Experiences of Parachute NYC: An Integration of Open Dialogue and Intentional Peer Support.

Guided by the principles of Open Dialogue and Intentional Peer Support (IPS), Parachute NYC was designed to provide a "soft landing" for people experiencing psychiatric crisis. From 2012 to 2018, Parachute's teams of clinicians and peer specialists provided home-based mental health care to enrollees and their networks (family, friends), seeking to engage and improve their natural support networks. This qualitative study examined the experiences of enrollees and network members who participated in Parachute.

Metabolic Syndrome Screening and Assertive Community Treatment: A Quality Improvement Study.

Metabolic syndrome defines a collection of cardiometabolic illnesses that predict risk for poor physical health and early death and is highly prevalent among those with serious mental illness. Despite recommendations for routine monitoring, those with serious mental illness frequently do not receive physical health screenings. We conducted a quality improvement (QI) project to increase rates of metabolic syndrome screening in three New York City Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams.

Sharing stories, healing shattered lives.

Because of our capacity to provide crisis-oriented mental health services in the field throughout the city, we have played a role as one element of New York's emergency mental health response system. Our goal in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, is to allow the victims to tell their stories. By sharing their stories, individuals start the process of moving from helpless victims to proactive survivors.