NAMI Staten Island’s St. Joseph Crisis Respite Program Helps Those With Mental Illness Live More Independently

The Residential Services Division, established in 1986, provides a full continuum of residential and housing options—from transitional community residences to permanent housing—so that persons with serious mental illness, co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders, and other special needs can live as independently as possible.

Residential Services provides housing options in four boroughs of New York City, as well as in Westchester County.

The Staten Island Crisis Respite Center is a 3-bed program located in the heart of Staten Island. Since its opening on April 1, 2016, the program has been an essential resource to the Staten Island community. The Crisis Respite is an innovative and unique alternative to a traditional emergency room or inpatient hospital setting. It also serves as a method of reintegration into the community after experiencing inpatient psychiatric care.

The Center is also peer-driven and fully staffed with certified peer specialists with supervised staff coverage. Recipients will be able to attend wellness groups, and receive community linkages and advocacy, just to name a few. As an alternative to hospitalization, guests are not confined to a building but can carry on with their lives, whether that includes work, school, or social activities, while at the same time receiving the support and care they are seeking at the moment. As an effective approach to supporting recovery from behavioral health conditions, the program is an integral part of New York State’s coordinated crisis response continuum of care.