NewYork-Presbyterian has received a $35 million gift from the Stamford-based Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to expand its Westchester-based behavioral health services for children and adolescents.
According to NewYork-Presbyterian, the funds will be used to expand child and adolescent inpatient units and create a state-of-the-art ambulatory behavioral health center at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health in White Plains. The funds will also be used to expand existing telepsychiatry services and develop programs to increase awareness and access to youth mental health care and resources in the community.
In announcing the foundation”™s gift, NewYork-Presbyterian noted the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading health organizations declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health in 2021 because of the social isolation, academic disruption and other stressors during the pandemic.
“Access to high quality behavioral health treatment is so important for children and teenagers,” said Alex Cohen, president of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. “We are proud to partner with NewYork-Presbyterian as they work to address the devastating youth mental health crisis and help make a difference in the lives of young people and their families.”
“We thank the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation for the opportunity to expand, enhance and evolve our renowned child and adolescent psychiatry care,” said Dr. Philip J. Wilner, senior vice president for Behavioral Health and chief operating officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health. “We are grateful for this extraordinary gift to expand the treatment we can provide to young people and their families.”
