The Bridge is proud to announce the launch of the Neighborhood Navigators program this February. The Bridge was the only agency in New York City to receive an award of $6 million from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for this innovative new team.
The goal of the Neighborhood Navigators program is to build relationships with people experiencing homelessness, connect them to services, and help them navigate the social service system. In addition to experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, many clients live with mental health and/or substance use challenges.
The program staff include a Program Director, a Training and Data Coordinator, and 12 Neighborhood Navigators. Neighborhood Navigators are peers with lived experience, which will help them build trust and rapport with clients. Jerome Britt, a Senior Neighborhood Navigator, spoke of the importance of peer support and said, “I know the struggle of being trapped in addiction and homelessness and rising out of both. By becoming a member of the Neighborhood Navigators, I can make a difference through sharing and building trust with people still in the struggle that I overcame.”
Groups of three Neighborhood Navigators will engage with clients in four neighborhoods: Inwood and Washington Heights; Midtown West, Hell’s Kitchen, and Chelsea; Chinatown and the Lower East Side; and Central and East Harlem. Over the course of the three-year contract, Navigators will conduct outreach and provide support to 600 clients each year. |