Recovery Network of Programs, Inc. will serve homeless adults with substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders from Fairfield County, CT through an “all in one” drop-in center in the City of Bridgeport, CT providing low/no barrier services, including co-located primary care, SUD and COD treatment, peer support, case management, and assistance with housing.
With no established place in the greater Bridgeport area where homeless adults with SUD and COD and need services, clinical and other, can go for help and respite, despite the fact that the greater Bridgeport area has the highest rates of substance use and unintentional overdoses in Fairfield County. The Center is a crucial outreach strategy that addresses this need. It will be a low/no barrier public focal point where individuals can access services and respite in a welcoming and respectful space. There are no appointments, and the Center will welcome members of the POF and other adults who walk in. It will be within walking distance of area RNP treatment sites and on a bus line. One-to-one outreach will be done by peer Outreach Specialists who will engage the POF to introduce them to the Center.
The catchment area, Fairfield County, is the most income-unequal county in the most income-unequal state in the U.S-Connecticut. With a mix of rural, suburban, and urban, and several large cities, including Bridgeport, Stamford, and Norwalk it has a total population of 959,768. The 2020 Census show that the largest County racial/ethnic groups are White (59.8%) followed by Hispanic (20.5%) and Black (10.7%). 51% of the population is female, 49% male. Most people of color live in Stamford, Norwalk, and Bridgeport. The Regional Planning Association (RPA) shows the median income of the towns of Darien ($210,000) and Weston ($220,000) is nearly five times that of Bridgeport ($45,000). In 2021 the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was the second-least equal place in the U.S. It ranked first among metro areas. The Gini Index identifies the MSA as the second most income-unequal place in the US.
Project Goal 1) Establish a low/no barrier drop-in center and expand case management service to engage and connect the POF to evidence-based SUD/COD treatment, harm reduction services, case management, and recovery support services through a single point of access. Objectives include (1) by the end of Year 1, 60% of the POF engaged will receive services through the Center; (2) 95% of the POF complete intakes within 24 hours; (3) 50% will achieve 90 days sobriety at 6-month follow-up and 60% will engage in recovery support resources engage, e.g., AA, NA, counseling, etc. Goal 2) Collaborate with the CAN, services organizations, and housing providers, to secure housing for the POF. Objectives include (1) outreach to clergy/congregants of 10 County faith communities providing educational materials on SUD/COD, harm reduction, and housing; repeat outreach to 10 additional churches each year of the grant; (2) By the end of Year 1, 80% of those who engaged with outreach efforts will have a path to or will attain permanent housing. It’s estimated that the number of people who will receive outreach will average 90 individuals each month; the number of people who are engaged by outreach efforts to be served through the Center is
Number of Unduplicated Individuals to be Served with Award Funds
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 TOTAL
100 120 145 155 170 690
