S:US Restore & Recovery Program, CCBHC COVID Response Supports - Services for the Underserved, Inc. (S:US)'s Restore & Recovery (R&R) Program will expand services at the Wellness Works Clinic in Brooklyn, NY to address unmet needs for individuals with SED, SMI and COD. Through dedicated engagement and peer staff, the R&R Program will outreach to individuals disconnected with behavioral healthcare and provide new approaches and technology to address newly surfaced COVID-related needs from social isolation, grief and loss, and illness. New York City was the epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic; all New Yorkers felt the impact of COVID due to the City's high rates of illness and death and economic hardships. We intimately understand the unmet needs of individuals with SED, SMI and COD as a result of the pandemic. In December 2020, we surveyed 3,458 individuals with behavioral health challenges, served by S:US, and currently homeless or at risk of homelessness, about the emotional impact of COVID and their unaddressed needs. The majority (67%) of individuals expressed symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress experienced since the start of the pandemic and 70% of individuals needed support with connection to ongoing behavioral healthcare. We have seen an increase in substance use in our shelters and supported housing since the start of the pandemic. The R&R Program's services will include additional peer-led recovery supports, enhanced crisis and emergency response, and evidence-based grief and loss interventions. The population of focus will be individuals with SED, SMI, and COD who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and living in shelters, transitional housing, and supported housing. The R&R team will deploy extensive engagement strategies to S:US operated programs as well as the network of providers through our partnerships with Coordinated Behavioral Care and Homeless Services United. The R&R Program will use the Evidence-Based Practices of Motivational Interviewing, Intentional Peer Support, Trauma-Informed Care, Medication Assisted Treatment, Harm Reduction, and The Grief Recovery Method to successfully engage and support individuals. The population of focus is minority populations (60% identify as African American or Black, and 30% as Hispanic or Latinx) from economically disadvantaged communities. The goals of the R&R Program are: 1) Increase access to behavioral health services in Brooklyn; 2) Increase access to and use of interactive telehealth strategies; 3) Increase person-centered harm reduction approaches to address substance use; 4) Deliver culturally competent support to address social isolation, grief/loss, and trauma. We will serve 200 individuals each year, for a total of 400 over the course of the grant.
