STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Northwell Staten Island University Hospital has been awarded significant grant funding from New York state to advance behavioral health and addiction services across the borough – representing one of the most substantial investments in mental health, substance use, and pediatric behavioral care in Staten Island’s history, the hospital has announced.
Supported by $3.5 million in COE funding and an additional $7 million in previously awarded state capital funding, this multi-year investment will allow SIUH to enhance coordinated behavioral health services for adults, children and families in Centers for Excellence, the Ocean Breeze hospital announced in a recent media release.
In January, the hospital opened its Linkage, Intake, and Navigation for Kids program, aimed at providing children and adolescents with rapid access to mental health services. But more centers are planned as the need is great, a hospital spokesperson said.
This newest funding also aims to close long-standing gaps in care, reduce barriers to access, and support individuals at every stage of life through integrated, person-centered approaches, administrators say.
“This investment allows us to move beyond a fragmented model and build a true system of care – one that treats addiction, mental health, and physical health together,” said Dr. John Q. Young, chair and senior vice president of Behavioral Health at Northwell Health. “The need on Staten Island is great: children, families and adults often face behavioral health challenges without adequate access to high-quality care.”
The funding will help the hospital expand services for children and their families while improving treatment for those with substance use disorders.
“By creating a single clinical home, we can reduce preventable crises, improve engagement during treatment and ensure residents receive comprehensive, dignified care close to home,” Young said.
The funding also includes $5.4 million to further support pediatric behavioral health services, addressing critical shortages on Staten Island.
Short-term stabilization services will continue, ensuring children awaiting longer-term care can access timely support and avoid escalation of crises.
“Our children and families have waited far too long for expanded behavioral health access,” said Meagan Sills, president of SIUH. “This funding allows us to build services that meet families where they are – reducing wait times, strengthening school partnerships, and ensuring that young people receive the right care at the right time, in a setting designed specifically for them.”
The funding also includes COE sustainment support to continue short-term pediatric behavioral health services, providing timely stabilization for children awaiting longer-term care and helping prevent crises, emergency department visits and disruptions in care.
“Staten Island continues to face significant gaps in substance use treatment and pediatric behavioral health care,” said Dr. Rashi Aggarwal, chair of psychiatry at SIUH. “Adults with substance use disorders often have complex mental health and medical needs, while parents seeking care for their children frequently encounter delays and limited access.”
This funding will help the hospital expand services, reduce barriers, and make it easier for children, teens and adults to enter care, stay engaged, and heal within one system, she said.