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Every Child Needs Access to Mental Health Services


school guidance counselors kipp

(Dr. Thelma Dye, the author)


Prince Harry’s recent admission he is seeking treatment to come to terms with his mother’s death made headlines across the globe and for good reason. As recently as 20 years ago public opinion polls here in the U.S. found more than half the country believed depression was a sign of personal or emotional weakness. So when one of the world’s most recognizable and influential figures says not even a royal is immune to mental health challenges, it can have a significant impact.

Harry, along with his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have started an advocacy campaign to remove the stigma of mental illness worldwide, primarily aimed at reaching the younger generations. Given that two out of every three children experience a traumatic event by their 16th birthday, this effort couldn’t have a better audience.

In working with children and families for more than 20 years here in New York City, I have seen firsthand how addressing mental health issues at an early age leads to better learning outcomes, stronger family relationships, and improved life outcomes. It’s not a secret that mental health is as critical as physical health in a child’s long-term development, and child psychiatrists see that every day in their work.

But advocacy alone won’t be enough to protect the countless children, including many in our own city, who fly under the radar. Untreated mental illness disproportionately affects communities of color. In fact, African-Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. In our schools, these are the kids most often labeled as “behavior problems” and disproportionately represented in our suspension and dropout rates and in our criminal justice system.

Over the past several years, New York City has started to take some important steps towards identifying and supporting the mental health needs of students, but of course we need an even more committed effort.

For example, Northside Center, which I lead, recently announced a partnership with CVS to expand Clinic in Schools, an initiative that provides in-school mental health services and referrals for families. In the ten schools in which we currently work, we have seen great strides in treatment for children with anxiety and depression. The partnership will allow us to expand our services more comprehensively in the ten schools we currently serve with an eye on expansion to more schools as space and funding permit.

In addition, First Lady Chirlane McCray recently expanded her ThriveNYC program, which provides free mental health services to children ages 0-5 throughout the city. These kinds of programs make a significant difference for the individuals they serve. Schools with full-time social workers and other mental health services report fewer classroom disruptions, lower suspension rates and absenteeism. And we know the more time children spend in school learning, the more likely they are to have better academic outcomes.

But we also know there are more than 1,700 public schools and a million school kids across the five boroughs, and many are slipping through the cracks.

Mayor de Blasio’s new “3-K” initiative holds tremendous potential in this area. By getting students into formalized education programs at three years old, we can identify and address learning and behavioral challenges even earlier – issues that if left unattended often become major barriers to achievement as these children grow up. As with any health issue, prevention is the most effective treatment.

Despite all this progress, I worry about the future. We don’t know how federal health care and Medicaid reforms will affect mental health services for our most vulnerable citizens nor the impact on insurance plans that already undervalue the importance of these treatments. Any program that increases the number of uninsured Americans bodes poorly for our health as a nation.

We’ve come a long way as a country in recognizing that mental illness is a common and treatable disease. New public opinion polls show two-thirds of the population view mental illness as a very serious health concern. If depression and anxiety can alter the life path for years of a man like Prince Harry, imagine what it does to a child who doesn’t have the advantages he does. It’s time we turn this increased awareness into action. We can start by making stronger connections for decision-makers that show mental health translates into school, career, and life success, and not just for royals but for everyone.

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Dr. Thelma Dye is executive director at Northside Center for Child Development.

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Improving Elevator Safety in New York Must Be a Priority Now


elevator repair


Ten percent of the country’s elevators exist in New York State, and of that ten percent, a majority operates in New York City, where the many millions of us rely on elevators and other mechanical modes of transportation to get us safely to and from work and home.

Which is why when the New York City Comptroller issues an audit finding that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) fails to properly maintain its elevators and escalators, we have to pause and think about how we can solve this issue to not only keep our city running effectively, but to do so safely.

This is not the only state or city agency to be called out by elected officials for widespread elevator safety issues. The New York State Comptroller released a similar audit finding the State University of New York (SUNY) system fails to meet elevator maintenance and safety standards. And the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has been found to have similar, but more severe elevator safety issues including critical injuries and fatalities of residents and workers.

The answer to these extensive and dangerous issues throughout the city and state rests in the hands of the New York State Legislature with the Elevator Safety Act.

You may be surprised to hear that New York does not currently require people working on elevators to receive any education, training, or licensing. That means unscrupulous contractors can send their employees to work in multi-story elevator shafts with high-voltage, highly technical machinery without providing them the necessary training they need to protect themselves or the riding public.

The Elevator Safety Act would mandate licensing and set minimum standards for training – the kind of training that lets a worker spot an issue, potentially lethal at that, before it’s too late. This necessary training would directly impact both the effectiveness and safety of elevators in our state by ensuring the people building and working on them do the job right and do it safely.

We must take action to protect elevator workers and riders alike by requiring that New York’s elevator workers receive the proper training and licensing to keep our state’s elevators -- and their riders -- in safe, working condition.

For five years in a row now, the state Assembly has passed this critical piece of legislation and Governor Andrew Cuomo has promised to sign it into law. But standing in the way are the de Blasio administration and special interests in the State Senate.

Now, more than ever, those in a position of leadership must recognize the need for action, and call for the immediate passage of the Elevator Safety Act.

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Lenny Legotte is Business Manager of the International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local 1 and Chairman of the NYS Committee on Elevator Safety.

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Uber Scam Calls for Independent Monitor


uber protest

an Uber protest (photo: @CPIsd)


The following is an open letter from David Beier, president of the Committee for Taxi Safety to Commissioner Meera Joshi of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission:

Dear Commissioner Joshi,

In light of Uber's admission that it has shortchanged New York City drivers by millions of dollars, we urge you to immediately appoint an independent monitor to ensure all drivers are paid fairly and determine whether they are owed any additional money. Failure to swiftly appoint such a monitor would leave thousands of working-class New Yorkers at risk of wage theft.

Uber claimed that its failure to adequately pay New York City drivers was the result of an accounting error, but that is hard to believe since the practice continued unchecked for more than two years. This is also not the first time that the company has wrongly deprived its drivers of wages. Uber shortchanged drivers nationwide by manipulating navigation data, according to a class action lawsuit filed last month. The company was also forced to pay back Wages to Philadelphia drivers after it made an "error' earlier this year.

These numerous cases of apparent wage theft show that Uber cannot be trusted to guarantee fair payment for its 50,000 New York City drivers. An independent monitor would address this problem by providing direct oversight to ensure that all drivers are paid in full and on time. Such a monitor should also be tasked with investigating whether Uber has withheld any other wages from its New York City drivers.

The de Blasio administration has acted aggressively to address and prevent wage theft in various industries across New York City. This matter should be treated no differently.

Very truly yours,
David Beier
President, Committee for Taxi Safety

On Twitter @CommTaxiSafety

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