City officials outline immigrant mental‑health programs as advocates warn services are underfunded

City officials told a New York City Council oversight hearing that the mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) are expanding outreach, legal aid partnerships and language access to address immigrant New Yorkers’ mental‑health needs, while advocates and council members said services remain underfunded and difficult to access.

MOIA senior advisor Kenneth Lo told the Committee on Immigration that the office focuses on three responses: ‘‘elevate timely and accurate messages to immigrant communities,’’ expand legal‑service access, and ‘‘coordinate amongst interagency partners to provide the services that meet the mental health needs of immigrant New Yorkers.’’ He said MOIA outreach this year reached ‘‘over 25,000 immigrant New Yorkers’’ and that MOIA has launched ‘‘38 MOIA legal support centers’’ offering screenings, application assistance and representation.

The testimony came during a September oversight hearing convened by Chair Avilas, who criticized administration attendance and pressed agencies…