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AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026
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Opening doors to mental health care By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
As anxiety, depression and substance use disorders continue to rise across the Five Towns and Rockaway peninsula, Episcopal Health Services is expanding its behavioral health prog rams to ensure residents receive treatment before they reach a crisis. According to EHS, about 20 percent of residents in the Rockaways live with a mental illness, yet many never seek treatment because of stigma, limited awareness of available services or difficulty accessing care. Queens Community District 14, which includes Far Rockaway, also faces a shortage of mental health providers, while rates of psychological distress, poverty and behavioral health-related emergency department visits exceed city averages. To help address those challenges, Episcopal Health Services has centralized many of its behavioral health services in the new Walsh Ambulatory Pavilion in Far Rockaway. The second floor houses both the Community Mental Health Center, which provides care for children, adolescents and adults, and the Wellness and Recovery Center, serving adults 18 and older with a higher level of outpatient support. The expansion is part of a broader effort to integrate behavioral health with primary care while reducing the stigma often associated with seeking psychiatric treatment. "I think it just normalizes that mental health is part of health," said Dr. Andrew Singer, an adult and pediatric psychiatrist who has treated patients at Episcopal Health Services for more than two decades. "Patients are coming into the same building for primary care, pediatrics and behavioral health. It reinforces that this is all part of taking care of yourself." Singer, who grew up in North Woodmere and maintains a private practice in Woodmere, said the types of conditions he sees have changed dramatically during his 21 years with the organization. "When I first started, I saw a lot more attention-deficit/hyperactivity disor-
Courtesy Episcopal Health Services
Helping to combat mental illness from Episcopal Health Services are, from left, Dr. Piotr Slowik, medical director, Outpatient Behavioral Health Services; Dr. Jessy Colah, chair of psychiatry; and Dr. Andrew Singer, adult and pediatric psychiatrist. der," he said. "Now, by far, the most common conditions are anxiety and depression." Singer added that he’s also seen an increasing number of children and teenagers struggling with suicidal thoughts and anxiety disorders. St. John’s Episcopal Hospital works to identify concerns early by screening pediatric patients for depression and anxiety during routine medical visits. Behavioral health clinicians also visit schools and community organizations to educate families and encourage residents to seek help before problems escalate. "We know that early intervention can change the trajectory of a child's life," Singer said. "If you help a child early, you're helping the entire family." Behavioral health leaders said the Rockaway peninsula faces unique challenges that contribute to mental illness, including poverty, housing instability and the lingering impact of Hurricane Sandy and the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Piotr Slowik, medical director of outpatient behavioral health services, arrived at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in 2012, just before Hurricane Sandy devastated the peninsula. "I still remember the hospital being one of the only buildings with electricity," Slowik said. "People came seeking
shelter, and many are still processing that trauma today." He said the hospital continues to treat patients with post-traumatic stress disorder connected to Sandy, while the pandemic intensified feelings of isolation, particularly among adolescents. "We have never seen so many younger patients with depression, social anxiety and suicidal ideation," Slowik said. "Many teenagers struggled socially after Covid because they were isolated for so long." The hospital has responded by expanding access to care. Telehealth appointments help patients who face transportation barriers, interpreters are available for patients who speak languages other than English, and financial counselors assist residents whose insurance has lapsed or who need help accessing charity care. "We don't turn anyone away," Singer said. "Whether someone needs help with insurance, medication or language services, we work to remove those barriers." The behavioral health program also of fers homebased crisis intervention for children,
care coordination services, collaborative care with primary care physicians, medication-assisted treatment, family counseling and after-hours crisis support. For patients requiring hospitalization, St. John's Episcopal Hospital operates two inpatient psychiatric units with a combined 43 beds, providing around-the-clock care for adults experiencing serious psychiatric illnesses. Dr. Jessy Colah, chief of psychiatry, said the hospital has invested heavily in expanding services because behavioral health needs continue to grow throughout the region. "We have built a comprehensive system of care," Colah said. "Patients receive a therapist, a psychiatrist and access to individual therapy, group therapy, family counseling and addiction services. We want people to know help is available." Colah noted that coordinated care has improved outcomes by allowing behavioral health providers, primary care physicians and social workers to communicate more effectively under one roof. Patients leaving inpatient care are introduced to their outpatient treatment team before discharge, improving continuity of care and reducing missed follow-up appointments. Singer, Slowik and Colah emphasized that stigma remains one of the greatest barriers preventing people from seeking treatment. "The earlier someone reaches out, the better," Singer said. "Mental illness should be treated no differently than diabetes, asthma or heart disease. The sooner we intervene, the more we can help." To lear n more about behavioral health services or to schedule an appointment, visit EHS.org or call Episcopal Health Services at (718) 869-7000.