Every New York county's Social Care Network: the nine Lead Entities and how to reach them

Nine Lead Entities cover all 62 New York counties across eleven regions. Find yours below, with the direct phone line the State publishes for each.

Which Social Care Network serves you depends entirely on where you live. Each region has one Lead Entity, and that organization coordinates screening, referrals and services for every Medicaid member in its counties.

Below is the full directory as published by the New York State Department of Health.

The complete directory

Nine Lead Entities cover eleven regions — Healthy Alliance Foundation Inc. is the Lead Entity for three of them, each with its own phone line.

New York City is split four ways

This is the detail most guides get wrong. New York City is not covered by a single network:

• Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens — Public Health Solutions (888-755-5045)
• The Bronx — Somos Healthcare Providers, Inc. (833-SOMOSNY)
• Staten Island — Staten Island Performing Provider System (917-830-1140)

And there is an exception inside the exception. Staten Island PPS also covers specific Brooklyn ZIP codes 11209, 11219, 11220 and 11228, and Queens ZIP codes 11355, 11368, 11373 and 11377 — even though the rest of those boroughs sit with Public Health Solutions.

One Lead Entity, three regions

Healthy Alliance Foundation Inc. is the Lead Entity for three separate regions — the Capital Region, Central New York and the North Country — each with a distinct phone number. Use the number matching your county, not simply the first Healthy Alliance number you find.

What your Lead Entity does for you

Per NYSDOH, Lead Entities build networks of community-based organizations, coordinate screening and navigation, support referrals and service delivery, enable secure data exchange, monitor performance, and establish regional governance. They also coordinate with managed care plans, health and behavioral health providers, local governments, and child and family service organizations.

For a member, the practical meaning is simpler: this is who you call, or whose website self-screener you complete, to start the process.

Four ways to get connected

NYSDOH lists these routes for Medicaid members:

• go to the regional Social Care Network website and fill out the self-screener, or call the direct line above;
• speak with your provider or care manager;
• contact your health plan; or
• ask a participating community-based organization.

If you are not sure which county you are in

Use the county on your Medicaid correspondence or your local department of social services. Service availability can vary by region even within the same program, so it is worth speaking to the correct network from the start.

For general program questions, NYSDOH publishes the contact address sdh@health.ny.gov.

Frequently asked questions

What if I move to a different county?

Your regional network changes with your address. Contact the Lead Entity for your new county — and tell your health plan about the move, since a change of address is the sort of major life event that can also trigger a fresh HRSN screening.

Can I choose a different Social Care Network?

The networks are assigned by region rather than chosen. Contact the Lead Entity that covers your county.

I live in Brooklyn — do I call Public Health Solutions or Staten Island PPS?

Check your ZIP code. Brooklyn ZIPs 11209, 11219, 11220 and 11228 are assigned to Staten Island Performing Provider System. The rest of Brooklyn is served by Public Health Solutions.

Are these phone numbers free to call?

They are standard telephone numbers; the 888 and 833 numbers are toll-free. Screening and Social Care Network services carry no cost to the member.