Program in partnership with Erie County Medical Center
Buffalo, NY – Jewish Family Services of WNY (JFS) announced it has received a five-year $4.8 million grant from New York State Office of Mental Health to develop an adult Critical Time Intervention team (CTI) in partnership with Erie County Medical Center (ECMC).
The CTI team, utilizing evidence-based intervention will work with patients with serious mental illness and substance abuse, who are high utilizers of the emergency room and inpatient psychiatric units, when transitioning from ECMC’s inpatient hospital units, emergency department, and Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program to community living.
By building community networks and connecting the individual with support during the transition process, the intent is to minimize gaps in care, ensure timely follow-up, and enhance one’s overall well-being, with the goal to prevent homelessness and re-hospitalization. JFS is one of 36 CTI teams that will be set up throughout the state.
“The design and implementation of the CTI program will emphasize continuity of care, collaboration and client empowerment to support vulnerable individuals with complex needs as they move from institutional settings back into the community,” said Dr. Molly Carr, CEO, Jewish Family Services of WNY. “The primary aim is to provide intensive, time-limited support, thereby mitigating the risk of re-admission and fostering successful long-term community integration. It also expands on JFS’ current partnership with ECMC and builds on our team’s extensive experience in transition-based care management.”
“ECMC has had a longstanding partnership with Jewish Family Services of WNY that will be strengthened further with this critically important funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health,” said Andrew L. Davis, president and COO, Erie County Medical Center. “We supported JFS’ OMH grant application because we recognized the importance of the behavioral health services they provide throughout our community, particularly the many services they provide that directly benefit patients who have received care at ECMC. We look forward to maintaining our shared commitment with JFS to provide high-quality, sustainable behavioral health services to the residents of Western New York.”
The JFS CTI team will facilitate referrals and will follow the individual through every step of the process based on the client’s care plan and needs. This includes comprehensive assessment, individualized care planning, resource identification and referral, assistance with applications and appointments, advocacy on behalf of the client to ensure they have access to the resources and services needed, and crisis intervention. Peers with direct life experience will also support clients as members of the CTI team, a unique intervention that JFS will utilize for the first time.
JFS provides a range of behavioral health and supportive services to individuals in the community, delivered in three service areas, clinical services, community services, and care coordination. In recent years, JFS has worked with ECMC to transition individuals from the hospital’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency program and inpatient psychiatric units into health home programs and JFS’ OMH clinic.
To implement the new CTI program, JFS anticipates hiring approximately seven new positions within its behavioral health division.
About Jewish Family Services of WNY
Since 1862, Jewish Family Services of Western New York has been providing all members of our community with critical health and human services, regardless of religion, ethnicity, cultural background, gender identification, ability or age. The life-changing and wide-ranging services from elder care to refugee resettlement to behavioral and physical health are provided by professional staff and supported by an extended family of dedicated volunteers and generous donors. For more information, visit jfswny.org.
About the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation: The ECMC Corporation was established as a New York State Public Benefit Corporation and since 2004 has included an advanced academic medical center with 573 inpatient beds, on- and off-campus health centers, more than 30 outpatient specialty care services and Terrace View, a 390-bed long-term care facility. ECMC is Western New York’s only Level 1 Adult Trauma Center, as well as a regional center for burn care, behavioral health services, transplantation, medical oncology and head & neck cancer care, rehabilitation, and a major teaching facility for the University at Buffalo. Most ECMC physicians, dentists and pharmacists are dedicated faculty members of the university and/or members of a private practice plan. More Western New York residents are choosing ECMC for exceptional patient care and patient experience.