Project Renewal engages with people experiencing homelessness to help them prioritize their healthcare while concurrently supporting their most basic needs. The population served has complex healthcare needs that lead to mortality rates that average 20 years lower than the general population. Patients are served through self-contained clinics in shelter and housing programs, with nursing and mental health staff embedded within the shelter and housing facilities, via mobile healthcare services delivered throughout the City, and through licensed substance use treatment programs. We primarily serve people with serious mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, and multiple chronic medical conditions. Trauma-informed care is woven into all of the treatment modalities. Healthcare is provided independent of a person’s ability to pay. Throughout all of this work, Project Renewal is deeply committed to addressing systemic racial injustices to support individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs.

Project Renewal has integrated primary care and behavioral health services into the shelter-based clinics, which allows for patients to receive all services within one location. As a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and a NYS DOH licensed Article 28, Project Renewal operates four shelter-based integrated care clinics, two mobile healthcare, a mobile mammography unit, and four distinct substance use treatment programs. These substance use treatment programs are licensed by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports and are designed to serve patients with substance use disorders and other drug user health needs.

PRI provides nursing and mental health services within the shelter, permanent and transitional housing programs, where the healthcare team works closely with onsite case workers, residential aides, and other staff to provide integrated care to clients. Interdisciplinary weekly clinical meetings occur within sites to strengthen communications across the staff members and various services that clients receive onsite. In addition to the provision of onsite staff, the mobile health vans also visit PRI’s sites to provide additional primary care services to clients.

Services

Within New York State Department of Health licensed sites, Project Renewal provides primary medical care including complete history and physical exams, women’s health, prevention screenings, gender affirming care, vaccinations, management of chronic disease, laboratory and pharmacy services, and referrals for specialty care. A full-time dental clinic is housed at one of our shelter clinics. Our program also includes HIV prevention, screening and primary care services with a team of case managers, a nutritionist and an HIV specialist physician. Telepsychiatry is available across all sites. We also provide Health education and counseling, occupational therapy, facilitate insurance enrollment with benefits entitlements assistance.

Project Renewal has four distinct New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports licensed substance use treatment programs, providing low-threshold care and drug user health needs are addressed. Within the substance use treatment services, individuals receive group and individual counseling, occupational therapy, assessed for vocation potential and then referred to PRI’s pre-employment and employment programs. Project Renewal also operates Opioid Overdose Prevention Program to engage and refer clients to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).  This is a peer driven program to engage clients, provide Narcan training and refer to MAT if interested.

The sociohealth needs of people experiencing homeless is complex and individualized. Project Renewal is poised and ready to provide services to meet the needs of patients where they are in terms of receiving and accepting the kind of care they need and where they can access these services.

Linkages

Fellowship training programs at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center; New York City Health and Hospitals; St. John’s College of Pharmacy; New York City Department of Health, New City Department of Homeless Services

Statistics

• Project Renewal delivers healthcare to over 12,000 people.
• We provide emergency, transitional, and permanent housing to more than 3,900 homeless New Yorkers a year, including veterans and families.
• We serve 867 people with our employment programs, placing 355 in jobs.