Nearly one in four adults in New York City experience a mental health disorder in a given year, according to The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It's one of the reasons advocates in Ulster County have paired with the Community Services Board, the Human Services Research Institute and the community to address behavioral health concerns across the county. 

Mental health advocate and New York-certified peer specialist Missy McGhee, attending a behavioral health forum at the Institute for Family Health in Kingston, said she believes accessibility and affordability are some of the challenges residents face with care.

“[By] having these open forums, these conversations, having the ability to hear one another, I think it helps us maybe provide a more cohesive response to our behavioral health concerns," McGhee said. "[Mental health] is a part of our overall health. So much in the same way that we take care of our physical health, we need to do that with our mental health. But, we also need to understand the intersectionality, if you will, of the physical, mental, the emotional and spiritual. They all can impact one another."

McGhee was able to participate in group discussions among social workers, physicians and residents regarding mental health challenges like long wait lists for psychiatric care, lack of insurance or transportation, high turnover within the medical field and more.

Officials are encouraging more community members to share their input on the matter in an effort to improve funding strategies and resources related to behavioral health in Ulster County.