The Nathaniel Clinic now welcomes walk-in appointments 9 AM–5 PM, Monday–Friday, including for psychiatric services.

CASES’ Nathaniel Clinic provides counseling and wellness services to youth and adults in Central Harlem. The Nathaniel Clinic specializes in trauma-informed, evidence-based services for young people (as young as 13 years old) and adults with current or previous involvement in the criminal justice system.

Health care providers often struggle to provide timely services to patients—in 2016, the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality reported that 10% of surveyed adults never or only sometimes got appointments for medical care as soon as they needed them.1 In Central Harlem, where the Nathaniel Clinic is located, there were 1,038 psychiatric hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in 2015—a rate that was 150% higher than that of New York City as a whole. Central Harlem had the ninth highest rate of psychiatric hospitalizations out of 59 community districts, indicating a lack of access to mental health care including outpatient services that could help prevent hospitalization.2 Based on our understanding of clients’ and the community’s needs, and in keeping with current research on best practices for mental health care, CASES is pleased to now offer walk-in access for all services at our Nathaniel Clinic to minimize any logistical or scheduling challenges that might otherwise prevent persons in need from receiving prompt care.

“The Nathaniel Clinic has been in operation for nearly four years, and we are continuously working to make improvements and offer enhanced services that best meet our clients’ needs,” Jessica Klaver, CASES’ Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services, said. “Research indicates that—especially for the justice-involved individuals who make up more than 70% of our clinic clients—offering extended walk-in hours supports more consistent and frequent engagement in treatment.”

The Nathaniel Clinic remains one of the only outpatient clinics operating in New York City that offers criminal justice-specialist care to youth and adults. Along with individual psychotherapy and psychiatry, the Nathaniel Clinic offers peer specialist support groups and coaching; wellness groups including nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation; and group counseling including evidence-based interventions such as Seeking Safety, Wellness Self-Management, and Diabetes Self-Management. The clinic also offers onsite primary health care services through a partnership with the Institute for Family Health. Walk-in primary care services are currently available at the clinic from 12 PM–5 PM every Wednesday.

For more information about the Nathaniel Clinic or to make a referral, please visit the Nathaniel Clinic website.