January 2025, New York, NY…, On November 24, 2024, Mother Zion Cares Behavioral Mental Health Center officially opened at Mother A.M.E. Zion Church in Harlem, New York where the Rev. Dr. Malcolm J. Byrd is Senior Pastor. Mother Zion Cares is a fully funded faith-based behavioral mental health center. It is one of several community outreach initiatives Mother Zion Church has undertaken in partnership with Northwell Health. Rev. Byrd said, “Mother Zion will be one of the few churches in the country offering free mental health therapy and counseling.”
Rev. Audrey Williamson, Executive Minister at Mother Zion and instrumental in bringing the center to the Church, said she was excited about what God is doing in partnership with Northwell Health at Mother Zion. “Mother Zion Cares is taking the stigma off mental health issues and counseling. We’re going to talk about mental health until we get well.” Rev. Williamson introduced Ms. Debora Jones, MSW, LCSW, and Executor Director of Mother Zion Cares.
Ms. Jones (pictured) said she was honored to serve as Executive Director and looked forward to bringing a much-needed service to the Community.
Earlier in November, I spoke with Ms. Jones about Mother Zion Cares. Ms. Jones said Mother Zion Cares will offer in-person and virtual individual counseling and group therapy sessions to families, children, young adults, and seniors. Of significance, Mother Zion Cares is free to members of the church and community residents. No insurance is necessary. Ms. Jones said her goal is to make an impact on the lives she touches by embodying the sincere spirit of faith-based Social Work.
I also asked what key mental issues are impacting marginalized communities. Ms. Jones said, “The key mental health issues in our community have not changed. If anything, they have increased, and they’ve intensified. There has always been an issue in the Black Community and minority communities around finances. If you are not making enough money to support yourself or your family, it is going to create tension in the household. It’s the number one cause of marital breakups. If you’re unhappy in your place of employment, or if you’re underemployed, that’s going to create tension.”
Anxiety can also lead to mental health issues. The recent election and its results have been a contributing factor. Ms. Jones said, “Everyone’s anxiety level was really high.” Mindful that the results of the election would likely elevate anxiety levels, Ms. Jones held a Post-election Decompression Session at Mother Zion the day after the election. Church members and community residents shared their thoughts and feelings on how the results would impact their lives. Ms. Jones will be conducting Decompression Sessions once a month at Mother Zion.
Ms. Jones said that there is also a heightened level of anxiety because of the way that we live and opined that “social media is having a tremendous effect on us, particularly on the children, young adults, the millennials.”
I asked her about the effects of COVID and its aftermath. Ms. Jones has worked with children for the last 24 years. “I did something called early intervention and worked with children from newborn to 3 years old.” Ms. Jones “had a bird’s eye-view” on COVID babies. She explained that babies born during COVID had regressed social skills and now that they’re in school, or starting daycare, they’re not doing as well as those previous groups before COVID, simply because these kids were sheltered. She added that many people “fear a reoccurrence; that another form of COVID or another virus is going to attack us in a way that COVID did.”
When asked about the senior population, Ms. Jones said, “There are a whole different set of issues when it comes to seniors. Many are living on fixed incomes and do not have the disposable income they had before they stopped working.” She said seniors primarily seek help when they are usually at the crisis stage and are spiraling downward.
After the service, Rev. Byrd invited everyone to join a panel discussion with Ms. Jones, Mitchell Cornet, Vice President of Public Health at Northwell Health, and other Northwell Health representatives. Lunch followed.
Debora Jones is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been a member of the Harlem Faith-based community for the past 17 years. Ms. Jones received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Ramapo State University and earned her master’s degree in social work from Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Throughout her career, Ms. Jones has demonstrated exceptional aptitude in counseling and community outreach. One area of expertise is her ability to collaborate with organizations and governmental resources to develop and implement programs that address the challenges faced by diverse populations. Ms. Jones is proficient in the areas of mental health, child welfare, individual and group therapy, behavioral modification, and grief counseling. Ms. Jones’ culturally client-centered approach has enhanced her ability to establish liaisons with her client base, both children and adults. She is an advocate for self-care and mental health awareness and exemplifies the values of empathy, resilience, and dedication.
For more information about Mother Zion Cares services and appointments, contact Debora Jones at 516.751.7917.
