Migrant shelter suicide points to lack of mental health services

The recent suicide of a Colombian immigrant at a homeless shelter in Queens has been nerve-wracking for Maria, an immigrant who has suffered emotional trauma. Maria had been in the United States for months, awaiting the results of her political asylum interview, but when her thoughts got dark.

Anxious thoughts about what she left behind in Venezuela, about the possibility of being sent back to prison for her environmental activism, ran through her head over and over again. Maria couldn’t sleep for three days until she arrived at her emergency room.

“I had to leave my family, my job, my home, my stability, my life. Maria, 37, said. Venezuelan government.

“…people used to say it was the American dream. But look how it becomes a nightmare.”

As hundreds of immigrants pour into New York City every day, new problems are emerging. Many have fled the dangers and devastation of their homelands in search of a better future. They dealt with crime and hunger along the way. Migrants who are unprepared to welcome them and who are often dumped in cities with no connections, jobs, housing, insurance or a shared language can suffer from mental illness.

[ Heartbroken son of Colombian migrant blames himself for mom’s suicide at NYC shelter: ‘She was perfect’ ]

However, advocates and professionals say the mental health resources available are so inadequate that it is difficult to get help. The path to treatment is unclear for everyone — let alone those coping with the effects of a traumatic journey. harsh reality IN NEW YORK — said George Ramos, an immigration assessment therapist for immigrants seeking various immigration statuses.

The mental health infrastructure is already understaffed, Ramos said, so wait times for counseling are often three months or longer, and without insurance, it could be longer.

“When good services are not provided, it usually leads to more serious reactions like suicide,” he said.

This issue reached a breaking point last week.Colombian immigrant Reidy Paola Martinez Villalobos committed suicide by hanging himself in his bathroom using a cord, according to Julie Bolser, spokeswoman for the city’s coroner’s office. At a shelter in Hollis, Queens September 18, 32-year-old mother’s friend told the news She was in New York for four months and suffered from depression after separating from her husband at the border.

She cried every day, and weekly check-ins by the shelter social worker didn’t help.

Advocates and experts say more than 10,000 migrants who arrived in the city and were cycled into the shelter system are also at risk. Overwhelming poverty, uncertainty and anxiety poor living conditions Increase their challenge and despair can be deadly.

“You can hear it in their voices,” said Sergio Tupac Uzurin, a volunteer with mutual aid group NYC ICE Watch. “…imagine having so many needs at once. And there is a sense that they are not being listened to.They are very capable people who have made it through this difficult journey and want to be here and make a living.And they “is just being limped like a cow by both Republicans and Democrats. ”

Immigrants can receive services from nonprofit and community-based organizations once they arrive in New York, but these can be difficult to access. work permitbut these processes have stalled due to understaffing and overwhelming numbers of applicants.

The city also opened a resource center last week. The center hosts a team of Department of Health mental health professionals who conduct assessments, provide emotional support and counseling, and refer people to on-site case management teams.

Mayor Adams said, “I encourage all asylum seekers who need mental health support to avail themselves of these services, and those suffering from anxiety, depression, or mental health issues of any kind. We encourage everyone in our city to call 888-NYC-WELL.

[ Jose Rodriguez came to America looking for a brighter future. He ended up a casualty in the political battle over immigration between Texas and New York ]

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However, on two separate occasions, the voice messaging system On that line, all the Spanish-speaking professionals said they were busy. Call redirected from Spanish to English service.

Dana Alonzo, a Fordham University School of Community Service professor and founder of the Suicide Prevention Research Program, said more mental health support would help as immigrants arrived. We know there are, but we are doing nothing to connect individuals to the support they need during this time so that they are not put at risk,” Alonzo said.

According to Uzlin, housing is an important part of mental health, and family shelter status doesn’t help.

“There is no surer way for mental health problems to be deadlier than when people don’t have stable housing,” Uzrin said. I hear they are not even allowed to talk to each other, they are segregated as if it were a prison.

“Initially, there were reports that women and family shelters were better than single men’s shelters. They only isolate residents, exacerbate mental health problems, and lead to general despair.”

Working as a psychologist in Venezuela, Maria felt she needed more help after a mental breakdown. She survived mental health battles, got asylum status, and works as an Uber Eats driver. Now she uses her own experience and training to help others.She volunteers with an asylum support group and helps others survive the hardships of life in the US

“It’s about putting yourself in a place where you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is hard,'” she said.