Bronx Local News: NYC Health + Hospitals Unveils $32.2 M Post-Discharge Behavioral Health Program to Support Former Psychiatric Patients Across Queens, Brooklyn & Manhattan

NYC Expands Post-Hospital Behavioral Health Support Services

 

Bronx Voice 

December 9, 2025

NYC LOCAL NEWS – NYC Health + Hospitals has announced a major new investment in post-hospital behavioral health support services in New York City, launching specialized Critical Time Intervention (CTI) teams designed to help adults with complex mental health needs successfully transition back into their communities after inpatient psychiatric care.

The $32.2 million behavioral health initiative, funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health, targets adults who have experienced multiple psychiatric hospitalizations or emergency department visits within the past year. Each patient will have access to tailored follow-up support for up to nine months—an approach proven to reduce repeated emergency visits and improve long-term stability.

Comprehensive Transitional Support for High-Needs Behavioral Health Patients

The new CTI teams include behavioral health nurses, licensed social workers, care managers, mental health clinicians, and peer specialists with lived experience. 

Over the next five years, these teams will:

* Escort patients home on the day of discharge

* Facilitate access to outpatient psychiatric care and community mental health programs

* Assist with personal recovery goal-setting

* Help patients secure public benefits, entitlements, and essential services such as housing, food, and transportation

CTI teams will be located at five major NYC Health + Hospitals facilities: Bellevue, Jacobi, Kings County, Metropolitan, and Queens, and are expected to serve up to 650 high-needs psychiatric patients annually.

Expansion of NYC’s Peer Bridger Program for Post-Hospital Mental Health Recovery

These new services will work alongside NYC Health + Hospitals’ established Peer Bridger program, a post-discharge support initiative that pairs patients leaving a Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) with certified peer counselors. Peer Bridgers—individuals with lived experience managing mental health or substance use challenges—help patients:

• Connect to outpatient therapy and psychiatry appointments

• Engage in psychosocial rehabilitation services and clubhouses

• Access transportation assistance

• Utilize community resources such as libraries, food pantries, and crisis respite centers

The Peer Bridger program is currently available at Bellevue, Elmhurst, Harlem, Jacobi, Kings County, North Central Bronx, Queens, and Woodhull hospitals. 

This program plays a critical role in reaching patients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and supporting those who may be less likely to engage with traditional healthcare services.

Leadership Voices Support for the Behavioral Health Transition Programs

“NYC Health + Hospitals serves more patients with behavioral health needs than any other organization in New York City, and these two programs will help our patients establish care in the community after they leave the hospital,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “We are enormously grateful to the New York State Office of Mental Health for their commitment to our patients.”

“By working closely with individuals facing complex mental health challenges, CTI teams and Peer Bridgers strengthen our continuum of behavioral health care in NYC,” added Omar Fattal, MD, MPH, Chief of Behavioral Health Services. “These services fill crucial gaps during pivotal moments—discharge preparation, reintegration into community life, and long-term stabilization.”

New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan emphasized the initiative’s broader statewide impact: “By connecting people leaving inpatient psychiatric care with intensive wraparound services, we can help secure a path to recovery for our fellow New Yorkers.”

NYC Health + Hospitals: A Leader in Behavioral Health Employment and Services

NYC Health + Hospitals is among the largest employers of peer counselors in New York City, with more than 100 peers currently working across the system. Nearly half are graduates of the NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) Peer Academy, helping build a trained workforce committed to improving behavioral health outcomes.

As the largest provider of behavioral health services in NYC, NYC Health + Hospitals delivers more than 60% of all mental health care citywide, serving nearly 80,000 patients annually across emergency, inpatient, and outpatient settings.