Project Restore is a city-supported, community-based pilot in Bedford-Stuyvesant that connects young men impacted by violence and criminal justice involvement to paid opportunities, mentorship, therapy, and culturally responsive mental health support, offering alternatives grounded in care, connection, and opportunity.

NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) Executive Director Eva Wong participated in a CBS News segment on Project Restore alongside Deanna Logan, Director of NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), Geraldine Downey, Professor and Director of the Center for Justice at Columbia University, and Bed Stuy residents + program participants Darnell Bowers and Tahari Spencer.

Mental health care is integrated directly into the program through access to therapy, trauma-informed group spaces, and trusted mentors who understand participants’ lived experiences. This approach helps reduce isolation, build coping skills, and support healing in community settings outside of traditional clinical environments.

Check out the segment below, and learn more about Project Restore:

• Watch on CBS: https://bit.ly/CBSProjectRestore
• Watch CBS spot on YouTube: https://bit.ly/cbsprojectrestoreYT
• Read CBS coverage: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/brooklyn-project-restore-gang-violence-prevention-program/
• Check out the MOCJ coverage reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTTJkwaDp4L/
• Info from the Brooklyn DA’s office: https://brooklynda.org/project-restore-bedstuy/
• Info from Center for Justice at Columbia: https://centerforjustice.columbia.edu/content/project-restore