
  • Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation in Far Rockaway
  • Sunnyside Community Services in Sunnyside
  • United Federation of Teachers
  • Urban Resource Institute
  • Urban Upbound in Long Island City

BetterHelp said that it aims to make its services accessible to all through the partnership.

“We’re incredibly honored to partner with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards to make mental health services more accessible to Queens residents and the community-based organizations that support them,” said BetterHelp President and Founder Alon Matas. “Our mission is to make therapy accessible to all, and this partnership is a big step in that direction for the Queens community.”

Many of the leaders of the community-based organizations said the partnership with BetterHelp comes at the right time.

“We are so pleased to have been chosen to participate in this initiative,” said Sunnyside Community Services Executive Director Judy Zangwill. “COVID-19 has profoundly affected the mental health wellness of the people in our communities, and we applaud Borough President Richards for taking this important step toward addressing the issue.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Four injured in Queensboro Hill house fire fueled by e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries: FDNY fire marshals

FDNY fire marshals determined that lithium-ion batteries sparked a fire in a Queensboro Hill townhouse that injured three residents and a firefighter were injured a few blocks south of Kissena Corridor Park on Friday morning.

The blaze broke out in a home at 142-33 60th Ave. just before 5:30 a.m. The first firefighters on the scene found heavy fire emanating from the first floor that may have been sparked and intensified by the presence of lithium-ion batteries and a half-dozen e-bikes in the basement of the home.

Mayor Adams shares 90-day progress of Operation Restore Roosevelt

Jan. 22, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Operation Restore Roosevelt, a 90-day multi-agency initiative launched in October 2024 by Mayor Eric Adams and Council Member Francisco Moya to address quality-of-life issues along Roosevelt Avenue, has resulted in nearly 1,000 arrests and over 11,500 summonses. The operation focused on addressing community concerns such as prostitution, illegal brothels, unlicensed vending, retail theft, and other public safety challenges.