Crisis Intervention

An Immediate Response to an Urgent Need

In 2020, Project Renewal opened the city’s first Support and Connection Center (SCC) in partnership with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). The center is designed to fill the gap in the network of care for unhoused New Yorkers with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. 

Located in East Harlem, the SCC is an alternative to arrest, summons, or hospital admission for someone experiencing an acute crisis. Those who need help can go to the SCC rather than being sent to the emergency room or placed in handcuffs.

Referral sources, including DOHMH’s Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division, Mayor Eric Adams’ Subway Safety Task Force, or the city’s supervised drug consumption sites, can send those in need to the SCC to receive around-the-clock stabilizing services and connections to resources that support permanent change.

With a cap of 18 clients at a time, the SCC’s small scale enables Project Renewal to provide deeply personalized service. In addition to being unstably housed, many of our clients are street homeless and face the highest needs and barriers to care. Because of this, our recovery-oriented care is led by certified peer counselors who help build trust. During stays of up to 5 days, clients have access to a team of nurses, psychiatrists, and occupational therapists, in addition to beds, meals, showers, and laundry. Many remain engaged with our aftercare services after their stay, including wellness activities and referrals to rehab programs, job training, and transitional housing.