The Office of Staten Island Borough President
09/19/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Grant Supports Mental Health Blueprint For Young Adults
Borough President Vito Fossella announced that the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded a grant to support his Behavioral Health Blueprint for Staten Island Children and Young Adults.
The five-year $3.67 million Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant was awarded to the New York State Office of Mental Health. The grant will support the creation of a model to prevent youth suicide by combining clinical intervention and proactive efforts to prevent young people from feeling suicidal or developing critical mental illnesses.
Borough President Fossella spoke about anecdotal incidents of youth acting out or longtime teachers witnessing behaviors they hadn't seen before.
"You start putting the pieces together and you realize that there is something more to it," said Borough President Fossella during apress conferencein Borough Hall. "So, we asked many of you a couple of years ago to establish a blueprint to ensure that the mental health and behavioral issues of young people would be addressed and resolved."
Borough President Fossella noted the blueprint is the first of its kind in the country.
"So, all eyes are going to be on us and there is a good chance that this becomes a model for the rest of the United States," he said.
Dr. Marion Wilson, District 31 School Superintendent for Staten Island, thanked Borough President Fossella "for not only believing in this mission, but acting on it."
"Unfortunately, we have lost too many students to suicide and the fact that this Borough President has decided to actually take action is something that warms my heart because it helps with prevention and trying to find a cure," said Dr. Wilson.
The five-year $3.67 million Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant was awarded to the New York State Office of Mental Health. The grant will support the creation of a model to prevent youth suicide by combining clinical intervention and proactive efforts to prevent young people from feeling suicidal or developing critical mental illnesses.
Borough President Fossella spoke about anecdotal incidents of youth acting out or longtime teachers witnessing behaviors they hadn't seen before.
"You start putting the pieces together and you realize that there is something more to it," said Borough President Fossella during apress conferencein Borough Hall. "So, we asked many of you a couple of years ago to establish a blueprint to ensure that the mental health and behavioral issues of young people would be addressed and resolved."
Borough President Fossella noted the blueprint is the first of its kind in the country.
"So, all eyes are going to be on us and there is a good chance that this becomes a model for the rest of the United States," he said.
Dr. Marion Wilson, District 31 School Superintendent for Staten Island, thanked Borough President Fossella "for not only believing in this mission, but acting on it."
"Unfortunately, we have lost too many students to suicide and the fact that this Borough President has decided to actually take action is something that warms my heart because it helps with prevention and trying to find a cure," said Dr. Wilson.