NYC start: A new model for securing community services for individuals hospitalized for first-episode psychosis

Abstract

Objective: The New York City (NYC) Board of Health amended the city’s health code to require hospitals to report to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene when individuals ages 18–30 are hospitalized for first-episode psychosis (FEP). This study examined the implementation of NYC START, a program that meets patients hospitalized with FEP to offer a voluntary, 3-month critical time intervention provided by social workers and peer specialists to connect individuals to appropriate community mental health services after discharge. Methods: Service logs completed by program staff were summarized to determine the mean number of contacts received per client per week, types of services provided by social workers and peer specialists, survival analyses of time to discharge from NYC START, and connection rates with community mental health services. Results: Of the 285 clients who accepted NYC START services in 2016, 87% attended an initial mental health appointment after hospital discharge and 78% completed at least 3 months of the program. Consistent with the program model, contacts were most frequent in clients’ first week in NYC START, with a mean of 2.561.4 contacts, 1.9 of which were with social workers and 0.5 of which were with peer specialists. Social workers provided a mean of 17.364.4 client-specific activities per week, and peer specialists provided a mean of 8.563.5. Conclusions: NYC START serves as a critical time intervention to connect people hospitalized with FEP to community mental health treatment.