Solace House in Long Island City offers year-round mental health support. Photo credit: Solace House.
May 8, 2025 By Jessica Militello
May is known for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and the start of sunnier days, but it’s also a time to reflect on something just as important: mental health.
Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a reminder that taking care of our emotional well-being is just as vital as our physical health.
At Solace House in Long Island City, that message is at the heart of their mission year-round. Located at 1040 Jackson Ave., the free and anonymous mental health services organization provides a lifeline for individuals coping with depression, suicidal thoughts, or the grief of losing someone to suicide.
Founded in 2015, Solace House offers one-on-one and group counseling and encourages the idea that mental health deserves regular care, not just in moments of crisis.
“The goal is to normalize mental health as we do our physical health,” said Nandini Collins, Solace House’s CEO. “It’s just as important, if not more. It’s not shameful to reach out for help. There are so many times that I hear people say, ‘My problems aren’t that bad, I don’t want to take a free spot from somebody who really needs it,’ and that’s certainly not true—everyone is just as important. It’s not just about being in crisis, it’s about getting to the problem before you reach that crisis. That’s what we’re here for: to help people through it.”
Solace House helps with a counseling program tailored to every need. Photo Solace House
At the heart of Solace House’s mission is its one-on-one counseling, offered free of charge through phone or video call, whichever the caller is most comfortable with. Services are available to anyone living in New York State and are fully anonymous, providing a critical option for individuals who may feel uneasy or ashamed about seeking help.
The team includes licensed clinical social workers and licensed master social workers with extensive experience supporting people in crisis. In addition to individual counseling, Solace House offers family support, educational workshops and awareness trainings. One of its cornerstone programs is a biweekly survivor group for individuals grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide.
The organization also recently launched an initiative focused on digital addiction, especially in children and teens. Known as the CARE Program—short for Cell Phone Abuse Resistance Education—the effort brings workshops directly into local schools.
“It’s a free workshop that I’m bringing to schools, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Collins. “People walk away with a sense of balance, and the goal is simply to educate.”
Solace House extends its outreach through community events that both raise awareness and build connection. One such tradition is the annual Sunrise Walk, returning Saturday, May 17. The symbolic 5K walk/run begins in darkness and concludes at sunrise, representing a journey from despair to hope, and honoring those lost to suicide.
The Solace Sunrise Walk begins in the early hours of the morning when it’s still dark and ends at sunrise. Photo credit: Solace House.
“During the sunrise walk, we walk from the darkness during the sunrise to symbolize that we are there with you through your darkest hour, from the darkness into the light,” Collins said.
Later this year, Solace House will host its second annual Sunset Boat Cruise on Thursday, Sept. 18. The event aims to engage a younger, professional audience and challenge the stigma surrounding mental health.
“They talk about mental health and they’re loud and proud about it like I am, and we break the stigma,” said Collins. “It’s a night of compassion and hope that we can be the change makers. The sunrise walk is in honor of those we’ve lost, and we walk alongside those who’ve lost people to suicide. But our boat cruise is about hope, and saying we can change this—we can stop the stigma, and we can normalize talking about mental health, so that fewer people get to that crisis point.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or thoughts of suicide, you are not alone and it’s okay to ask for help. To learn more about Solace House’s services or to speak with a counselor, visit solacehouseusa.org.
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