Greenwich House Celebrates New and Expanded Center for Resiliency and Wellness
On February 8, 2024, Greenwich House hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the expanded and relocated Center for Resiliency and Wellness (CRW). The move and expansion brings the organization’s innovative approach to mental health care and holistic trauma-informed treatments to a central location in downtown Manhattan. For the 120-year-old settlement house already serving over 20,000 New Yorkers a year, the new space represents the most notable increase to capacity in over a century.
The modern and intentionally-designed space will double the number of patients served, from 350 to 700+, at any given time, and help transition the majority of CRW patients from telehealth to in-person treatment, including group therapies and wellness activities for the first time.
The ribbon cutting also celebrated CRW’s recently expanded reach, embedding mental health services in 11 Older Adult Centers and two Family Justice Centers. Facilitated by NYC Aging and the Mayor’s Office to End Gender Based Violence respectively, CRW now brings mental health treatment directly to settings where support is needed.
“We’re proud to share our expanded capacity at the Greenwich House Center for Resiliency and Wellness, which will further reduce barriers and improve access to high-quality mental health care in New York City, including pediatric and geriatric mental health care,” said Greenwich House Executive Director and CEO Darren Bloch.
At a time when waitlists for mental health treatment in New York City can often be between 30-90 days, CRW adding capacity for more than 300 new patients will make a significant difference for the community. Additionally, CRW connects prospective patients to treatment in a matter of days, and has immediate admittance for those in crisis.
“The Center for Resiliency and Wellness was created to meet the needs of the whole person with a trauma-informed lens,” said Laura Langner, Chief Health and Human Services Officer of Greenwich House. “Our approach to behavioral health treatment recognizes how a patient is affected by their circumstances–how issues like housing insecurity, food insecurity and intimate partner violence have an enormous impact on a person’s ability address their mental health.”
CRW’s interdisciplinary team–including psychiatric providers, licensed therapists, social workers, case managers, peers and home health aids–all work together to ensure each patient has access to the kind of treatment that is best suited to their individual needs.
Patient and parent Jill initially reached out to Greenwich House years ago when her family experienced domestic violence. (Last name withheld to protect privacy.)
“The center has been an amazing resource for our family, and I’m not sure how we would have survived without them,” said Jill. “At the time I knew my kids needed help, but I didn’t know how I would afford proper counseling. There was no way we would have been able to access this kind of care without Greenwich House.”
Removing financial barriers is an important part of increasing access to treatment. That’s why CRW serves patients regardless of their ability to pay, and takes all insurances—private insurance, healthcare exchange plans, Medicaid, Medicare and self -pay on a sliding scale.
A wide range of treatment options are offered for individuals, couples and families, including but not limited to: evidence-based psychotherapy models, EMDR trauma processing, mindfulness, play therapy, LGBTQIA affirming therapy, support groups, medication assisted treatment, harm-reduction recovery services, and more.
The on-site psychiatric providers offer both adult and child psychiatry–a field where there is a significant shortage of practitioners. In New York State there are only 29 child or adolescent psychiatrists for every 100,000 children, making it extremely difficult for families to access the care their child needs.
CRW offers treatment in both English and Spanish, and the diverse staff brings a wide range of lived experiences to connect with members of the community. The center is also licensed for medication-assisted treatment for mental illness and substance use disorder, allowing patients with a dual diagnosis to receive holistic care.
For more information about the Greenwich House Center for Resiliency & Wellness, visit greenwichhouse.org/crw or call (212) 242-4140, ext. 251.
