Westchester County Board of Legislators Committee on Health Meeting: Culturally Informed Mental Health Care

On September 16, 2026, the Board of Legislators Committee on Health, chaired by Jewel Williams Johnson, convened at 11:07 a.m. and adjourned at 12:22 p.m. for an informational briefing on culturally informed mental health care, stigma, and access to care in Westchester County. Presenters included a Yale associate professor of psychiatry, the CEO of Echo's Africa Initiatives, Effie Zimmer, and virtual participants Dr. Christopher John and Michelle Hart from the Department of Community Mental Health. The discussion focused on reducing stigma, reaching underserved communities, and delivering mental health care outside traditional clinical settings.

Presentations and Discussion Items

• Effie Zimmer, President and CEO of Echo's Africa Initiatives, spoke from personal experience as a mental health advocate, saying her mother struggled with mental health throughout her life and that culturally informed intervention could have improved her mother's care. She said residents in District Eight often cannot access resources because providers are not culturally informed, and she expressed the position that 'one size does not fit all' in mental health.
• The Yale psychiatrist stated that stigma prevents people from seeking help and that Westchester's wealth can mask underlying pockets of poverty and limited access. He noted that close to 35 percent of Westchester residents speak languages other than English, which has implications for mental health services. He also said the county has many resources, but they are not available to everyone.
• He identified priority communities from county data, including Yonkers and other areas with high need, and said different neighborhoods face different barriers such as cost, language, insurance, transportation, and trust.
• The Yale psychiatrist expressed strong support for bringing care to places people already trust, describing Connecticut programs that integrate substance use treatment into churches and emergency rooms. He said opioid overdose deaths are largely preventable with Narcan, suboxone, methadone, and naltrexone, and that data show only about 25 percent, or best case 40 percent, of people with opioid use disorder receive treatment.
• He also stated that emergency room mental health care costs about ten times as much as community care, and that reducing ER use could lower costs for everyone. He emphasized that services must be co-designed with communities, noting that pastors and church workers provided about 70 percent of the input for one successful intervention.
• Vice Chair Barr shared feedback from Port Chester, saying that while school-based clinics exist, students avoid being seen seeking mental health help. She expressed support for integrating mental health services into community centers like the Carver Center, where students can access help through familiar after-school activities.
• Legislator Pierce described her human services work in New York City and said her program trains both staff and parents to use Narcan so life-saving intervention can happen at home before an ER visit.
• Dr. Christopher John said Westchester has conducted Narcan and mental health trainings in libraries and community centers in English and Spanish, and stated the county has seen a reduction in drug-related deaths. He also raised concerns that Black residents appear more likely to experience police contact, transport to emergency rooms, and non-admissions in crisis response, and he called for more culturally competent assessments.
• The Yale psychiatrist responded that many Black and Latinx residents do not feel traditional crisis services are 'for them,' and that services need to be reframed and co-designed so communities feel ownership. He advocated for making mental health care less Eurocentric and for using peer support specialists, noting Medicaid can reimburse peer services.
• Pat White, convener of Soul Shops, was recognized for training churches of color across Westchester, Rockland County, and Latino churches on mental health guidance.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes, resolutions, or motions were taken; the meeting was informational and educational.
• Chair Jewel Williams Johnson said she would review the presentation slides, follow up with the presenters, and plan a future meeting to continue the conversation and explore implementation.
• The Yale psychiatrist announced that he is moving to New York in October, has reactivated his New York license, and will work with Echo's Africa Initiatives to provide culturally informed care, including addressing insurance and Medicaid barriers.
• Chair Johnson said she is setting up meetings between the Access Psychology Foundation and school superintendents in her district, and offered to share their information with colleagues.
• The meeting was adjourned at 12:22 p.m.