Eric Adams appointed two new administration officials on July 11.
Eva Wong will be the new director of the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health. Brian Stettin will be the new Senior Adviser for Mental Illness.
Wong and Stettin both have the support of Adams and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Anne Williams-Isom. "I am confident that Eva is the right person to work collaboratively with local communities, as well as with city, state, and federal lawmakers to develop policies that improve access to mental health care in our city," Williams-Isom said. She said the same for Stettin.
Several other local healthcare leaders and elected officials support Wong and Stettin in their new roles.
For example, this includes Dr. Ashwin Vasan, commissioner of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He said that the agency looks forward to bringing Wong and Stettin into the mental health fight.
Additionally, Vasan said that both Wong and Stettin will help to address immediate and structural issues in the mental health system.
In addition, Stettin believes the system should be one of treatment and support that responds to the needs of individuals.
“Like all of us, New Yorkers with severe mental illness deserve decent places to live, health care, physical safety, and meaningful connections to others,” said Stettin.
Wong said she believes that New Yorkers are in need of healing, and that it can be done collectively, with community groups, city agencies, and nonprofit providers citywide.
This will effectively and equitably promote mental wellness, mental health crisis prevention, and intervention; and decrease barriers to mental health care for under-resourced communities. It will also ensure that the city is safe, healthy, and resilient, she added.
