(June 2008)

Dear Colleagues,

The financial assistance provided to help those affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks to receive needed counseling services has been retroactively reinstated and extended through the year 2010. The benefit helps to pay for outpatient mental health and substance abuse services provided by an LCSW or other licensed professionals.

This is an excellent program that provides financial assistance to supplement a client's insurance benefit and, for those without insurance, will pay for the cost of counseling. It will also assist with the cost of medication, lab tests and psychological testing.  In the past the program paid a reasonable fee directly to the LCSW, and in some cases this was supplemented by the client's insurance or client money. The benefit is available to NYC residents who worked, lived or attended school in the WTC vicinity at the time of the attack, rescue, recovery and reconstruction workers, people evacuated from the affected areas, people who worked downtown and lost a significant portion of their income, and their family members. The program will also consider covering others who were affected by 9/11 but may not meet the usual eligibility criterion. The eligibility requirements and application information are provided in a fact sheet at  http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/downloads/pdf/mhb/9-11MentalHealthBenefitFactsheet.pdf.

Coverage is retroactive to January 2007, and available through January 7, 2011. The enrollment deadline is July 7, 2010. 

More information can be found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/mhb/mhb.shtml .