City officials announced Monday that New York City will provide social, emotional and educational behavioral health screenings for K-12 public school students in the most affected communities by Covid-19.
Initiatives will be launched in 27 communities since the outbreak began, with the highest number of cases and deaths identified. The city will also hire 150 additional social workers, and add a community school to each of the 27 neighborhoods. The first phase will serve about 380,000 students in about 830 schools, according to a press release from the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
De Blasio’s wife, Chirlene McCray, led the initiative, calling for additional screening to “expand health checks for students.”
“Every New York City student will experience this past year’s experience differently,” McCray added, adding that no grades or labels will be used in the screening. The aim will be to help offer the best mental health care to students in need, said Maim Cray.
New York City School Chancellor Richard Karenza said the initiative would allow officials to evaluate students’ general well-being and personal care for their care with the consent of their parents.
Efforts will also be made to increase the school system’s partnership with the city’s healthcare providers to provide students with direct mental health resources, Karenza said.
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