New York State Assembly Member Chandler-Waterman canvasses at LinkNYC locations in her district to promote mental health resources and the 988 lifeline
One in five New Yorkers struggle with mental health issues or symptoms of a mental illness every year
New York, New York – On Friday, May 31, from 2 pm to 4 pm, New York State Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman and the Assembly District 58 Mental Health Taskforce will partner with LinkNYC in Brooklyn’s East Flatbush neighborhood to raise awareness on howLinkNYC kiosks and Link5G smart poles connect New Yorkers to mental health services.
All LinkNYC kiosks and Link5G smart poles have a dedicated dialer for 988, a national suicide and crisis lifeline to connect those in need with confidential emotional support and crisis counseling, plus additional mental health and substance abuse services. New York State has 13 operating 988 crisis contact centers covering all 62 counties with translation services available for over 250 languages.
Throughout May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Assembly Member Chandler-Waterman canvassed at LinkNYC locations in her district in response to the escalating mental health crisis in New York. One in five New Yorkers struggle with mental health issues or symptoms of a mental illness every year, yet thousands are not connected to care — and Black, Latinx, Asian American, and Pacific Islander New Yorkers are less likely to be connected to mental healthcare than white New Yorkers.
As part of the event, Assembly Member Chandler-Waterman will also help her constituents understand how they can access other services provided by LinkNYC kiosks and Link5G smart poles, including connections to local food pantries, housing assistance programs, and other wrap-around services vital to the well-being of communities in Flatbush and across Brooklyn.
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About LinkNYC
LinkNYC is the world’s largest and fastest free public Wi-Fi network. Each Link kiosk provides free superfast Wi-Fi, phone calls, device charging, access to social services, and displays content such as real-time weather, transit info, public art, and local information. The city-wide network has more than 15 million Wi-Fi users and has connected more than 30 million free phone calls. All of LinkNYC’s services are completely free to users and taxpayers, provided by CityBridge, a joint venture led by Intersection Media and Boldyn Networks. The second generation offering will deploy thousands of new kiosks, called Link5G, enabled with 5G wireless technology across the city. For more information about LinkNYC or to find a Link near you, visit www.link.nyc.