NEW YORK—Over 80 schools would get mental health clinics, every police precinct would have a victims’ advocate and social workers would arrange psychological care for thousands of families in homeless shelters under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to invest tens of millions of dollars in mental health, his wife’s signature issue.
The proposal, which first lady Chirlane McCray unveiled Tuesday, comes as New York seeks to become a national model for cities to address mental health needs. She’s spearheading an effort to draw a full-fledged plan, expected this fall.
“We are developing a more effective and inclusive mental health system—one that meets the needs of New Yorkers where they live,” McCray said at the Empire State Building, which was turning its lights green on Tuesday in honor of National Mental Health Month.
