$4 Million in Funding for Connections To Care

Connections to Care (C2C), a public-private partnership that helps to provide mental-health services at the community level, is receiving $4 million in new funding from the City of New York, which will fill a gap created when an important federal funding stream ended. The new funding will ensure that C2C can continue its work training social service organizations to promote well-being and address community mental health challenges.

Overseen by NYC Opportunity, C2C was launched with a three-year, $6 million grant in 2015 from the federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF), with an opportunity to seek a two-year extension worth $4 million. The SIF grant required a 2:1 match, which was met through a fundraising commitment of $10 million from the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and $10 million from providers. Congress, however, eliminated funding for SIF in FY 2017, which created a $4 million gap for the fourth and fifth years of the program.

The new $4 million commitment from the City fills this gap. It will support contracts via the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with providers currently participating in the program through February 2021.

C2C has already exceeded its early implementation goals by training over 1,200 staff and serving over 19,000 community members through 15 provider organizations halfway through the year initiative. This early success, and other positive reports on the program, helped to secure the new City funding. A RAND evaluation on program implementation, impacts, and costs is in progress.

Learn more about Connections to Care and other special initiatives supported by NYC Opportunity.