Outcomes and Lessons Learned:
Make the Road NY
- Provided translated navigation support and case management to newly arrived migrants at arrival centers in Manhattan and helped to connect 7,000 asylum seekers to health and mental health services.
- Enrolled 1,049 individuals into Emergency Medicaid, 887 into public health insurance (including Medicaid and Child Health Plus), 1,458 into NYC Care by working with bilingual community health workers. The bilingual community health workers also facilitated 600 people to receive vaccines and screened 2,000 individuals for health-related social needs including food, transportation, language support, and workplace safety training.
- Conducted monthly virtual meetings to educate individuals about key health topics such as diabetes, asthma management, cancer screening, preventative care, and answered questions about navigating the health care system and patient rights.
- Released a report entitled, Leaving Behind the Newest New Yorkers, which identifies ongoing challenges faced by new arrivals and proposed solutions to resource gaps.
New York Immigration Coalition
- Assisted 5,000 recent arrivals with case management and navigation support, focusing on health, mental health, food access, and other basic needs.
- Provided technical assistance and public messaging support to upstate NYIC member organizations to respond to local resistance about new arrivals and coordinated efforts between NYC-based groups and upstate health departments, elected officials and community health centers to ensure safe transition for newly arrived families.
- Developed region-specific messaging and translated health-related material and Know Your Rights (KYR) resources to address the unique needs of new arrivals. Materials were translated into 13 languages including indigenous African languages and Central American indigenous dialects.
- Re-granted NYHealth funding to two upstate-based nonprofits—Jericho Road Community Health Center in Buffalo and For the Many in the Mid-Hudson Valley—to conduct case management to screen for social needs, provide transportation and bilingual accompaniment to medical appointments, enroll individuals in health coverage and connect individuals to trauma-informed mental health services.
Bronx Health Collective – Montefiore Medical Center’s Terra Firma Program
- Provided health care services to more than 500 newly arrived families.
- Hosted 14 immunization drives – vaccinating more than 230 individuals against communicable diseases.
- Connected children newly diagnosed with developmental disabilities and genetic childhood diseases to specialized care, mitigating more serious health outcomes.
- Linked sheltered families to one of Montefiore’s health clinics in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan to establish a medical home for primary care.
- Conducted a “Migrant Family Needs Survey” which measured the health impact of New York City’s 90-day shelter limits on migrant children. Findings helped inform health strategies of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Department of Homeless Services.
Co-Funding and Additional Funds Leveraged:
Make the Road New York: Additional funding from New York City Council ($172,683) and leveraged more than $16 million from a range of private and public funders, including New York State Department of Health, Catholic Charities, New York Foundation, and Altman Foundation which supported Make the Road New York’s broader efforts.
NYIC: Ford Foundation ($100,000), Trinity Church Wall Street ($100,000), New York Foundation ($30,000), Stavros Niarchos Foundation ($700,000)
Terra Firma: Robin Hood Foundation ($177,500), AC & JC Foundation ($50,000), Aronson Family Foundation ($100,000), and JPB Foundation ($100,000).
