CIDNY’s NY Connects Program
COVID-19/CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
NY Connects at CIDNY is committed to serving you during the coronavirus outbreak. We are working hard to help people with disabilities and older adults access benefits, proper information about city and state changes, food and peer support resources, and more. Our counselors are available 9 am until 5 pm, Monday through Friday, if you call 1-844-862-7930. You can also request to be contacted by a counselor by filling out this form.
Click here to fill out the NY Connects help request form.
Our 5 borough offices are closed at this time to walk-ins as we are serving our community remotely. Stay safe and reach out! We are here to help.
What is NY Connects?
CIDNY’s NY Connects program is a free, trusted place to go for information about services and resources that support people with disabilities. We work with New Yorkers of all ages and with any type of disability whether they live at home, in a nursing home, or another residential setting. Our counselors help people with disabilities make informed decisions about short term and long term services and support options including help with benefits enrollment. And, we make sure that people are directly connected with the resources they need to achieve and maintain their independence.
Who We Serve
We serve people with disabilities in every borough, of all ages and income levels wanting to learn more about services and supports in New York City. Typically, we serve:
- Adults of all ages living with a long term disability;
- Adults with a disability regardless of income or income source(s);
- Younger adults living with a long term disability;
- Caregivers of adults and parents of children with a disability; and
- Professional service providers working with someone in need of long term services and supports.
How It Works
Our staff are based in each of New York City’s five boroughs and can provide person-centered benefits counseling including eligibility screening processes for benefits and services. We can help you complete applications and enroll in:
- Public assistance benefits, like Medicaid, Medicare,
- Housing applications including supportive housing applications,
- SNAP applications / food assistance,
- Social Security benefits, and more.
Our counselors can also advise you on how to maintain your benefits, set goals for your long term care and support, and access community resources that support your needs.
All you need to do is contact our staff in your borough to start getting the information and help you need. Our NY Connects program is available from 9 am until 5 pm, Monday through Friday. The program is funded through the NYS Office for the Aging.
How to Contact NY Connects
You can get information over the phone or by setting up an appointment by calling 844-862-7930. You can also fill out this form to have one of our benefits counselors reach out to you.
Most locations are working remotely so you should call before you attempt to visit a location. In general, our office hours are from 9:30 am until 3 pm Monday through Friday at each of our locations:
- CIDNY – Manhattan, 1010 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 300, New York, NY
- CIDNY – Queens, 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd, Suite 400, Kew Gardens, Queens, NY
- CIDNY – Brooklyn, 30 3rd Ave., 8th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11217
- Community Health Action of Staten Island, 56 Bay Street, 4th Floor, Staten Island, NY
- Bronx Independent Living Services – 4419 Third Avenue, #2C, Bronx, NY
Click here to download the NY Connects brochure.
To get started, all you need is to call 844-862-7930 and ask to speak to a NY Connects counselor in your borough.
We’re here to help.
