The Institute for Community Living (ICL) in New York City has announced the launch of a three-year, $2.3 million pilot funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to address gaps in support for people who experience serious behavioral health challenges and housing insecurity.

The STEPS (Step-down Treatment Ensures Personal Success) program aims to provide a first-of-its-kind step-down model for people enrolled in the city’s Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) and state’s Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) mobile programs who are ready for less intensive services. According to ICL, there are more than 1,300 people waiting for placement in IMT and ACT, and STEPS will enable the city and state to move people off waitlists while providing current ACT and IMT participants with more appropriate services, which can be provided via home or field visits, in-group sessions, and through telehealth, as appropriate. ICL anticipates serving 250 individuals through the pilot.

“For New Yorkers who have some of the most complex health and social needs, the path to long-term stability requires consistent, personalized support,” Helmsley Charitable Trust New York City program officer Tracy Perrizo. “ICL’s visionary step-down treatment program expands the range of intensity in care to adjust to changing needs, while allowing more people to enroll in IMT programs. Individuals will now be able to continue their path towards stability utilizing a right-sized level of IMT services, making the best use of this critical care.”

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