New York to spend millions on mental health services for Afghan refugees
New York is allocating $2 million to a program that will provide mental health services specifically for Afghan refugees arriving in the state. The funding will be distributed as ten individual grants of $200,000 each, to be used over six months. these grants will support outreach efforts, raise community awareness about mental health needs, offer culturally sensitive mental health services, and facilitate wellness sessions, including interpretation services. The program emphasizes the importance of providers understanding Afghan culture and the unique challenges refugees face.
Applicants for the grants must demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which accounts for 10% of the evaluation criteria. Additionally, the program encourages hiring individuals of Afghan heritage to help support the community economically. The initiative targets Afghans with refugee status and also others deemed eligible by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, tho it is unclear if undocumented immigrants qualify.
This investment comes amid New YorkS growing budget deficit, which recently reached $34.3 billion. Despite financial challenges, the state continues to prioritize programs addressing mental health and support for vulnerable populations.
New York to spend $2 million providing mental health services to Afghan refugees
New York taxpayers are on the hook for a $2 million program that will “coordinate mental health services and facilitate wellness groups” for “Afghan new arrivals,” according to documents reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
The program, which will consist of 10 individual $200,000 awards that must be spent over six months, covers services such as outreach, raising “community awareness” of mental health needs, directly providing mental health services in a “culturally sensitive” manner, facilitating “wellness-focused sessions” for the new arrivals, and interpretation, among others.
“Many Afghans are arriving to the United States with immediate as well as long-term mental health needs,” the grant document published by New York’s Office of Mental Health reads. “It is critical to ensure Afghan arrivals are supported and understand how to access and receive culturally-informed, individualized quality mental health care and supports. Additionally, mental health providers interacting and serving Afghan arrivals should be knowledgeable of the culture and unique challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers.”
Prospective grantees are required to devote a portion of their application to demonstrating their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI-related measures are worth 10% of an applicant’s overall score when the state is determining who to dole out funds to, according to the document.
The program may also serve as a cash infusion into New York’s Afghan community, as grant applicants are expected to “describe program efforts to recruit, hire, and retain” employees of Afghan heritage. It is unclear if illegal immigrants will be eligible to benefit from the program, as the grant document specifies that the program is intended to assist Afghans granted refugee status as well as “persons in any other status that ORR has deemed eligible for Afghan Health Promotion funds.”
As New York spends millions on DEI-related grant programs, the state has slipped further into financial trouble.
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New York Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced in August that the state faces a $34.3 billion budget gap, an increase of $7 billion since the last estimate was released in January.
The New York governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
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