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NEW YORK STATE ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION AVAILABLE TO OPERATE COMMUNITY WELLNESS SPACE IN THE BRONX
Office of Mental Health Issues a Request for Proposals to Operate 17,000-Square-Foot Structure as a Recovery Hub and Community Resource
The New York State Office of Mental Health is seeking proposals for an operator to oversee the newly renovated community wellness space on the campus of the Bronx Psychiatric Center. The agency has made available up to $5 million over five years to enlist a trusted, culturally grounded non-profit organization with significant history providing services to Bronx residents or significant knowledge of the needs of the community to operate the two-story 17,000-square-foot facility as a wellness center.
“We envision the Wellness Center as a community hub that will offer a diverse and inclusive environment for both the individuals receiving services at the Bronx Psychiatric campus and for residents of the community as a whole,” Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “The prospective operator will help this facility become a place for the community to come together in an inclusive and wellness-focused manner. We look forward to forming this partnership and realizing our vision for an integrated person-centered wellness center.”
The Wellness Center is envisioned as a resource for the Bronx community as a whole, but also for individuals living with mental health conditions --including those transitioning back into the community from inpatient and residential settings or otherwise lacking a connection to their community. Likewise, the facility will promote mental and physical wellness and foster interpersonal connections aimed at bringing together individuals from widely varying backgrounds –something that will help reduce the stigma often associated with mental illness.
The goal of the center is to address the social drivers of health within the greater Bronx Community, including its financial, occupational, and intellectual needs. The selected operator will build positive relationships and coalitions with community providers, businesses, and organizations; facilitate and support peer leadership roles; and practice person-centered recovery models.
Located in Building 5 on the Bronx Psychiatric campus, the center is adjacent to an MTA bus stop and located nearby a dense residential area. Originally known as the Bronx Ginsberg Clinic, the facility was overhauled in 2019 and now offers office space, a computer room, training rooms, a commercial kitchen with center island for teaching space, a full-service health suite, and a large greenhouse.
Commissioner Sullivan joined leadership from the Bronx Psychiatric Center, state legislators and local officials to tour the facility in March, which featured demonstrations and exhibits to showcase the renovated space for both members of the Greater Bronx community and prospective operators. Watch a video of the open house.
OMH conducted extensive discussions and visioning workshops to determine the best uses for the resulting center. As a result of these discussions, the agency developed a list of guiding principles to provide direction for future activities at the wellness center, including empowering the Bronx community and being inclusive; being adaptable and flexible, providing on- and off-site programing; having a holistic approach to health with offerings that meet the needs of Bronx residents; and leveraging the strength and expertise of existing integrative wellness practitioners and organizations.
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