Program Overview
Brooklyn & Staten Island Forensic Link provide alternative-to-incarceration court monitoring and re-entry services for defendants with serious mental health issues involved in the criminal justice system who may or may not suffer from a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Clients Served Last Year:
1,171
Program Contact:
Thomas Sheehan, JD
Senior Director
Funding Generously Provided by:
New York City Health Hospital Corporation and private donations.
Contact Information:
175 Remsen Street, 5th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 975-0180
tsheehan@eacnyc.org
Program Description
The Problem:
Individuals with serious mental illness are over-represented in the criminal justice system and face many challenges upon re-entering society.
Our Solution:
Address participants’ mental health and substance abuse needs by creating individualized treatment plans that connect them to community treatment.
How We Do it:
Brooklyn & Staten Island Forensic Link has a team of psychologists, consulting psychiatrists, specially-trained case managers, and student trainees who provide psychological and psycho-social assessments and intensive case management for defendants reentering the community from incarceration at Rikers Island.
The program’s aim is to fully integrate participants back into the community and to help them avoid re-arrest by providing supportive services that assist with their behavioral health needs. Case Managers develop working alliances with participants to help them obtain housing, health insurance, and disability benefits to establish long-term stability, as well as monitor them while they are in the community.
How You Can Help:
Brooklyn & Staten Island Forensic Link is in need of a rug cleaning and a new kitchen tabletop. To support Forensic LINK with a gift, click here or call (516) 539-0150 x117.
The Outcomes of Brooklyn & Staten Island Forensic Link
12,000
Clients gain long-term stability and fully integrate back into the community. LINK has served over 12,000 individuals since its inception.
What People Say About Brooklyn & Staten Island Forensic Link
I was an intern at EAC Network’s CRAN (formerly LINK) program for 9 months and it was truly an unforgettable and unique experience. My experience here offered personal contact with inmates and defendants, conducting psycho-social assessments, and help obtaining services, such as housing and employment. I was also given an intimate look at the criminal justice system as I assisted with client advocacy. It’s an excellent opportunity for students seeking experience with the mentally ill and the courts.
I began my career at EAC Network’s CRAN (formerly LINK) program as an intern. Six months later I was hired for a full-time position as a Forensic Case Manager. It has been such an enriching experience working for EAC Network. EAC Network strives to “reach people in need” and I feel that [CRAN] truly embodies that statement and it makes me proud to work for this agency.
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