Generous donation pays student debt for behavioral health professionals

NEW YORK - Staffing issues are top of mind as New York City hospitals care for patients experiencing a mental health crisis .

A generous donation to one health system is helping turn the tide.

Black Family Philanthropies, which has a history of donating millions to healthcare in the city, just donated $5 million to pay off the debts of more than 120 staffers in behavioral health at NYC Health + Hospitals.

Each recipient receives up to $75,000 in student debt relief.

"A huge need right now that's unmet"

Hospital administrators and educators including those at Touro University call it a win-win investment in people.

"There is a huge need right now that's unmet, so we need the supply of healthcare professionals behavioral health workers to meet the overwhelming demand," said Dr. Steven Lorenzet, dean of the School of Health Sciences at Touro University.

"It helps us recruit people and retain people," Dr. Omar Fattal, chief behavioral health at NYC Health + Hospitals said. "This is a huge commitment and we're very thankful to the Black Family Philanthropies for helping us take this program to the whole new level."

"I can now save for a house"

Psychiatric emergency nurse Marie Louisca loves her job, but the training for it left her tens of thousands of dollars in debt.

"A lot of nurses go to school and there's a lot of loan left to pay," Louisca said. "I can now save for a house and safe for my children's my kids future college fund. I want them to not go through what I went through."

Lorenzet says helping people with their mental health is rewarding. and can be done in various ways.

"I want to become a psychologist, and going to clinical psychology, but I want to become a clinical mental health counselor. Perhaps I want to be a social worker," he said. "People are going to nursing nurse practitioners would be a great example, or individuals become PAs."