Mental Health Services: Single Point of Access (SPOA)

The program reviews eligibility and makes referrals to the following services:

• Non-Medicaid Care Coordination (NMCC): This service is available only for people with a serious mental illness.
  
• Assertive Community Treatment (ACT): This treatment is for people with a serious mental illness who have high service needs that are not being met in traditional settings. People with serious mental illness who are otherwise unable to connect to community treatment can receive clinical support from an interdisciplinary team. Learn more about the state guidelines for Assertive Community Treatment.
  
• Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT): This is available to people with serious mental illness who are eligible for Assertive Community Treatment and have current forensic involvement.
  
• Shelter Partnered ACT (SPACT): This is available to people with serious mental illness who are eligible for ACT and reside in an NYC mental health shelter.
  
• Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT): IMT provides mobile mental health and substance use treatment and supports to people with serious behavioral health concerns, very complex life situations, transient living situations and/or involvement with the criminal justice system.

Referral Application

If you want to refer a person with serious mental illness to one of the services described above, you can do so by using NYCMED. Your application must include a recent psychiatric evaluation, a recent psychosocial evaluation and a client consent form.

1. Complete the online application by logging into NYCMED. If you do not have a NYCMED account, you can create one. For questions or technical assistance, call 888-NYCMED-9 (888-692-6339), or complete the NYC.ID online feedback form.
   
2. Access the SPOA Referrals Portal. Maven users can access the portal with the same log-in information.
   
3. If you are not a Health + Hospitals employee, enter your nyc.gov account information on the left side of the screen. Health + Hospitals employees should use the "NYC Employees" function on the right side, and log in by entering their account ending in "@nychhc.org".
   
4. Begin your application on the SPOA referrals portal entry page and enter pertinent information.

For questions related to a SPOA referral, email SPOA@health.nyc.gov, or call 347-396-7258.

Housing

The Center for Urban Community Services currently oversees the housing referral process.

Children's Single Point of Access (CSPOA)

Children's Single Point of Access (CSPOA) is a centralized referral system for children and youth with serious emotional disturbance who need intensive mental health services to remain at home or in their community. CSPOA can direct youth as old as 21 to a variety of high-end community services. After receiving a referral request, CSPOA will conduct an assessment and interview the family and referrer to determine the child’s needs.

CSPOA refers children and adolescents to services such as:

• Health Home Care Management (ages 0-21): Provides care coordination to youth with chronic behavioral and physical health needs. A care manager will provide various services, including an individualized plan of care and patient advocacy.
  
• Non-Medicaid Care Coordination (ages 0-21) : Provides care coordination to youth who are diagnosed with severe emotional disturbance. A care manager will provide various services, including an individualized plan of care and patient advocacy.
  
• High Fidelity Wraparound (ages 12-21) (Only available in Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx): Provides coordination of services for families to meet their needs. It is a structured, team-based process that includes a care manager, and family and youth peers using an evidence-based model, which partners with families on how to use their voice to develop a family-driven plan that promotes self-advocacy.
  
• Community Residence (ages 8-17.9): These small therapeutic group homes provide housing and supervision from specially trained staff. Services include structured daily living activities and training in problem solving skills. Clinical services are provided by local mental health programs.
  
• Refocus Community Residence (ages 14-20): Only one located in Queens, a small therapeutic group home which focuses on preparing older adolescents for successful independent living with classes for life skills and peer advocacy groups that help them reconnect with family members, building an informal support network of peers and adults. Clinical services are provided by local mental health programs.
  
• Youth Assertive Community Treatment (Youth ACT) (ages 10-21): Provides a comprehensive team of professionals to deliver intensive, highly coordinated, individualized services and skilled therapeutic interventions to maintain youth in their home, school and community. The team includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner, clinical support specialist, program assistant, team leader, licensed mental health professionals, and peer and family advocates.
  
• Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) (ages 5-17): A residential psychiatric facility that provides comprehensive mental health treatment services to children and youth who need long-term treatment (more than 180 days) in a residential setting. Provides a self-contained therapeutic setting that also offers school, recreational, vocational, and medical services.
  

To make a referral to CSPOA, see the below forms and instructions. In addition to referring by mail or online, you can also refer by faxing your forms to 347-396-8849 or emailing to the secure fax line at CSPOA@health.nyc.gov

• Children’s Single Point of Access Application Part 1 (PDF)
• Children’s Single Point of Access Application Part 2 (PDF)
• Required Consent for Release of Information (PDF)

For more information about CSPOA or the referral process, call 347-396-7205.

More Information

• Mental Health and Behavioral Health
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Information and Referrals