SAMHSA awards The Bridge 4-Year Grant to Develop and Implement a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in Manhattan and the Bronx

The Bridge is pleased to announce an award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to plan, develop, and implement a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). Our CCBHC will operate out of our Manhattan clinic, co-located with Ryan Health, a federally qualified health center. Through this clinic, we will serve people living in Manhattan and the Bronx.

Our CCBHC will feature an innovative model that integrates mental health, physical health, and substance use services in an outpatient setting. The model is person-centered and recovery-oriented, whereby clinicians work in partnership with clients to develop culturally competent and individualized treatment plans. We will begin accepting referrals for our CCBHC in January 2023.

This prestigious award will allow The Bridge to fill the growing need for mental health services for vulnerable New Yorkers. The Bridge plans to expand its clinic services, including hiring more mental health staff, to serve a minimum of 755 New Yorkers over the next 4 years. The CCBHC will focus on youth and adults, including people of color, low-income individuals, people experiencing homelessness, Veterans, and people with complex mental health, substance use disorders, and medical needs.  For these populations, there remains an unmet need for rapid access to clinical services post-hospitalization or emergency department visit, as well as expedited engagement and care planning. For people living with a mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorder, there is also a need for culturally competent models of care and an acknowledgment of the impact of social determinants of health. These service gaps will be addressed through the CCBHC.

Our goal is to improve access and decrease barriers to behavioral health care among these populations. We will improve access by conducting outreach, screening, assessment, treatment, care coordination, and providing recovery support services to the target populations.  Our staff will be trained in using the most highly regarded Evidence Based Practices to serve this population.

This is the first time The Bridge has received an award from SAMHSA. This grant will allow The Bridge to reach more New Yorkers in need of life-changing services. Please check our website soon for more details on our CCBHC.