Libraries are often the only refuge and resource for the most vulnerable members of society. For years the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) has actively partnered with community organizations to creatively address homeless issues. They include local and state organizations such as the San Diego Police Department’s Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT), the San Diego Downtown Partnership, Salvation Army, the Monarch School, the California Department of Veteran Affairs, the East Village Association, and many other. When building the new Central Library, SDPL wanted to offer homeless library patrons more than just access to books, computers and a place to spend the day. SDPL wanted to change the way it deals with this target population. A partnership with Mental Health Systems has created the New Chapter Support Center, which provides a full time mental health case manager for the Central Library. The case manager works side by side with library staff to address the many challenges of the homeless and mental health needs as well as providing training for staff throughout the library system.

The goals of New Chapter Support Center are to provide outreach, engagement and referral for San Diego Central Library patrons who are adults at least 18 years of age or older and impacted by homelessness or behavioral health issues. Individuals accessing this program's services are self-referred or referred by library staff or volunteers. The onsite case manager has specific training and access to resources needed to reduce the stigma related to mental illness and homelessness, which can create barriers to recovery and attaining stable and permanent housing.

The case manager provides:

• Information to those who are interested in receiving resources about available no-cost mental health, housing and other social services,
• Peer counseling,
• Case management, and
• Crisis intervention services.

The San Diego Public Library strives to create a welcoming and safe environment for all who visit. Integrating the Mental Health Systems New Chapter Support Center into the new Central Library has gone a long way toward assuring the general public, library staff, and security personnel, as well as homeless patrons and those with mental health needs, that the Library is committed to implementing creative and effective solutions that actually change people's lives. Library staff report that the New Central Support Center case worker has de-escalated conflicts between library patrons and modeled for staff how to more effectively approach potentially challenging interactions with patrons. The case worker also facilitates ongoing National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Recovery Support Groups, which allow participants to learn from each others’ experiences, share coping strategies, and offer each other encouragement. The Central Library's New Central Support Center is providing resources, steady ongoing support, a path to build a better life, and a community of hope for those most in need. The San Diego Public Library is proud to pilot this innovative program that is quickly becoming a model for other libraries across the country.