New facility aims to reduce wait times and expand access to behavioral health services
WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County has officially opened a new Mental Health Safety Net Clinic in White Plains, restoring the County’s direct role in providing outpatient behavioral health services and expanding access to mental health care for residents.
Located at 112 East Post Road, the new state-of-the-art facility is designed to address service gaps that have emerged in recent years as demand for mental health services has grown across the region. County officials say the clinic will help reduce long waitlists and ease pressure on hospitals and emergency departments that have increasingly been forced to handle mental health crises.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the reopening represents the restoration of a critical public service that disappeared nearly fifteen years ago.
“Nearly 15 years ago, the doors of Westchester County’s Safety Net Clinic were forced to close,” Jenkins said. “Restoring that system of care for our residents was not an option—it was essential. For too long, our hospitals and emergency rooms have been forced to carry a responsibility they were never designed to bear—but that ends now.”
According to county officials, demand for outpatient behavioral health services has increased significantly since 2020, creating longer wait times for treatment and adding strain to the healthcare system. The new clinic is intended to strengthen the county’s overall behavioral health strategy by providing community-based treatment and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.
For many Black residents across Westchester County, the reopening of a county-operated mental health clinic carries additional importance. Communities such as Mount Vernon, Yonkers, and parts of New Rochelle have seen a rise in mental health–related crises in recent years, including increased calls for crisis intervention and behavioral health services. Historically, access to culturally responsive and affordable mental health care has been limited in many Black communities. Expanding county-run services helps close that gap by providing more accessible treatment options, earlier intervention, and connections to community-based support systems that can prevent crises from escalating.
Department of Community Mental Health Commissioner Michael Orth said the clinic strengthens Westchester’s behavioral health continuum of care and complements other crisis response programs already in place.
“This clinic represents a major step forward in strengthening Westchester’s behavioral health continuum of care,” Orth said. “The reopening of the Safety Net Clinic complements our crisis response system, including 988 services and hospital diversion efforts, and reflects our commitment to accessible, recovery-oriented, and integrated care.”
The facility will provide comprehensive outpatient services for adults 18 and older, with treatment designed to be trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and centered on long-term recovery and wellness.
Services offered at the clinic include:
- Individual therapy
- Crisis intervention
- Medication management
- Group therapy
- Health assessments
- Peer support services
- Interfaith support
- Referrals to community resources
- Integrated treatment for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
Spanish-speaking services will be available, along with additional interpretation through Language Line for other languages.
Melanie Montalto, Assistant Director of Division Clinic Administration, said the project was the result of years of planning and collaboration.
“From initial planning through construction to state licensure, this has been a true team effort,” Montalto said. “We are proud to open a clinic that ensures individuals who may not otherwise have access to care can receive high-quality outpatient treatment.”
Local leaders also emphasized the importance of restoring county-run mental health services after previous closures left gaps in care.
Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Vedat Gashi said expanding access to community-based mental health care is critical to the well-being of families across the county.
“Access to timely, community-based mental health care is essential to the health and stability of our families and neighborhoods,” Gashi said. “By expanding services and reducing barriers to care, we are strengthening the safety net.”
County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson said reopening the clinic fulfills a long-standing goal to restore services that were closed during the Astorino administration.
“Today’s opening is more than a ribbon-cutting—it’s the restoration of care, dignity, and a promise our community has waited far too long to see kept,” Johnson said.
Mental health advocates also welcomed the new facility as a critical resource for residents who have struggled to find treatment.
Christopher Rivera, an advocate and team leader for the Crisis Stabilization Team at People-USA, said provider shortages and limited clinic capacity have long made it difficult for residents to access services.
“By expanding access and reducing barriers to care, the Safety Net Clinic helps fill a critical gap in the local behavioral health system,” Rivera said.
The clinic accepts Medicaid, private insurance, and uninsured individuals, and will operate in accordance with New York State Office of Mental Health Article 31 regulations.
County officials say the new facility represents an important step toward strengthening the mental health safety net in Westchester County and ensuring residents can receive the care they need within their own communities.
