Carlos is an SOS Team Care Manager at The Bridge who spends three days a week with clients. During their time together, he assesses their needs, assists them with booking medical appointments, links them to community services, and helps them explore housing opportunities—among many other important tasks. First, though, he must meet them where they are.
In one typical morning, Carlos will be scheduled to visit with four clients across Manhattan, beginning at the Grand Central Terminal food court, then in the streets and subway stations of Midtown, and ending at the Bellevue Men's Shelter. Finding his clients takes some investigative work: picking up context clues, recalling faces and encampments, talking to police officers and MTA staff, and retracing routes.
Carlos shares that being able to help his clients navigate different situations and improve their lives is worth it. “It’s great to be able to find solutions for my clients, but at the end of the day, they’re the ones who decide to show up and help themselves. When they thank me for helping them, I tell them, no man—it’s all you! Thank you for spending your day with me and trusting me.” It is due to compassionate and dedicated staff members like Carlos that clients at The Bridge can begin to envision a different life for themselves and access the tools and services to reach those goals. |