From the start of our administration, we have been clear that the days of ignoring people in crisis — on our streets and in our subways — were over. It’s no secret that too many New Yorkers who suffer from severe mental illness cycle between hospitals and homelessness, and that we need a better way to help them get long-term care and stable housing.
That’s where taking a public health approach to public safety comes in, and what our new ‘Bridge to Home’ initiative will provide for our brothers and sisters in need, specifically for those who have been discharged from psychiatric facilities but do not have a home to return to and are not yet ready to live independently. The first facility opened last week in Midtown Manhattan, with individual rooms, three balanced meals a day, and wraparound mental health services for up to 46 residents. It will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by professionals from NYC Health + Hospitals, who will provide behavioral health services, medication management, and substance use disorder treatment, as well as regular social, therapeutic, and recreational opportunities.
