Message from the Executive Director

From Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Esq.

This year was one of new beginnings at the McSilver Institute. After six years as the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Michael A. Lindsey was appointed Dean of the NYU Silver School of Social Work in July 2022. We extend our gratitude to Dean Lindsey for his leadership and groundbreaking research that has made Black youth suicide a focal point in the national conversation on mental health.

I am honored to have been appointed Executive Director of the Institute in July, working side-by-side with dynamic, new executive leadership who have long dedicated themselves to the Institute’s growth and success: Dr. Andrew Cleek, Deputy Executive Director; Ammu Kowolik, Chief Operating Officer; and Frederica Stines, Chief of Staff. In 2023, a new Faculty Director will be appointed to serve as the Institute’s Chief Research Officer.

The Institute is embarking upon a new era of policy-focused leadership, built upon our stellar legacy of innovative research and championing reform closely associated with the root causes of poverty.

We are pursuing this vision by establishing an Institute-wide culture that will A) strengthen connections to the communities at the heart of our mission to advance racial, social, and gender equity; B) ensure our research agenda informs, guides, and responds to current events, scholarship, and collective impact; and C) curate policy convenings that further our priorities.

COVID-19 has laid bare the disparities that disproportionately impact the constituencies we serve, deepening our commitment to fight for a more equitable and just society. While McSilver’s current research initiatives focus on mental health, we will expand our efforts to address the unique impact of the pandemic on underserved and under-resourced communities. A key goal is to expand the scope of the Institute’s research agenda in areas linked to social determinants of health, including food insecurity, education outcomes, wellness, employment, and housing.

The Institute will continue to prioritize partnerships with community-based organizations and government agencies, as well as ensure that our work continues to directly reach communities in need.

In 2022, we announced the appointment of the Institute’s inaugural Chief AI Officer to oversee the AI Hub. Through a transformational grant from Martin Silver and Dr. Constance McCatherin Silver, the AI Hub is working to establish best practices and principles needed to advance the ethical use of artificial intelligence. In addition, the AI Hub team is investigating how this technology can be used as an effective tool to address the persistent challenges of poverty, inequity, racism, wellness, and behavioral health for marginalized populations.

Our Technical Assistance Centers continue to deepen their impact statewide by building upon their successful efforts to train mental health providers, practitioners, and agencies that serve our most vulnerable neighbors. This past year, McSilver launched a new center funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health: the Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center, a shared project with Rutgers University designed to support mental health providers integrating staff with lived experience into their services. This center will help ensure that New Yorkers have access to the best quality behavioral health care.

After a year of change, we enter 2023 energized and driven by the opportunities that lie ahead. The work of the Institute has never been more relevant, nor more urgent. Our commitment to bring rigorously researched solutions to bear on some of the biggest challenges we face informs and propels our efforts across the Institute. As we continue to build on excellence, we look forward to sharing, connecting, and engaging with communities across New York and beyond.

In Service,

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Esq.

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Mission

The NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research is committed to disrupting generational poverty through research, policy, and action.

Established in 2007, the Institute is the brainchild of Dr. Constance McCatherin Silver, a New York University alumna and trustee who was determined to establish a top-notch research institute to not only contribute to the intellectual discourse but to also find solutions that would disrupt generational poverty in communities most affected by inequality and injustice.

NYU McSilver recognizes the interrelatedness of race and poverty, and is dedicated to dismantling structural racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We collaborate with community stakeholders, policymakers, and service organizations to ensure our work is culturally and contextually appropriate.

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Our Impact

McSilver’s efforts reach far beyond the NYU campus.

Our impact is wide-ranging, touching thousands of people each year through research programming, policy advocacy, community forums, and technical assistance training.

Shining as thought leaders and first-class researchers

NYU McSilver continued to grow as an institution in 2022, earning close to $13 million in new multi-year grant funding through seven new awards and contracts. The Institute participated in nearly a dozen events, from Mexico City to Harlem, highlighting a diverse array of subject matter tied to our core mission. Our researchers continued to be leaders in their fields, publishing five new studies, books, and articles across a host of outlets.

Sharing best practices and expert knowledge with health providers across New York

In 2022, through 310 events, NYU McSilver reached 681 organizations representing an audience of 11,770 individuals, providing training and technical assistance to 60% of all New York State mental health and substance use organizations.

Facilitating over 2,000 trainings, seminars, and events

Since 2011, through 2,189 events, we have reached 1,231 organizations representing an audience of 51,231 participants, providing training and technical assistance to 79% of all New York State mental health, substance use, and organizations serving individuals with developmental disabilities.

Supporting professionals learning at their own pace

NYU McSilver also continued to facilitate self-paced online learning for thousands of people last year. Through the McSilver-led Technical Assistance Centers, the Self-Learning Center online platform provides users with self-learning modules and resources to improve clinical and organizational practices. In 2022, 4,186 people completed work in over 40 courses offered through the platform.

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Research

Developing evidence-based interventions to address poverty

The AI Hub at McSilver

The AI Hub at McSilver was established to investigate how artificial intelligence-driven (AI) systems can be used to equitably address poverty and challenges relating to race and public health, and to provide thought leadership on the implications. This work has been made possible by a $6 million gift from philanthropists Martin Silver and Dr. Constance McCatherin Silver.

Learn more about the AI Hub at mcsilver.nyu.edu/ai

Answering the Alarm: A System of Care for Black Youth at Risk for Suicide (R01)

Funder: The National Institute of Mental Health
Principal Investigator: Michael A. Lindsey, PhD

This intervention seeks to increase risk identification, treatment referral, and engagement, and in turn, reduce suicidal ideation and behavior among Black youth. Known as WeCare, the study interventions combine a universal screening of Black youth at the participating emergency departments using the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth, and a culturally-responsive adaption of the SAFETY-Acute suicide prevention intervention.

The study is being implemented at the emergency departments of Harlem Hospital and Kings County Hospital in New York City.

Read more at mcsilver.nyu.edu/research/answering-the-alarm

Safe Mothers, Safe Children (SMSC) (R01)

Funder: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Principal Investigator: Michael A. Lindsey, PhD

SMSC seeks to reduce the risk of repeat child maltreatment through a multi-pronged intervention that enhances the identification, case management, and treatment of mothers receiving preventive services.

The study intervention is adapted from Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation, which is designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy to foster positive parenting, reduce child maltreatment, and enhance maternal and child well-being.

Read more at mcsilver.nyu.edu/research/smsc

Making Connections Intervention (MCI) (R34)

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health
Principal Investigator: Michael A. Lindsey, PhD

MCI is designed to facilitate adolescents’ identification of barriers that influence their mental health treatment acceptability (i.e. engagement, perceived relevance, and satisfaction), and equip them with skills to overcome these barriers at the initiation and/or during the course of treatment.

This brief engagement intervention builds triadic relations between adolescents, parents, and clinicians using in-person sessions and personalized digital technologies. As a test of the MCI, our target population is urban, Black adolescents ages 12 to 20, screened for depression and referred for Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents for treatment. Participating study sites include five New York City Department of Education and two Harlem Children’s Zone middle and high school-based mental health clinics.

Read more at mcsilver.nyu.edu/research/mci

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Programming

The McSilver Institute supports a high volume of programs, resources, and events targeted at specific audiences as well as the general public.

Clinical Education and Innovation Department (CEID)

CEID focuses on a unique array of programs, trainings, and tools to support practitioners and organizations working within poverty-impacted communities. To improve service delivery and organizational best practices within social service organizations, CEID uses a range of modalities based on the needs and learning styles of participants. These include in-person or online experiential trainings, learning communities, online self-paced courses, tool development, and podcasts.

Some of CEID’s core trainings include:

• 4 Rs and 2 Ss for Strengthening Families, a curriculum-based practice designed to strengthen families, decrease child behavioral problems, and increase engagement in care.
• Engagement Strategies for Child, Family, and Adult Services, which focuses on best practices that can increase the initial and ongoing engagement of participants in services.
• Workforce Resilience, which provides helping professionals with tools to combat and cope with the myriad of social challenges they often experience through their work.
• Trauma-Informed Care, a strengths-based movement focused on providing services grounded in an understanding of the pervasiveness of trauma and its impact on children, youth, adults, families, and communities.
• Social Determinants of Health and Mental Health, which are the factors that impact health and wellbeing and encompass every aspect of individuals’ lives.
• Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Racist Practices, which focus on issues of cultural humility, addressing microaggressions, and exploring implicit bias.
• Family and Food Matters to Caregivers and Kids, a 7-week program to strengthen family relationships and promote healthy lifestyles within families at risk for food insecurity.
• Family and Food Matters to Pregnant Women, a 4-week nutrition and wellness program that helps to increase support and decrease challenges around having sufficient and healthy foods to eat.

In 2022, CEID collaborated with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, Casey Family Programs, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, and other organizations to provide trainings on topics such as family-driven care, family and youth engagement, and the 4 Rs and 2 Ss for Strengthening Families.

Additionally, McSilver’s resources include a Learning Management System (LMS) that allows users to remotely participate in comprehensive and interactive self-learning modules. The LMS also has robust surveying and reporting capabilities for program evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and credentialing. Outreach and marketing resources include a multi-platform system that promotes training and technical assistance and facilitates targeted outreach. McSilver also has substantial experience with website development for its multiple training and technical assistance contracts and is able to develop a customized website to meet the needs of any project.

Read more about CEID at mcsilver.nyu.edu/programs/ceid

Business and Infrastructure Development (BID)

BID aims to improve operational and fiscal sustainability within social service organizations, focusing on implementation and development of organizational, business, and clinical best practices. This includes billing, financial management, and infrastructure resources, trainings, tools, and technical assistance.

BID’s approach is grounded in close collaboration with partners to identify and develop trainings, technical assistance, and more to meet the needs of the partners. BID works with individual agencies, independent practice associations, clinically integrated networks, government entities, managed care organizations, and accountable care organizations. Using a range of modalities tailored to diverse partners, BID develops and deploys a variety of educational tools and resources.

Evaluation, System Operations, and Infrastructure

Since 2012, NYU McSilver has partnered with community-based organizations to conduct various types of evaluation, including organizational self-assessments, third-party evaluator for grants, program evaluations including process and outcome evaluation, agency evaluations, and evaluation design and infrastructure setup.

McSilver’s coordinated infrastructure team delivers, organizes, and markets offerings; tracks attendance; measures impact; and offers timesaving tools. McSilver tracks participation, collecting and analyzing data via a contact management system that includes a user-friendly registration interface, a backend registration management tool, and a robust set of reporting tools. Systems developed by McSilver also integrate directly with third-party platforms such as Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Qualtrics surveying tools in order to support thousands of concurrent users and facilitate robust recording, broadcast, and storage of media, as well as nuanced data collection and analysis.

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Training & Technical Assistance

Applying research-derived knowledge to transform systems in New York State

The McSilver Institute-led Technical Assistance Centers provide training, consultation, and educational resources to all mental health/substance use disorder agencies in New York State, as well as infant and early childhood mental health providers throughout New York City. The Centers help agencies strengthen their clinical and business practices through training opportunities focused on implementing evidence-based practices and addressing the challenges associated with the recent changes in regulations, financing, and overall healthcare reforms.

NYU McSilver works in New York and nationally on a number of technical assistance, training, and evaluation projects that involve multiple areas of expertise including health homes/care management, social determinants of health screening, program evaluation, trauma-informed or resiliency-based care, managed care implementation, behavioral health business best practices, family peer support, engagement, value-based payments, payment reform, and family-strengthening interventions. These projects cut across a broad array of stakeholders including behavioral health providers, social service providers, city and state government, managed care organizations, independent physician associations, and universities.

Read more about Technical Assistance at mcsilver.nyu.edu/technical-assistance.

The Community Technical Assistance Center of New York (CTAC)

Funder: New York State Office of Mental Health

Since 2011, CTAC has advanced the effective and efficient delivery of services to children, adults, and families who rely on public sector services to meet their mental health needs. The center offers a variety of trainings, tools, and supports to help improve direct services, program operations, and development of the family and youth peer workforce.

This year, CTAC provided approximately 180 offerings on a variety of topics related to clinical, organizational, and peer support practices. CTAC expanded offerings on trauma and resilience, including topics on Polyvagal Theory, trauma and addiction, adverse childhood experiences, and Complex PTSD. To attend to the immediate mental health crisis among youth, CTAC provided trainings on non-suicidal self injury, youth suicide risk and safety planning, and eating disorders. CTAC furthered its impact via a set of intensive learning communities on the 4 Rs and 2 Ss for Strengthening Families and supervision of Youth Peer Advocates. CTAC attended to immediate workforce needs via trainings that focused on building awareness and resilience to prevent and address burnout. CTAC continued to broaden the variety of methods for sharing information via expansion of self-learning modules and tools.

Learn more about CTAC at ctacny.org

The Managed Care Technical Assistance Center of New York (MCTAC)

Funders: New York State Office of Mental Health, New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports

MCTAC provides ongoing support as the technical assistance arm to the New York State State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) by providing timely resources and webinars to New York State behavioral health providers navigating the changing healthcare landscape. As part of this technical assistance, MCTAC provides policy, administrative, infrastructure, and implementation support to New York State mental health and substance abuse agencies working with managed care and implementing value-based payment systems of care.

This year, MCTAC provided a number of offerings and resources related to the implementation of OMH’s Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) Services. These included the development of a Financial Modeling Tool for CORE providers, the facilitation of a Learning Collaborative, and the development of a comprehensive CORE Toolkit. Additional projects MCTAC has supported this year include an ongoing webinar series supporting the OMH and OASAS priority of integrating additional mental health and substance use services. MCTAC continues to support the transition of OMH clinics to Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services through a variety of webinars, learning collaboratives, and tools.

Learn more about MCTAC on the CTAC site: ctacny.org

The NYC Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC)

Funder: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Partnership Lead: New York Center for Child Development

TTAC provides training and technical assistance to mental health professionals serving children ages 0 to 5 and their families in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene-funded Early Childhood Therapeutic Centers, as well as professionals working in New York City outpatient mental health clinics; Early Intervention, Universal Pre-K and Administration for Children’s Services EarlyLearn sites; and other child-serving systems.

NYU McSilver’s contribution to the TTAC project includes completing a two-year fiscal analysis examining the cost of implementing evidence-based practices in the participating clinics. McSilver continues to maintain the TTAC website where providers can access TTAC-related resources and presentations

Learn more about TTAC at ttacny.org

The YouthACT Technical Assistance Center (YTAC)

Funder: New York State Office of Mental Health

NYU McSilver was awarded a multi-year addition to its CTAC contract in 2021 to provide training and technical assistance to teams across New York State that will be the first to implement an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program for youth and their families (YouthACT). The YouthACT Technical Assistance Center (YTAC) is a collaboration between NYU McSilver, the New York State Office of Mental Health, and the ACT Institute to prepare YouthACT teams to address the needs of youth with significant mental health challenges and their families. Currently, YTAC works with up to 19 YouthACT Teams to provide foundational and role-based trainings, monthly implementation support, and informational webinars and trainings.

Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center (PeerTAC)

Funder: New York State Office of Mental Health
Institutional Partner: Rutgers University School of Health Professions Academy of Peer Services

The PeerTAC Center will support the inclusion of the full range of Adult, Family, and Youth Peer Support Services, including those by New York Certified Peer Specialists, Credentialed Family Peer Advocates, and Credentialed Youth Peer Advocates, into the array of mental health services across New York State. Peer services are increasingly seen as vital supports within the mental health service system and PeerTAC is committed to creating and designing a robust resource center to improve access to peer services across the lifespan. PeerTAC will develop and deliver an array of offerings on peer support principles, practices, and competencies in collaboration with statewide subject matter experts to support organizations in the inclusion and full development of peer support services.

Learn more about PeerTAC at peertac.org

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Policy & Special Initiatives

Developing thought leadership through the impact of researchers, staff, and fellows

Policy and Advocacy

MTA “Fareness” Panel

In 2022, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the appointment of McSilver Executive Director Rosemonde Pierre-Louis and attorney Roger Juan Maldonado as Co-Chairs of a Blue Ribbon “Fareness” panel charged with providing recommendations for equitably reducing fare and toll evasion in the New York City region. For her leadership in transit equity, Pierre-Louis was recognized in City & State New York’s “Transportation Power 100” list of influential leaders guiding the future of transportation in the region.

NYU Self-Study

McSilver leadership is also working in a key role to assess the multifaceted impact of NYU, as a broader institution, on the many communities connected to the university. Every eight years, the University participates in a self-study and review as part of its re-accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Continuing through 2024, the comprehensive self-study explores NYU’s achievements and aspirations across the four key areas of impact, research, the student experience, and global education. McSilver Executive Director Rosemonde Pierre-Louis and Vincent Southerland, Co-Faculty Director of the NYU Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law, are Co-Chairs of the Impact Working Group studying NYU’s response to complex universal challenges and urgent social problems.

Suicide Prevention

McSilver continued local and national advocacy work related to suicide prevention and improving mental health in poor and marginalized communities — especially communities of color. NYU McSilver helped create the Guide for Suicide Prevention for School Personnel, a tool to help administrators, teachers, and school staff identify and react to students’ mental health needs.

Ranked Choice Voting in NYC

In early December, Our Common Purpose, a project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, convened “Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns Are Strengthening America,” a two-day virtual conference bringing policymakers and elected officials at all levels in conversation with experts on civic innovation and voter engagement. McSilver Executive Director Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, who serves on the board of Rank the Vote NYC, spoke on the program’s opening panel, expounding on New York City’s implementation of ranked-choice voting alongside other governance experts from around the nation.

McSilver Fellows-In-Residence (2022-2023)

The McSilver Institute Fellowship engages nationally recognized poverty and social justice scholars across disciplines to conduct research projects, publish books and papers, conduct courses, and participate in seminars, conferences, workshops, and more. The 2022-2023 Fellows represent an important step in the Institute’s continuing evolution as a center for scholarship, thought leadership, and policy advocacy with impact.

Chris Hemphill focuses on how data science can help us understand and improve the human condition. Hemphill is Director of Commercial Intelligence at Woebot Health, a role that combines data science with AI strategy for health systems and insurers. This work at the intersection of tech and strategy has a broader theme: working with healthcare leaders to drive ethical and effective decisions with AI and algorithms. Hemphill started the “Hello Healthcare” podcast featuring strategy and technology discussions with healthcare leaders and policy makers. It is in the top 25% most downloaded podcasts. Hemphill started and led data ethics initiatives at Actium Health, which led to collaborations between Chicago Booth’s Center for Applied AI that helped reduce racial and gender bias in algorithms. Hemphill’s current focus is on engagement arcs and uncovering unseen population health needs in the digital mental health sector. They graduated from the University of South Alabama and have helped teach data science at General Assembly.

Ifeoma Ike, Esq. is an award-winning advocate, writer, and policy advisor focused on designing solutions to address disparities. She has been involved in the formation of three congressional caucuses: on Black Men & Boys, on Black Women & Girls and on Black Innovation. Ike has co-drafted several pieces of legislation, including the federal End Racial Profiling Act and Reparations Bill (HR 40). During the onset of the pandemic, her social impact firm Pink Cornrows launched COVID While Black, a research and culture project centering the lived experiences of Black lives, the continued failures of our healthcare system, and honoring those who have transitioned. She is also the visionary behind the annual Black Policy Lab, a project birthed in response to racial uprisings, centering visioning, joy, and collaborative policy creation. Ike’s prior experience includes serving as New York City’s Executive Deputy Director of the Young Men’s Initiative, being a Senior Policy Advocate with the Innocence Project, providing counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and being a researcher with the American Bar Association. She is a member of New York City’s Conflict of Interest Board. She holds a LL.M. degree with highest honors from The George Washington University School of Law and a J.D. from CUNY School of Law.

Cathy Nonas, MS, CDN is an advocate for policies and practices that address health equity and nutrition. Since 2018, Nonas has been the CEO of Meals For Good, Inc, a New York-based 501c3 public charity that operates with a dual mission: to support underfunded food pantries with grants for fresh produce, most of which is grown locally, and to supply the missing groceries that families facing food insecurity want and need. Prior to that, she was Senior Advisor at the Center for Health Equity at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Her work in public policy has involved changing New York City’s Health Code to improve nutrition in early childcare centers, regulating restaurant chain calorie-posting, creating the NYC Green Cart initiative, and growing the Health Bucks municipal farmers market incentive. A clinical dietitian who spent her early years at the federally-funded New York City Obesity Research Center, Nonas has also been an assistant clinical professor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and a member of the National Institutes of Health committees to update obesity and lifestyle guidelines. She is a member of New York City’s Food Service Establishment Advisory Board. She is also an alumna of New York University, where she received her M.S. degree in Clinical Nutrition.

Partnerships With Community Organizations

We cannot carry out our mission alone. Partnerships with community organizations are a vital part of our work to address poverty and inequality. The following organizations are among those who help us to ensure that we are reaching community members and centering their voices in our work.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

AFSP is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death.

More at afsp.org.

Black Policy Lab/Pink Cornrows

The Black Policy Lab creates space for rising community leaders to exchange ideas, develop strategies, and master effective legislative advocacy in pursuit of a safe and viable society for Black people and marginalized communities. Black Policy Lab invites communities that are closest to the problems, yet remain underrepresented and/or under-prioritized from traditional policy spaces, and connects them with policy specialists, supporters, and trainers. Black Policy Lab has equipped more than 500 problem-solvers globally and is led by Pink Cornrows. Pink Cornrows is a national majority femme and people of color public policy, communications, and social impact firm working to create a world that works for all humans.

More at pinkcornrows.com.

The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH)

For over 40 years, the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem has proudly served Harlem youth and the community, providing access and opportunities for youth to reach their full potential as responsible members of the community.

More at bgcharlem.org.

The Greater New York Chapter of the Links, Incorporated (GNY Links)

GNY Links is one of the nation’s oldest and largest women’s volunteer service organizations, dedicated to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. The Greater New York Chapter of the Links, Incorporated is dedicated to supporting programs that enhance the well-being of families and senior citizens in the New York City area.

More at greaternewyorklinksinc.org.

The Haitian Roundtable (HRT)

HRT is a not-for-profit organization of Haitian-American professionals committed to civic engagement and strategic initiatives benefiting the Haitian community. The organization seeks to heighten awareness of Haitians as an important constituency among thought leaders, newsmakers, policymakers, and institutions through partnerships, programs, and events recognizing Haitian excellence.

More at thehaitianroundtable.org.

Meals for Good

Meals For Good operates with a dual mission: to support underfunded food pantries with grants for fresh produce, and to provide families with access, through donation and direct purchase, to missing groceries that are so vital to their well-being.

More at mealsforgood.org.

New York Urban League (NYUL)

NYUL empowers African American and other underserved communities to secure a first-class education, economic self-reliance, and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services, and advocacy. For the past 100 years, NYUL has been at the forefront of work to help New Yorkers live the lives they deserve to lead.

More at nyul.org.

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Forums & Events

Fostering public dialogues and creating forums for thought leadership

Each year, NYU McSilver maintains a robust schedule of forums and speaking engagements in New York and nationally, typically in partnership with community organizations and leaders. Below are the highlights of our public programming in 2022. See our Publications and Presentations section for additional event participation by NYU McSilver staff members.

GNY Links and McSilver Host COVID-19 Health Town Hall

Entering the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizations and leaders coordinating public health efforts are obligated to meet the questions diverse communities have about physically, mentally, and spiritually moving forward. Dr. Michael A. Lindsey was among the experts who were on hand to share their insights during a virtual health town hall titled, “How’s Your Health: Staying Healthy and Whole Through COVID-19 2.0.”

“We truly believe in the cause of addressing some of the disparities that are affecting communities of color,” said Dr. Donna Jones, President of the Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, in introductory remarks.

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SXSW Talk on Black Women’s Images Onscreen

NYU McSilver participated in the annual South By Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas. Rosemonde Pierre-Louis moderated a discussion at SXSW EDU about the need to increase Black women’s representation in film. Among those sharing their insights during the panel, titled “Momentum & Movement: Black Women in Film,” were B. Monet, Director of Black Girls with Never Whisper Justice; Crystal Harrell, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Procter & Gamble; and Cydney Tucker, Co-Producer of House Of Tulip with Never Whisper Justice. McSilver co-sponsored the panel discussion with Never Whisper Justice and Procter & Gamble.

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McSilver Co-Hosts Forum With NYC Council Speaker and Members

Several Black women serving in the New York City Council, including the Speaker, shared their insights about the historic composition of the legislative body, the ongoing quest for gender and racial equity in New York, and what it takes to have a voice in what happens in your community. The virtual forum, in observance of Women’s History Month, was part of the “She Leads” series co-hosted by the Greater New York Chapter of the Links, Incorporated; the NYU McSilver Institute; and the New York Urban League.

Cheryl Wills, anchor for Spectrum News NY1, moderated a one-on-one discussion with Adrienne E. Adams, Speaker of the New York City Council, followed by a panel discussion with Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers and Council Members Kamillah Hanks, Rita Joseph, and Nantasha Williams. Opening and closing remarks were made by New York Urban League President and CEO Arva Rice and Dr. Donna Jones, President of the Greater New York Chapter of the Links Incorporated.

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Conditions in Harlem Revisited

Residents of Harlem convened with city, state, and national leaders at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture to discuss how the lessons of the past can shape the progress that is needed now for Harlem and New York’s Black community. The inspiration for the conference, titled “Conditions in Harlem Revisited: From the 1936 Mayor’s Commission Report to Today,” is a report by a commission of Harlem leaders that was submitted to New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the wake of civil unrest, but not released at the time.

Conditions in Harlem Revisited was convened through collaboration by the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, NYU McSilver, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture — New York Public Library, Vital City, NYC Speaks, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives.

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In Conversation with Dr. Timnit Gebru

A multinational, virtual audience came together to watch an illuminating discussion featuring several leading powerhouses in the artificial intelligence ethics space: Dr. Timnit Gebru, founder and executive director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute; Minerva Tantoco, Chief AI Officer at the NYU McSilver Institute; and moderator Chris Hemphill, Director of Commercial Intelligence at Woebot Health and a McSilver fellow. Hosted by The AI Hub at NYU McSilver in its inaugural 2022–2023 Speaker Series event, the conversation delved into how the algorithms that affect our daily lives — from using Siri and Alexa, searching and shopping online, banking and applying for a job; to being surveilled or receiving healthcare services — can place disproportionate harm on Black, brown and other marginalized people, as well as ways they can be used to repair harm.

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Helping Protect Reproductive Health

In the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to strip Americans of the right to an abortion, Rosemonde Pierre-Louis joined US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand at a Central Park press conference to support federal legislative efforts to protect Americans’ right to travel across state lines for reproductive health care. Joining them were Council Member Gale Brewer; Andrea Miller, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health; Anne Davis, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York; Dr. Stephanie Rand; and Dr. Bianca Hall. Watch a video of the press conference on YouTube.

UNESCO Global Forum on Racism and Discrimination

NYU McSilver Institute Executive Director Rosemonde Pierre-Louis moderated a panel at the second edition of the Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, convened by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Mexico City, Mexico. The panel, “Catalyzing the debate to advance the rights of women, adolescents and girls,” examined the links between racism, gender-based, and other multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination and violence.

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McSilver at Tribeca X

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis moderated the panel, “Advancing the Culture and Currency through Inclusive Storytelling,” at Tribeca X during the Tribeca Film Festival, which focused on inclusive storytelling in media and advertising with Procter & Gamble Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard, rapper and media mogul LL Cool J, writer and director Zoey Martinson, Donald Jackson of Central City Productions and Louis Carr, President of Media Sales, at Black Entertainment Television Networks.

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News Highlights

NYU McSilver’s influence, expertise, and thought leadership was reflected in far-reaching media coverage in 2022.

The NYU community celebrated the appointment of Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Esq. as NYU McSilver’s new Executive Director in July, news of which received some hometown love in the New York Amsterdam News. Shortly after, Pierre-Louis earned a spot in City & State’s “The 2022 Manhattan Power 100” list.

“Searching for Providers of Color” is a radio special from the Call to Mind series that explores barriers to culturally competent care and other issues impacting the disproportionately white field of mental health treatment, and looks at some solutions for fostering needed diversity. Dr. James Rodriguez, McSilver’s Senior Director of Clinical Initiatives, features prominently on the program as an expert guest. Outlets like KCPW and MPR News are broadcasting the program around the country, and the critical, hour-long program is also streaming online.

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, a long-time champion for Haiti and its people, joined CapraCare’s “An Act of Courage: A Global Health Podcast” to talk with Hetal Baman about the importance of redefining the narrative about Haiti and Haitians, among a number of topics.

NYU McSilver announced Minerva Tantoco as the inaugural Chief AI Officer of the AI Hub. New York Nonprofit Media interviewed Tantoco to discuss how nonprofits can use technology and innovations like AI to produce optimal and ethical outcomes for all.

NYU McSilver continued to be a go-to resource for press due to its research and policy leadership relating to Black youth mental health and suicidality. Dr. Michael A. Lindsey was interviewed by WNYC’s “The Takeaway,” hosted by Melissa Harris-Perry, “The Cross Connection” hosted by Tiffany Cross on MSNBC, and Jezebel.com. He also spoke at the Tory Burch Foundation’s Embrace Ambition Summit.

NYU McSilver worked in collaboration with City agencies, other academic institutes, and news organizations to highlight the findings of a previously unreleased report on the state of Harlem in the mid-1930s. Harlem World reported on the event, “Conditions in Harlem Revisited: From the 1936 Mayor’s Commission Report to Today,” examined the findings, looking at how things could have been different if they had been made public, and what lessons could be applied to the present. Rosemonde Pierre-Louis provided opening remarks.

See other news coverage of McSilver experts and their activities in our website’s Recent News section.

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Facts & Figures

McSilver by the numbers

Current Staff

The McSilver Institute’s staff embrace the values of inclusiveness, collaboration, investment in individuals and communities impacted by poverty, translating knowledge into action, and rising together.

Staff members in 2022: 53

Executive Leadership Team

The following dynamic executive leadership team was appointed in July 2022 to sustain and shape the future of NYU McSilver:

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Esq.
Executive Director

Andrew Cleek, PsyD
Deputy Executive Director

Ammu D. Kowolik, LMSW, MPA
Chief Operating Officer

Frederica Stines, MA
Chief of Staff

All Staff

• Kelly Ancharski, MSW
• Diana Arias, MS, MSW
• Meaghan Baier, LMSW
• Geraldine Burton, FDC, FPA-C
• Chiara Calov
• Caitlin Cronin
• Kara Dean-Assael, DSW, LMSW
• Nadege Diedrich
• Sarah Eisenstein
• Ian Elliott
• Krystel Francis
• Lydia Franco, PhD, LMSW
• Ashley Fuss, LMSW, PhD
• Jacqueline Garlock, LCSW
• Briana K. Gonçalves
• Priya Gopalan, MS, MSW
• Tracy Grogan, MS
• Stefanie Guevara, MSW
• Jayson Jones, LMSW
• Debra Kaplan, PhD, LMSW
• Yvette Kelly, LMHC, MSEd
• Isaiah Ku
• Himanshu Kumar
• Andy Kwan, MPA
• Miles Martin
• Conner McCallum
• Mercedes J. Okosi, PsyD
• Aida Ortiz, FPA-C
• Patricia L. Quintero, MPA
• Tara Ready, LMSW
• Angelique Rodriguez
• James Rodriguez, PhD, LCSW
• Kevin Sanchez
• Anthony J. Salerno, PhD
• Sheryl Huggins Salomon, MS
• Ilaha Sattar-Alam
• Ragini Sharma
• Vanessa Singh
• Ezra Solidum, MPH
• Daniel Tanh, LCSW
• Minerva Tantoco
• Carolina Vélez-Grau, PhD, LCSW
• Boris Vilgorin, MPA
• Rayna Y. Wang, LMSW
• Janet Watson, FPA-C
• Damali M. Wilson, PhD, APRN
• Martine Wisotsky, LMSW
• Genie Chia-wen Wu
• Megan Wynecoop, MPH

*Staff as of 2022 listed above. Read current staff bios at mcsilver.nyu.edu/staff.

Financial Summary

The following funding sources helped support the McSilver Institute in 2022.

$73 Million in External Funding Over Time (2012–2022)

Total dollar amount awarded in grants and other external funding since the establishment of McSilver.

Federal Government Grants and Contracts (2021-2022)

$2,567,000

Major Gift Initiative One-Time Gift (AI Hub)

$6,000,000

City and State Contracts (2021-2022)

$6,700,000

Miscellaneous Income (2021-2022)

$745,000

Foundations and Public-Private Partnerships (2021-2022)

$62,000

External Funding Agencies

Foundations

• Robin Hood Foundation
• W.T. Grant Foundation
• Five Together Foundation
• Kenworthy Swift Foundation
• Dreiseszun Family Foundation
• Casey Family Programs

Governmental Agencies

• National Institutes of Health
• New York State Office of Mental Health
• New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• New York City Administration for Children’s Services

Non-profits, Academic Institutions and Corporations

• Alliance Health
• Coordinated Care Services, Inc.
• Citizen Advocates
• Coordinated Behavioral Care
• The Center for Practice Innovations
• Danya Institute
• Families Together & Youth Power of New York State
• FPWA
• Georgetown University
• Mercer
• National Alliance on Mental Illness NYC Metro
• National Children’s Alliance
• New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation
• New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Inc.
• New York Center for Child Development
• NYU Langone — IDEAS Center
• Services for the Underserved
• The New York Foundling
• University of Oklahoma

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Publications & Presentations

New research disseminated in print, online, and in person

Publications

Lindsey, M., Sullivan, K., Chemtob, C., Ancharski, K., Jaccard, J., Cloitre, M., Urquiza, A., Timmer, S., Okosi, M., & Kaplan, D. (2022). A randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Parenting-STAIR in treating maternal PTSD to reduce maltreatment recidivism: protocol for the Safe Mothers, Safe Children study. Trials, 23(1), 432. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06354-1

Okosi, M. J. (2022). Mental Health Journal for Black Women: Prompts and practices to prioritize yourself and nurture your well-being. Rockridge Press.

Salerno, T., Margolies, P. (2022). “Health Self-Management: The Emergencing Importance of Trauma and Resilience,” Textbook of Community Psychiatry. American Association for Community Psychiatry.

Vélez-Grau, C. & Lindsey, M. A. (2022). Do connectedness and self-esteem play a role in the transition to future suicide attempts among Latina and Latino youth with suicide ideation?. Children and youth services review, 139, 106553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106553

Vélez-Grau, C., Romanelli, M., Lindsey, M. A. (2022). Adolescent suicide attempts in the United States: When suicide ideation and suicide capability interact. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 52(3), 549-566. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12845

Presentations

Baier, M., Dawson, T., Gullo, F., Labate-Covelli, D., Merrill, K., Saake, A., Vilgorin, B., (2022, April). Opportunities to Promote Recovery and Improved Outcomes through CORE Services. NYAPRS Executive Seminar.

Baier, M., Blanck, E., Kadik, F. (2022, September). Building The Capabilities And Competencies Of Early Childhood Professionals In Infant And Early Childhood Mental Health: A New York City Case Study. Zero To Three LEARN Conference.

Franco, L. & Dean-Assael, K. (2022, February). “Training Intervention for Engagement of Families” Oral Presentation, Seamless: Weaving a Comprehensive CAC Mental Health Response to Special Populations. National Children’s Alliance, Virtual Conference.

Okosi, M. J. (2022, May). Creating healthier childhoods through parental trauma recovery. Virtual webinar presentation for 2^nd Annual PC-CARE Summit at UC Davis, Davis, CA.

Okosi, M. J. (2022, May). Unpacking mental health within the Igbo community. Virtual panel presentation for Umu Igbo Unite Tristate, New York, NY.

Okosi, M. J. (2022, September). Addressing trauma with multigenerational Latinx families. Virtual webinar presentation for Community Technical Assistance Center of New York, New York, NY.

Okosi, M. J. (2022, October). S.O.S summit on suicide. Virtual panel presentation for Coalition for the Advancement of Nigerian Mental Health, New York, NY.

Okosi, M. J. (2022, November). Exploring intergenerational trauma: A deep dive on Latinx families. In-person workshop for St. Vincent’s Hospital, Westchester, Harrison, NY.

Vilgorin, B., Cleek, A., Daughtridge, D., Stevenson, D. (2022, April). Case Study: Implementing the Integrated Health Home Model. Medicaid Managed Care Leadership Summit.

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