The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced the successful launch of a new Safe Options Support or ‘SOS’ team to help bring stability to individuals who are experiencing chronic homelessness in two upstate counties. Operated by the Monroe Plan for Medical Care, the new team is assisting individuals in Onondaga and Oswego counties, including those with mental health and substance use challenges.

“The Safe Options Support program is helping New Yorkers who were experiencing homelessness and with complex medical and behavioral health needs to get the care and housing they need to recover in their communities,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “This new team operated by the Monroe Plan for Medical Care will extend critical services deep into the Central New York region to help individuals with mental illness who are living unsheltered in this area. The success and growth of this program is representative of Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to strengthening our mental health care system statewide.”

The Monroe Plan for Medical Care was awarded $5 million over five years to operate the program in Onondaga and Oswego counties. The team began canvassing in areas around Onondaga County late last summer and then in Oswego County earlier this fall, having already enrolled 14 individuals into receiving services.

Monroe Plan’s SOS program will work closely with Rescue Mission in Onondaga County and Oswego County Opportunities in Oswego County, which have experience and strong relationships within their respective communities. These partnerships will ensure that individuals receive the full spectrum of care, including housing assistance, mental health support, and connection to local resources.

Monroe Plan for Medical Care Chief Operating Officer Kim Hess said, “We are excited to receive this OMH grant, which allows us to expand our services in Central New York. Our partnerships with Rescue Mission and Oswego County Opportunities will be instrumental in delivering comprehensive care and housing support to individuals facing homelessness in Onondaga and Oswego counties.”

Altogether, these multidisciplinary outreach and referral-based teams are now serving 22 counties across the upstate region and Long Island, including communities with sizeable populations of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. So far, the 11 teams operating in upstate and outside of New York City have enrolled more than 400 individuals in the services they provide –including nearly 64 who are unsheltered –and have helped 142 individuals into permanent housing.

The SOS program uses Critical Time Intervention, an evidence-based practice that helps connect vulnerable individuals in crisis to housing and supports, including critical mental health services. Teams work with individuals experiencing homelessness to strengthen their skills and support network so that they can be successfully housed, and their care can be transferred to community-based providers.

Initially provided $25 million in the FY 2023 State Budget, Governor Hochul expanded funding for the SOS teams to nearly $34 million last year, and then $35.2 million in FY 2025. This has allowed the program to grow beyond the first teams established in New York City in 2022 to incorporate ten teams in upstate New York and one on Long Island.

SOS teams are now covering Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Steuben, Chemung, Tompkins, and Tioga counties in the Southern Tier. In addition, there are teams now canvasing communities in Westchester, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, and Ulster counties in the Hudson Valley Region; Albany, Schenectady, and Saratoga Counties in the Capital Region; Cortland, Onondaga, and Oswego in Central New York; Monroe County in the Finger Lakes region; and Erie County in the Western New York Region.

In addition, the SOS program is funding 15 teams that are canvasing throughout the New York City area, including the subways and transit locations. These teams have helped find permanent housing nearly 620 individuals, including 133 that were placed in OMH-licensed housing.