Boston Medical Center’s TEAM UP Expands Access to Mental Health Services in NYC
TEAM UP launches TEAMS First NYC— a Pediatric Behavioral Health Initiative
BOSTON | July 7, 2026 – The TEAM UP Scaling and Sustainability Center (TEAM UP) is excited to announce the launch of TEAMS First NYC, an initiative that will bring integrated behavioral health care to more than 62,000 children across New York City (NYC). Based at Boston Medical Center (BMC), TEAM UP works with pediatric primary care practices to ensure all children and youth have equitable access to timely, evidence-informed behavioral healthcare to address the growing pediatric mental health crisis.
Through TEAMS First NYC, participating pediatric practices will implement the TEAM UP Model™, which brings behavioral health clinicians, community health workers, and primary care providers together as an integrated care team. Children and youth across the pediatric age spectrum can access support in their pediatric medical home, often on the same day a concern is identified. In TEAM UP practices, children have shown significant improvements in mental health symptoms, quality of life, and school functioning over a 12-month period, including fewer missed school days.
The initiative is supported through braided funding from both The Carmel Hill Fund and Robin Hood, and builds upon strong partnerships between TEAM UP, Healthfirst, NYC REACH, NYC Health + Hospitals, Project TEACH, and The Community Health Worker Institute at Montefiore Einstein.
Over the next two-and-a-half years, TEAM UP will work with five pediatric practices across seven locations in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx chosen for their strong commitment to building sustainable, team-based behavioral health integration.
- Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
- NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
- Pediatrics 2000
- Urban Health Plan
“When parents and caregivers are worried about their child, they most often call their pediatrician first. That makes pediatric primary care the natural entry point to access behavioral health support. We’re honored to partner with these practices and support their commitment to make sure all children have access to care when they need it.”
– Anita Morris, MSN, FNP-BC, executive director of the TEAM UP Center.
As part of the initiative, the selected practices will join the TEAM UP Learning Community, a collaborative network offering in-depth clinical training, customized technical assistance, and data-driven support to help participating sites successfully implement and sustain integrated behavioral health.
“The TEAM UP model addresses the barriers children and youth face in accessing care and ensures practices are equipped when a child or family needs support,” said Emily Feinberg, ScD, CPNP, senior director for the TEAM UP Center. “We are proud to partner not just with these practices, but with the New York-based organizations, all of whom are focused on bolstering behavioral healthcare directly within pediatric primary care settings.”
About TEAM UP
Since its inception in 2015, TEAM UP has supported more than 20 practices and trained more than 1,500 professionals in implementing the TEAM UP model and building capacity for integrated behavioral healthcare. Anchor funding for the TEAM UP Center was provided by the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and The Klarman Family Foundation.