Psychiatric Services

The Brooklyn Free Clinic Psychiatry Program provides free psychiatric care to uninsured patients who are having difficulty accessing mental health services. Our volunteers from SUNY Downstate Medical Center provide care under the supervision of an attending psychiatrist and work alongside BFC’s primary care team to provide whole-person care.

Who is BFC Psychiatry for?

BFC Psychiatry is available to uninsured patients seeking outpatient mental health care, including those experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. You do not need to have a psychiatric diagnosis to seek support.

What We Offer

Our services include:

• Psychiatric evaluations and treatment recommendations

• Starting and continuing psychiatric medications, with attending supervision

• Medication follow-up and refills

• Mental health screenings

• Short-term supportive therapy while waiting to establish long-term care

• Connection to community resources and longer-term psychiatric services

Our goal is to bridge the gap between needing mental health care and accessing sustainable, long-term support.

Getting Started

Psychiatry services are by appointment only. We do not accept psychiatric walk-ins.

The first step is a telephone intake, which typically takes up to an hour and can be scheduled for any day and time that works for you. During the intake, we discuss what you are seeking support for, your psychiatric history, previous diagnoses and treatments, current medications, stressors, and safety. We may also complete standardized screenings such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7.

Our psychiatry team also provides telephone triage to assess urgency, determine whether BFC is an appropriate setting for your needs, and connect you with other resources when needed. Patients can request an appointment directly or be referred through BFC Primary Care.

BFC operates Wednesday evenings beginning at 5:00 PM. As a volunteer-run clinic, appointments may take some time, so we recommend keeping your Wednesday evening available.

Language Access

BFC has bilingual interpreter volunteers available in the clinic. We also offer professional telephone interpretation through Propio.

When to Seek Emergency Care

BFC Psychiatry provides outpatient care and is not equipped to manage psychiatric emergencies or conditions requiring a higher level of care.

If you are experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis, such as psychosis, active suicidal thoughts or intent, severe substance-related concerns, or other symptoms requiring immediate evaluation, please seek emergency psychiatric care.

The Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County is located directly across the street from BFC and provides emergency psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

If you receive emergency care, you can still contact BFC Psychiatry afterward for outpatient follow-up and help connecting with longer-term care.