Westchester Jewish Community Services, WJCS, has received a grant from Westchester Community Foundation, WCF, for its College Wellness Initiative. This grant will allow WJCS to continue to deliver critical mental health services to Westchester County’s college students.
WJCS and the Westchester County Department of Community of Mental Health, DCMH, created the College Wellness Initiative in 2020 to
address the growing mental health needs of college students in Westchester County. The program was initially funded with Cares Act funding. The new funding from WCF will allow the program to continue to support college students beyond the initial pilot phase.
The College Initiative supports Westchester County colleges and college students who, due to the ongoing pandemic, have experienced an increased need for mental health and substance use treatment. The mental health impact of COVID has been most apparent in adolescents
and young adults, with college-age individuals experiencing the most negative mental health impacts of the COVID crisis compared to the population as a whole.
Compounding these challenges is the fact that the mental health benefits of an estimated 77% of college students are covered by commercial insurance plans, yet those with commercial insurance often face challenges in accessing mental health treatment due to the limited availability of mental health providers accepting private insurance. With WCF funding WJCS will be able to provide mental health services to Westchester County’s college students, irrespective of whether students have commercial insurance, whether WJCS is in-network with students’ commercial insurance, or whether students have any health insurance at all.
Dr. W. Andrew Mullane, Director of Innovation, Integration, and Community Partnership at WJCS and co-chair of DCMH’s College Collaborative, is leader of the college initiative. “I want to thank Westchester Community Foundation for their support,” Mullane said. “Many college students are continuing to struggle with uncertainty, fear, and isolation as they continue to experience the ongoing immediate and residual impacts of COVID to their lives. Many continue to learn remotely and are experiencing loneliness as a result of being separated from their peers, their professors, and the college experiences that are so important in shaping their identity at a critical time in their lives. Mental health support for these young adults is more important than ever and with this support we will be able to continue to provide it.”
The College Initiative serves Westchester Community College, SUNY Purchase, Iona College, The College of Westchester, Mercy College, Sarah Lawrence College, Pace University, Manhattan College, and elsewhere. To learn more about WJCS, please visit wjcs.com.
(Submitted)
