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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline DECEMBER 19, 2025 | The Indian Eye 26

NYC Health + Hospitals Launches $32.2 Million Initiative

to Support Patients with Complex Behavioral Health Needs

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest provider of behavioral health care in New York City

OUR BUREAU
New York, NY
YC Health + Hospitals has
announced the launch of new
Nteams to support patients after
they leave the hospital. New Critical
Time Intervention teams will serve
adults who have had multiple psychi-
atric hospital or emergency visits with-
in the last year and provide follow-up
care for up to nine months.
Funded by the New York State
Office of Mental Health, the $32.2
million teams include nurses, so-
cial workers, care managers, mental
health professionals, and peer special-
ists and are funded for five years. Ser-
vices include accompanying patients
home on discharge day, helping them
access follow-up care in the commu-
nity, supporting personal goal-setting,
and assisting them with securing pub- Members of the new Critical Time Intervention team at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County.
lic benefits and entitlements to ad-
dress their basic needs. Critical Time at pivotal moments – whether pre-
Intervention teams will be available paring for discharge, returning home,
at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellev- or building long-term connections in
ue, Jacobi, Kings County, Metropoli- the community. These programs rein-
tan, and Queens and are projected to force NYC Health + Hospitals’ com-
serve up to 650 patients a year. mitment to providing comprehensive,
These teams will complement person-centered behavioral health
NYC Health + Hospitals’ Peer Bridg- care across the city.”
er program, which pairs patients dis- “By connecting people leaving
charged from a Comprehensive Psy- inpatient psychiatric care at hospitals
chiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) with critical intensive wrap around
with certified Peer Counselors to pro- services, we can help secure a path to
vide support for up to several months recovery for our fellow New Yorkers,”
after they leave the hospital. Peer OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sulli-
Counselors, who have lived experience van said. “The CTI teams now oper-
with mental health or substance use ating at these hospitals in New York
challenges, will help patients connect Samantha Wiggan and William Trice are members of the Peer Bridger program City and others throughout the state
with outpatient services, psychosocial are helping more New Yorkers con-
clubhouses, transportation resources, at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. nect with the mental health supports
and community-based supports such they can rely on to live and thrive in
as libraries, food pantries, and crisis more patients with behavioral health ioral health needs to help them reach their community.”
respite programs. Peers are uniquely needs than any other organization in their personal recovery goals,” said NYC Health + Hospitals cur-
positioned to serve patients with com- New York City, and these two pro- Omar Fattal, MD, MPH, Chief of Be- rently employs over 100 peers across
plex and co-morbid mental health grams will help our patients establish havioral Health Services, NYC Health the system and is one of the largest
and substance use disorder needs, care in the community after they leave + Hospitals. “By working closely with employers of peers in New York City.
and they can connect to traditional- the hospital,” said NYC Health + these patients, Critical Time Interven- Nearly 50% of the peer counselors
ly hard-to-reach patients by sharing Hospitals President and CEO Mitch- tion teams and Peer Bridgers extend who are employed at NYC Health +
their lived experience to support re- ell Katz, MD. “We are enormously our behavioral health continuum Hospitals are graduates from the NYC
covery. The Peer Bridger program is grateful to our colleagues at the New of care beyond the hospital walls to Health + Hospitals Peer Academy.
available at NYC Health + Hospitals/ York State Office of Mental Health provide short-term support that will The system provides over 60%
Bellevue, Elmhurst, Harlem, Jacobi, for their commitment to our patients.” help prevent people from continuing of behavioral health services citywide
Kings County, North Central Bronx, “We are proud to announce new to cycle through the hospital system. serving nearly 80,000 patients annu-
Queens, and Woodhull. initiatives that provide intensive sup- Together, these programs fill crucial ally across emergency, inpatient, and
“NYC Health + Hospitals serves port for patients with complex behav- gaps in care by supporting patients outpatient care.

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