Pleasantville Forum Tackles Mental Health Access

Stakeholders gathered Tuesday night to confront an issue touching countless families: mental health. Whether it’s substance abuse, depression, or developmental disabilities, the need for stronger support systems is pressing. At the latest “411 Talkbacks” community meeting at the Clinton St. Center in Pleasantville, local officials and mental health experts shared resources and strategies to help Westchester residents access the care they need—often before a crisis hits.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that more than one in five U.S. adults—about 59.3 million people—lived with a mental illness in 2022, or 23.1 percent of the adult population. However, only half of those affected receive treatment. Studies also show that young adults ages 18 to 25 had the highest prevalence of any mental illness that year, at 36.2 percent, compared to 29.4 percent of adults ages 26 to 49 and 13.9 percent of those 50 and older.

Westchester County recorded 146 opioid-related deaths in 2022, a rate of nearly 15 deaths per 100,000 residents, down from 150 deaths the previous year, according to the Westchester Department of Community Mental Health.

Ongoing efforts by New York State and Westchester County to expand mental health support systems was the focus of a discussion Tuesday night held by the Pleasantville Mental Health & Wellness Committee in Pleasantville.

The “411 Talkbacks” meetings engage the public on current issues. 

Pleasantville Mental Health & Wellness Committee Chair Marlene Canapi, who works closely with the local school community on mental health awareness issues, introduced committee members Westchester County Legislator Margaret Cunzio, C-Mount Pleasant; Michael Orth, commissioner of the Department of Community Mental Health; and Melissa Morris-Banta, clinical director of New York Systemic, Therapeutic Assessment Resources and Treatment Crisis Services (CSIDD/START). Committee member Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky, D-Dobbs Ferry, was not present.

“These 411 talks are geared to hear from people and find out what their concerns are,” Cunzio said. “This is a dialogue where we can find out how we can assist in the community.” 

Cunzio, who is a volunteer firefighter with the Thornwood Fire Department, said she studies mental health connections with emergency services. 

Orth said supporting mental health is a shared community responsibility that extends to schools, families, businesses, and faith-based organizations.

“We all have a role to play to support each other’s mental health and wellness,” he remarked. “People go through challenges in life whether it’s the loss of a loved one or a medical issue, that could impact our mental health and wellness. We address prevention, treatment and peer and family support.” 

The 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline directly connects callers to the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, providing access to mental health services in hospitals, clinics, and schools. Orth distributed Crisis Lifeline cards featuring a QR code for quick access to support services.

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course teaches people how to assist those experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, much like CPR does for medical emergencies, Orth explained.

“These are special eight-hour training courses offered in colleges and schools to families and friends,” he said. “These courses teach us the vocabulary used to make one feel comfortable. It helps us understand what are the signs and symptoms (of mental health problems) and how to open a dialogue about feelings and mental health issues we sometime shy away from discussing.” 

Access to services is a major challenge. Research shows that from the time a person experiences a mental health issue to the time they actually get help is about 12 years. 

“The reason for that is because we’re not comfortable supporting each other’s mental health and access to services,” Orth said. “Our job is to help people get the help and support they really need.” 

In Westchester there are 76 school-based mental health clinics within school buildings.  

“Rather than students going after school to an out-patient clinic the clinics are embedded in many of our school district’s buildings,” Orth explained. “The advantage of having a mental health clinic in school is easier access for students, and therapists can work with teachers.” 

The mental healthcare system is also complex and complicated to navigate, observed Melissa Morris-Banta, Clinical Director- New York Systemic, Therapeutic Assessment Resources and Treatment Crisis Services (CSIDD/START). 

Morris-Banta explained how her program sees the big picture of services throughout the state. CSIDD/START guides people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs to a service that best fits one’s needs. 

“Our program is meant to improve the quality of life and a big part of our focus is brainstorming and figuring out what is out there in terms of resources,” Morris-Banta remarked. “We encourage people to collaborate with each other on behalf of an individual and bring all the needed systems together.” 

Morris-Banta also said her organization uses a “crisis tool” to analyze all the different aspects of an individual’s needs and strengths, vulnerabilities and trauma history. A record is created that other services can refer to in the future if needed.

CSIDD/START collaborates with communities, hospitals and first responders. One such partnership is with the Westchester County Police department where CSIDD/START offers training sessions. 

A new 24/7 mobile crisis prevention and response team has improved the delivery of mental health care for county residents. It is modeled after St. Vincent Crisis Prevention Response Team, started a dozen years ago. 

“If you are concerned about a loved one you can call them and link to services,” Orth said. “Crisis teams made up of therapists, clinicians and peer specialists are also embedded in every police department in the county.”

Crisis teams responding to a 911 call are trained to do a screening risk assessment. 

“They can send out a mental health team if there’s no safety issues or the police can go out together with the mobile crisis team,” Orth noted. “If there is a safety issue, the police will secure safety and then they will involve the local crisis team.” 

Another successful service is the Westchester Faith-Based Mental Health Initiative. The program was formed in 2020 and is a partnership between DCMH, faith-based leaders and community mental health providers. Orth was instrumental in joining churches, synagogues and mosques together to form the faith-based initiative which connects parishioners and congregations with local mental health service providers.  

“When those in faith-based organizations see someone struggling they know how to speak to that person,” Orth said, adding that Westchester County is a national leader in treating anxiety disorders with spirituality and religious practice. One hundred members of the clergy received training called “Soul Shop” to help them assist parishioners struggling with mental health disorders, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. In 2022 the county released a Westchester a Faith Affirming Mental Health resource directory.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting treatment are the Parity Laws. 

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the federal parity law) was enacted in 2008 and requires insurance coverage for mental health conditions, including substance use disorders. The law states that coverage can’t be more restrictive than insurance coverage for other medical conditions.

But the U.S. Department of Labor found widespread noncompliance and violations of the federal law in how health plans and insurers cover mental health care. According to a 142-page report released Jan. 2025 by the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, the Treasury and Health and Human Services departments, “health plans, and companies that administer them, have excluded key behavioral treatments, such as therapies for substance use and autism, and offered inadequate networks of mental health providers.” 

Health insurance is supposed to pay equal amount for behavioral health and substance abuse treatment as physical health.

“Our insurance companies in our communities don’t adhere to the federal parity law,” Orth said. “And commercial insurance agencies do not have an adequate network of providers to offer a choice. The deductible is extremely high so it prevents people from accessing services.” 

Compounding the problem is that Medicaid rates for mental health services are almost double that of commercial insurance rates for physical health. Most local mental health clinics don’t accept commercial insurance and people can’t access those services.  

“It’s a matter of enforcement,” Cunzio said.

Mental Health Services:

St. Vincent Crises Prevention Response Team 

Call (914) 925-5959
24/7 Telephone Coverage
Mobile Response Monday – Sunday
Walk-in evaluations available 24/7 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison.
Services available in Spanish

YOUNG ADULT INSTITUTE https://www.yai.org/services/nystartcsidd

Soul Shop https://www.soulshopmovement.org/

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

NAMI FaithNet 

https://namiwestchester.org/

https://www.samhsa.gov/