Beyond the Waitlist
Navigating School-Related Mental Health Challenges
Many families first recognize a mental health concern when it begins affecting a child’s experience at school. A student may start struggling to concentrate in class, withdrawing from friends, or feeling overwhelmed by academic and social pressures. Parents and educators often want to help, but finding timely, appropriate mental health support can be difficult, especially when families encounter long waitlists, language barriers, or uncertainty about where to turn for care.
Droste’s Community-Based Mental Health Program was created to help families navigate these moments by providing accessible, short-term counseling for students, parents, and school staff. Supported by a generous grant through Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, the program offers up to 16 free counseling sessions for students, parents, and staff of New York city schools who might otherwise struggle to access timely mental health care.
The program initially focused, during the COVID-19 pandemic, on supporting students and families connected to charter and parochial schools that often lacked sufficient mental health infrastructure. As the need for additional mental health support across New York City schools became clear, Droste expanded the program to any student, parent, or staff member of a K-12 school in New York City.
Because community-based mental health needs vary widely, the program was designed with flexibility in mind. While clients are eligible for up to 16 free sessions, some clients engage in short-term counseling to address an immediate challenge, while others consider treatment beyond the 16 sessions through Droste’s Scholarship Fund. Droste clinicians work with clients to determine the level of care that best supports their goals. This flexible approach reflects Droste’s broader commitment to providing care that is both clinically thoughtful and responsive to the realities families face.
In 2025 alone, 112 participants received 1,063 individual therapy sessions and 10 group therapy sessions through the Community-Based Mental Health Program.
Children and adolescents remain the primary population served through the program, representing 62% of clients. Despite the engagement challenges that can sometimes arise when young people are referred for therapy by parents or schools, 82% of clients demonstrated progress toward their treatment goals and improvement in symptoms. Droste works to meet families where they are by reducing common barriers to care. The program offers hybrid therapy options, with 58% of clients choosing virtual sessions, as well as evening and weekend appointments, and culturally and linguistically responsive care.
Like Droste’s Scholarship Fund and other programs, the Community-Based Mental Health Program reflects our broader commitment to expanding access to high-quality mental health care across New York City. Early access to care can help families address challenges before they escalate into more serious academic, emotional, or behavioral concerns. By reducing financial barriers, offering flexible care, and responding to the realities facing students and families today, the program strengthens access to mental health services across New York City communities.
Is your student or school eligible for free counseling?
Don’t let waitlists or costs stand in the way of care. Our Community-Based Program is here to help.