The COVID-19 pandemic has put on a strain on Capital Region businesses, restaurants and bars—but it’s also, likely, put one on our psyches. And New York State will be mobilizing more than 6,000 mental health professionals to provide free consult to anyone in the state who’s feeling the psychological effects of the outbreak.
“I don’t know that anyone else has done this,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of the effort, during his press briefing on Wednesday, March 25. “The emotion stress and mental health challenges that [the COVID-10 pandemic] brings on people—no one is really talking about this; we’re all concerned about the immediate critical need, the life and death of the situation. But don’t underestimate the emotional trauma that people are feeling, and emotional health issues.”
An appeal was made to the mental health care community to have psychologists voluntarily sign up to provide free, online treatment services to New Yorkers—and 6,175 mental health care professionals signed on.
If you or someone you know might be in need of mental health care services, you can call New York’s hotline—1.844.863.9314—and schedule an appointment with a mental health care professional for free.
