Mental & Behavioral Health
About This Service
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can be significant challenges for people living with HIV/AIDS. GMHC provides nonjudgmental mental health services to our clients as part of our comprehensive strategy to support people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Please note that we are providing hybrid services (in-person and via telehealth) based on individual suitability and preference.
What We Offer
GMHC staff are trained mental health professionals offering a number of supportive services. They include:
- Individual Counseling and Therapy to discuss personal issues, substance use and sobriety, and to develop a treatment plan to meet your personal goals.
- Family/Couples Psychotherapy to address a wide range of issues including HIV/AIDS status disclosure, loss, effective communication, loneliness and relationship building, trust, and behavior change, in the context of relationships.
- Supportive Counseling provides support in managing situational issues such as grief, dealing with a new diagnosis, isolation, treatment adherence and more. In the format of individual and/or group counseling.
- Therapeutic Groups to focus on issues including adjusting to an HIV diagnosis, living long-term with HIV, depression, anxiety, and working towards reducing substance use, managing sobriety, and working with behaviors and concerns related to sex, anger, and/or substance use.
- Psychiatric Medication Management to help those who may need medication to address mental health issues and/or substance use including alcohol and opioids.
- Beyond 4 walls is a service in some of our programs that provides support in the community, such as accompaniments to medical appointments and assistance in connecting to community resources.
Contact
Email mhs@gmhc.org or Ph. 212-367-1225.
Mental & Behavioral Health
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of our services are designed to serve the needs of people who have tested positive for HIV. However, we also provide mental health services to those who are HIV-negative.
No. Those who have tested antibody positive for HIV will be asked to complete a GMHC agency intake to be screened for the array of services that we provide at GMHC. Those who are HIV-negative will not be eligible for agency membership, but may still be potentially eligible for our mental health and some of our substance use services. A counselor will conduct a screening to determine eligibility for enrollment.
You can complete the secure and confidential form on this page or call (212) 367-1133. Due to COVID-19, staff are providing remote intake services by phone for people who wish to become a GMHC client and access services. Staff will assess your needs and make referrals to programs and services provided by GMHC and/or our partners throughout New York City.
Yes, our services have different eligibility requirements. An intake specialist can help you understand requirements for our different services.
GMHC accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurances, and will continue to utilize Ryan White funding for eligible clients as a payer of last resort to provide mental health, harm reduction, and substance use treatment to individuals.
For those uninsured, our Access to Healthcare department can assist in obtaining health insurance. If your insurance does not cover the behavioral health services best suited to meet your needs, we do offer a sliding fee scale based on the 2022 federal poverty guidelines.
