787 - Open Air Care Connections: Mental Health Care in Brooklyn's Iconic Prospect Park

Public Health On Call

About this episode:

Open Air Care Connections is a pilot project between Prospect Park Alliance, various community organizations, and the New York City Health Department. Born from the COVID-19 pandemic and built with basic public health principles like equity, access, and dignity, the program connects Brooklynites with much-needed services like mental health care, housing, and food access—all through casual conversations in Brooklyn’s iconic Prospect Park.

Guests:

Jared Grant is a community health worker and program assistant with NHS Brooklyn.

Morgan Monaco is the president of Prospect Park Alliance.

Jonathan Timal is a community health worker and program assistant with NHS Brooklyn.

Dr. Ashwin Vasan is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

• An Open-Air Approach to Mental Health Treatment—New York Times

• Alliance Launchs Open Air Care Connections—Prospect Park Alliance

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Interested in learning more about the Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellowship mentioned in this episode’s promo? Click here to learn more.