Featured PROJECTS
In Fall 2023, following more than a year of pilot testing and a comprehensive needs assessment, Bronx Community College, Hostos Community College, and Lehman College and the CUNY Chancellor’s Office of Transformation launched the CUNY CARES Demonstration Project. CUNY Comprehensive Access to Resources for Essential Services (CUNY CARES) is a pilot program that seeks to link students to health, mental health, food security, housing, and other essential services in order to improve their health and academic success. Healthy CUNY, along with the CUNY Office of Transformation and the Bronx CUNY campuses, will work to demonstrate and evaluate a new approach to integrated, comprehensive, student-centered health and social services. The program will direct its efforts to supporting the 30,000 students attending CUNY’s three Bronx campuses: Lehman, Bronx Community, and Hostos Community Colleges. Based on the results of this three year pilot program, successful elements will be extended to all 25 CUNY campuses. For more information about CUNY CARES, please email CARES@cuny.edu or visit the CUNY CARES webpage.
STUDENTS HELPING STUDENTS
Since 2012, Healthy CUNY has trained and mobilized CUNY students across campuses to conduct educational outreach and develop advocacy campaigns that address student health and essential needs. Our Advocates help to promote emergency food services, healthcare services, mental health counseling and affordable housing. Advocates are active on several CUNY campuses and on social media to help inform students of the resources available to help them be healthy and succeed in school.
CUNY CARES Advocates conduct outreach on the Bronx campuses, educating and connecting their peers to resources for essential services in the Bronx. CARES Navigators are trained CUNY students who provide direct assistance on campus or virtually through a secure online portal. The Navigator program is designed to assist CUNY students with SNAP and other public benefits enrollment. By enrolling in SNAP, students have more consistent access to healthy, affordable food. Navigators are also trained and have resources to assist undocumented students who often are not eligible for public benefits. They can help connect students to NYC Care, a low-cost healthcare program provided by NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot afford or are not eligible for health insurance, as well as other community programs.
An initiative of CUNY Comprehensive Access to Resources for Essential Services (CARES), Navigators’ primary focus is on the Bronx campuses as we scale up to be able to serve more students. However no CUNY student is turned away, and all CUNY students are welcome to connect with our Navigators for assistance and referrals to essential needs services. If you are a CUNY student looking for help enrolling in benefits or want to find out more about what resources are available to you, fill out the Navigator form here.
Healthy CUNY Advocates and Navigators all work to promote health and social policies and programs that support young adult health more broadly. Check out our Navigator Blog here.
Below are examples of outreach materials developed by student Advocates. To see more, follow @HealthyCUNY and @CUNY_CARES on Instagram.
Advocates’ Corner
A newsletter from the Healthy CUNY Advocates
snap enrollment campaign
SNAP provides vital support for students and families that struggle to afford food. Unfortunately, many students fail to enroll in SNAP because they do not know that they are eligible or feel confused by the application process. Healthy CUNY has worked with partners across all campuses and in the community to promote enrollment in this important resource.
