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EmblemHealth Reaches Hundreds of Central Brooklyn Residents With Mental Well-Being Program
Powered by a $450,000 community project funding grant from Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), EmblemHealth’s Serenity and Soul Well-Being Program delivered free mental health support to central Brooklyn
07/23/2025
PHOTO (Left to right): EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care AVP Nazneen Rahman, New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke’s District Director Anita Taylor, EmblemHealth Medicaid Product Strategy AVP Jacqueline Prince, EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care Regional Manager Terri-Rhymes Lowery.
NEW YORK, NY (July 23, 2025) – At the southeast corner of Nostrand Ave. and Eastern Parkway, more than 600 Brooklynites were supported by EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care’s Serenity and Soul Well-Being Program. Since its launch in October 2023, the program has brought together residents from across Brooklyn for hundreds of free, in-person wellness classes and one-on-one support sessions.
"When we launched the program, we noticed that people were showing up for more than just the classes,” said Regional Manager Terri Rhymes-Lowery. “They were searching for connection; to be seen, heard, and understood. We listened, we adjusted, and we moved alongside them to build trust, community, and safe spaces to talk about what they were facing.”
The Serenity and Soul Well-Being Program offered:
- 550+ free classes and workshops on stress management, meditation, yoga, LGBTQ+ support, maternal wellness, and more.
- 600+ one-on-one mental well-being support sessions with a licensed clinical social worker.
- 370+ connections to additional resources or care coordination.
On average, each program participant returned nine times for either a class or a support session, resulting in more than 5,500 touchpoints throughout the program. This sustained engagement highlights the critical role neighborhood-based mental well-being services play in meeting ongoing needs, especially in working-class communities and communities of color that often face systemic barriers to care.
“Bringing programs like the Serenity and Soul Well-Being Program to Brooklyn ensures our communities have access to mental health resources that truly support and uplift them,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “By investing in accessible care, we’re expanding what's possible for the health and well-being of our neighborhoods – providing people the services they need with dignity and respect.”
A generous grant from Congresswoman Clarke enabled EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care to establish the program at its Crown Heights location, with a focus on providing culturally competent mental well-being education and support to communities across Brooklyn.
EmblemHealth remains dedicated to promoting positive health outcomes by connecting New Yorkers with the care and resources they need right in their neighborhoods.
About EmblemHealth
EmblemHealth is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health insurers, serving members across New York’s diverse communities with a full range of commercial and government-sponsored health plans for employers, individuals, and families. With a commitment to value-based care, EmblemHealth partners with top hospitals and doctors, including its own AdvantageCare Physicians, to deliver quality, affordable, convenient care. At more than a dozen EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care locations, members and nonmembers have access to community-based health and wellness guidance and resources. For more information, visit emblemhealth.com.