Have you heard the buzz about the Social Care Networks program (a.k.a. SCN)?
You might know people who are receiving ready-made food, or assistance with other household expenses, through this program.
So, what’s it all about?
Who’s it for?
Can you get it, too?
Read on to learn what SCN offers and whether you are eligible for it!
What is SCN?
First off, let’s just take a second to clarify what this program is all about.
SCN is a New York State program designed to help Medicaid enrollees access a safe and healthy lifestyle by meeting nutritional, transportation, and housing needs.
O-kaaay… But what services does SCN offer?
Based on individual need, SCN can provide ready-made food or grocery staples, pest-control and mold removal assistance, transportation, minor home modifications, help paying utility bills, and rent assistance, among other services.
Different services have different thresholds for eligibility. While many families in need have been able to access ready-made food or grocery staples through SCN, a higher level of need is required for assistance with rent or utility bills.
SCN does not provide cash; they pay contracted vendors directly. There are contracted vendors in the frum community who can provide you with Kosher food through SCN.
A navigator will provide a screening to determine what you can receive through SCN based on your individual need. Services are provided for 6 months, at which point the navigator will re-assess to see if your needs still require SCN in order to be met.
This is amazing. Who is eligible for SCN?
Anyone who is:
A NYS resident
On a Medicaid Managed Care plan (not straight Medicaid)
Has any disability, mental health or medical issue, or is pregnant or up to a year post-partum. This includes people with intellectual and developmental disabilities! (Health Home enrollees — what you might call Children’s Waiver, or “HCBS” — are considered high priority and are likely to qualify for services through SCN.)
Although this is a program that may service the whole family, the person who is on the Medicaid Managed Care plan must be the same person who is experiencing the health issue. Some examples:
❎If Mom is on a Medicaid Managed Care plan and her child with a developmental disability is on Straight Medicaid, neither Mom nor Child qualifies for SCN
✅If Mom is on a Medicaid Managed Care plan and is pregnant, she qualifies for SCN
✅If Mom is on a commercial insurance, but her child with a medical condition is on a Medicaid Managed Care plan, Child qualifies for SCN
Keep in mind that services are awarded on a NEED basis. An individual with a qualifying insurance plan and disability won’t get services that aren’t needed.
Sounds awesome! Where do I sign up?
Many community centers and agencies are assisting families with SCN enrollment.
Reach out to Ezreinu at 718-750-1010 for a referral. Once you’ve called a center or agency, they will assign a navigator to your case. The navigator will conduct a screening and will determine whether you are eligible for SCN, and if yes, which services you qualify for. 🟦
With much appreciation to Miri Seide of HCS for sharing her knowledge on SCN with us. HCS can assist with SCN enrollment.
HCS Brooklyn: 718-854-2747
HCS Rockland: 845-426-2199
We’ve got news to share…
For the first time in a long, LONG time, we are running our family pizza dinner raffle!
Remember those? Maybe not; the last time we did this, our email list was less than half the size of what it is now!
Here’s how it works:
Fill out a short survey to help families like yours get great referrals
Get automatically entered into a raffle to win a pizza dinner for your family. Yup, it’s easy as pie! (🙄)
This time around, we want to hear about your experience with your child’s GI (and your feeding tube/weaning journey). Share your knowledge and experience, help families like yours get great referrals, and win a free pizza dinner for your family!
The drawing will take place on Thursday, January 1st, 2026.
Do you know other families dealing with gastro challenges? Forward this form to others who might be interested in sharing their knowledge!
Dina, a well-behaved adult with special needs, had aged out of the summer camp she’d attended for the past few years. Dina’s mother reached out to a few other programs, but nobody wanted to accommodate her because of her age. She called Ezreinu and to her profound relief, she was connected with a camp that agreed to take Dina for the upcoming summer with open arms.
Gitty, a cute little girl with a neurological disorder, was behaving unusually for a few weeks straight. Her parents, therapists, and teachers were stumped by her behavior. Her mother reached out to Ezreinu, and after discussing the situation with a client support specialist, she came out with clear, straightforward guidance and excellent referrals for professionals who would be able to help Gitty.
Identifying details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
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