Research Plan: Our plan is to analyze the current state of mental health issues as they exist in NYC today, and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of city programs and measures, for instance Thrive NYC and Parachute NYC, that are trying to address these issues.

Currently, we already have a short list of possible community contacts we could work with: connections with Thrive NYC and Parachute NYC, the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project, and Fountain House (an organization that provides support programs to help people with serious mental illnesses recover). We’ll be writing emails to reach out to these organizations and see if they’re willing to help. Alex also does research at a clinic that’s very involved with mental health illnesses, so we’re going to try to find some connections there as well.

Research Problem/Current State of Mental Health: The physical and financial accessibility to mental health services. Consequences: statistics show that at least one in five New Yorkers experience some mental health disorder in a given year, increased risk of emergency hospitalizations because they don’t access to mental health counseling beforehand, larger population of people who can’t join the workforce because of debilitating mental health illness.

Academic Knowledge: The current state of mental health (i.e. what mental health issues are most prevalent in NYC today), and city initiatives/policies that currently exist to address mental health issues. Most of our academic knowledge will be acquired through in-depth research and information gathering from NYC government and other organization websites. The following links provide relevant information: Thrive NYC White Paper (info about current state of mental health in NYC), Thrive NYC Roadmap (gives information on what Thrive NYC aims and plans to do).

Community Contacts/Knowledge: Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project, Fountain House, Families Together, etc.

Knowledge from Experience: Alex.

Power Relations/Politics – Ideas: The criminalization of homelessness, affordability/accessibility (insurance laws and policies – here’s a NYTimes article on this, home services for the physically disabled, etc.)