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 three upstate counties. Jointly operated by Catholic Charities of Cortland County and Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc., the new team is assisting individuals in Cortland, Tompkins and Tioga counties, including those with mental health and substance use challenges.

 “Since the first teams launched two years ago, the Safe Options Support program has helped bring lasting stability to the lives of New Yorkers who were experiencing homelessness and with complex medical and behavioral health needs,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “The partnership between Catholic Charities and RSS will help deliver critical services to individuals with mental illness who are now living unsheltered in an area that is largely rural. The success and growth of this program is demonstrating how Governor Kathy Hochul’s mental health initiative is continuing to strengthen our state’s system of care.”

Catholic Charities of Cortland County was awarded $5 million over five years and is partnering with Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc. to operate the program in Cortland, Tompkins, and Tioga counties. The team began canvassing areas in Tioga and Cortland counties last summer, and then began taking referrals from all three areas this fall.

The newly established program will provide structured, personalized support. Teams will include peer specialists, housing specialists, and mental health professionals, to guide individuals through critical transition periods and connect them with long-term resources.

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 for nearly 620 individuals, including 133 that were placed in OMH-licensed housing.

Catholic Charities of Cortland County Executive Director Tim Lockwood said, “Catholic Charities is excited to take on this opportunity of bringing direct street outreach support to the unhoused in our region. The SOS program presents a different approach of low-barrier service delivery and housing support. The team we have assembled is very dedicated and motivated and is ready to meet the needs of homeless individuals across the 3 counties. The team will build upon the strengths of each individual to support them on a path toward permanent housing.  There is a lot of work ahead, but we are confident we can make a difference in people’s lives.”

RSS Program Director Larissa Brower said, “We’re proud to work with our colleagues at Catholic Charities of Cortland County on the Safe Options Support program, which delivers critical support, services and shelter while offering hope to our fellow community members. SOS will play an integral role in assisting vulnerable individuals and strengthening communities throughout Central New York and the Southern Tier. We commend Governor Hochul and Commissioner Sullivan for their vision and leadership in establishing and championing the SOS initiative, which is providing much-needed stability to those experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges.”

For more information about the Safe Options Support program in Cortland, Tompkins, and Tioga counties, or to seek assistance, please call (607) 756-5992 Ext. 202 or visit www.ccocc.org/sos.