Safe Options Support (SOS) Teams

Overview

The Safe Options Support (SOS) Teams connect with people experiencing homelessness to help meet their needs and support their access to housing. SOS teams follow the Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model. The goal of the teams is to quickly connect the individual to housing while providing person-centered care and ensuring that the member has solid ties to their support systems during this critical period of transition.

SOS Services include:

• Identifying and resolving immediate needs
• Expanding the individual’s circle of care
• Housing
• Identification and entitlements
• Connections to medical and behavioral health services

Who is Eligible

Members aren’t required to have a serious mental illness or substance use disorder to enroll. However, priority is given to individuals with behavioral health needs. All members enrolled should meet the following criteria:

1. 18 years of age or older
2. In New York City (NYC), currently street homeless, as defined by:
   1. Unhoused and living on the street or subways
   2. Unhoused, assigned to a shelter, but spending most of their nights on street or subways
   3. Unhoused, assigned to a shelter, but spending majority of time in hospitals, Emergency Departments or Comprehensive Psychiatry Emergency Programs (CPEP)
3. In areas outside NYC, currently street homeless or in a temporary shelter setting, as defined by:
   1. Unhoused and living on the street or other areas not intended for human habitation
   2. Staying at a temporary/emergency shelter location
   3. Temporarily placed in a motel through local Department of Social Services (DSS)

SOS Team Staffing

The SOS Teams are interdisciplinary teams that vary in staffing based on location. All teams include:

• A Team Leader
• Licensed clinicians (e.g. LCSW, LMSW, LMHC)
• Care managers
• Peer specialists

SOS teams based within NYC also include a Registered Nurse.

Referrals

While SOS teams do reach out to people in the community who may benefit from the program, referrals are also accepted

Individual referrals can be made by, but not limited to:

• Outreach teams
• Hospitals
• Families and caregivers
• Community providers
• DSS
• Law enforcement

Referrals for the NYC SOS teams go through a central hub. You can submit a referral by emailing Coordinated Behavioral Care (CBC) or calling the 24-hour toll-free information line 1-866-SOS-4NYC.

Referrals for the Rest of State (areas outside NYC) SOS teams are accepted directly though the provider program.

Provider Programs

New York City SOS Teams

Provider	Area Served	Contact Email
OMH Targeted Response Team	Times Square	BPC.SOSTeam@omh.ny.gov
BronxWorks	Bronx	sosinfo@cbcare.org
Argus Community, Inc.	Bronx	sosinfo@cbcare.org
ACMH	Manhattan	sosinfo@cbcare.org
Services for the Underserved	Manhattan	sosinfo@cbcare.org
The Bridge	Manhattan	sosinfo@cbcare.org
Breaking Ground	Queens and Staten Island	sosinfo@cbcare.org
RiseWell Community Services	Brooklyn and Queens	sosinfo@cbcare.org

Rest of State SOS Teams

Provider	Area Served	Contact Email
RSS - Capital District	Capital Region (Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga Counties)	CapitalDistrict-SOSReferrals@rehab.org
Search for Change	Westchester County	SOS@searchforchange.org
HONOR	Hudson Valley (Orange, Dutchess Counties)	SOSinfo@honorehg.org
Long Island Coalition for the Homeless	Long Island (Nassau County, Suffolk County)	sos-team@addressthehomeless.org
Liberty Resources, Inc	Monroe County	SOSHubReferrals@monroecounty.gov
Catholic Charities of Chenango County	Southern Tier (Broome, Chenango, Otsego Counties)	jchesebro@ccofcc.com
Endeavor Health Services	Erie County	mysos@ehsny.org
Monroe Plan for Medical Care CNY	Central NY (Onondaga, Oswego Counties)	sos@monroeplan.com
Monroe Plan for Medical Care Southern Tier	Southern Tier (Chemung, Steuben Counties)	sos@monroeplan.com
RSS - Hudson Valley	Hudson Valley (Sullivan, Ulster Counties)	SullivanUlster-SOSreferrals@rehab.org
Catholic Charities of Cortland County	Central NY/Southern Tier (Cortland, Tompkins, Tioga Counties)	sosreferral@ccocc.org