All topics / Building Human Potential / Department of Veterans' Services
Mental health referral requests
Provide supportive services to Veterans and their families. — Provide Veterans with mental health support and ensure they are referred to appropriate mental health service providers as needed
Referrals fell sharply starting in FY24 because DVS made mental health screenings voluntary rather than automatic for clients, which meant fewer people were screened and therefore fewer were referred out — the agency says this was a deliberate choice to avoid assuming every Veteran who contacts DVS needs mental health support. The partial rebound in FY26 followed a new intake system (using a more detailed suicide-risk screening tool) that DVS adopted mid-year.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DVS, Fiscal 2024 Mayor's Management Report, DVS, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above. The dashed marker projects a full-year estimate at the current year-to-date pace.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 202 referral | Not available |
| FY23 | 312 referral | Not available |
| FY24 | 129 referral | 350 referral |
| FY25 | 33 referral | 200 referral |
| FY26 (YTD) | 99 referral | Not available |
| FY26 (projected) | ~132 referral |
Why this is tracked
DVS was formed in 2016 by combining the city's former Office of Veterans' Affairs with veteran-housing staff from the Department of Homeless Services, following advocacy from veteran nonprofits who wanted a single city agency dedicated to their community. Beyond referrals, DVS directly runs care coordination, social-enrichment, and wellness services for veterans and their caregivers, survivors, and families. Its stated mission is to connect, mobilize, and empower NYC's veteran community to help members lead purpose-driven lives after service.
Mission - NYC Department of Veterans' Services, Social Enrichment - NYC Department of Veterans' Services, History and structure of DVS - NYC Council Committee on Veterans
Source: Veterans' Support Services (VSS) — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The number of people who have requested a referral to mental health services.