CMHS’s Clinical Case Management Program—Helping New Yorkers Recover their Lives…and Help Others

Working under contract with New York City’s Human Resources Administration, VNSNY’s Clinical Case Management (CCM) program, administered by VNSNY’s Community Mental Health Services (CMHS), assists recipients of public assistance who are dealing with substance use disorders and other barriers to self-sufficiency, connecting them with vital community resources and one-on-one support.

Besides providing links to specific services, the program’s case managers give clients moral support and guidance each step along the way, helping them identify and appreciate their accomplishments to date and maintain the confidence to keep moving forward. “We are really part of the social fabric of our clients’ lives,” says the program’s Clinical Case Manager for Staten Island, Christina Nichols.

Because of COVID-19, VNSNY clinical case managers like Christina are temporarily conducting virtual visits and offering support to clients remotely. “It’s a definite adjustment—they miss seeing us, and I miss seeing them and observing their lives up close,” says Christina. “But we’re still providing the key support our clients need to keep moving in a positive direction.”

Staten Island University Hospital Nurse Rebecca Burke is a perfect example of how VNSNY’s CCM program impacts people’s lives. Rebecca is not a VNSNY employee, but the VNSNY program’s support is a major reason why she is at work today, caring for COVID-19 patients at her hospital. Eight months ago, in October of 2019, Rebecca entered the CCM program and began working with Christina as a final important step on her return to her nursing career following a struggle with substance use.

When Christina first met her client, Rebecca had already made significant strides: She had entered a treatment program and taken steps to recover her career, find stable housing—she now lives in a comfortable three-bedroom house on Staten Island—and regain custody of her three children. Christina helped Rebecca complete her journey, connecting her to additional community resources and services that helped keep her on track.

“Rebecca came in with her own motivation, which is key, because outcome is really dependent on the client’s motivation,” says Christina. “You meet everybody where they are, and you can only provide what people will allow. She just needed to know there were people in her corner, willing to walk with her as she walked through her journey.”

Not long after joining the CCM program, Rebecca received a referral from a former colleague for an interview at Staten Island University Hospital. Could she do it? Of course she could. Rebecca began the job without hesitation as the pandemic swept New York City and has been an invaluable asset on the frontlines ever since. “It gives me strength to know that I have skills and experience to give back,” Rebecca says.

“She’s playing an important role now in the crisis,” says Christina, who still checks in with Rebecca once a week to offer support. “I’m grateful to have positive reports from her, and grateful that our paths have crossed. Nursing is Rebecca’s passion, and it gives her a seriousness of purpose—even more so now with the crisis. She has a wealth of information and knowledge to share—seeing that gives me strength as well.”

To read more VNSNY Heroes of 2020 stories, click here.