Iris Bowen, LMSW
Since 2006, the Coming Home program at Mount Sinai has worked to improve the physical and mental health and the emotional and social well-being of men and women during their transition from prison or jail to the community. The program, a division of the Institute for Advanced Medicine, was originally conceived to serve patients with HIV and now provides services to anyone with a history of arrests. In addition to primary care, the program connects clients with medical specialists if needed. Importantly, some of the case management is provided by formerly incarcerated staff who understand well the challenges of returning to a pre-prison life. Clients have access to supportive counseling individually and in groups. In addition, the Coming Home Program trains integrated teams of medical providers, clinicians, and staff to ensure that formerly incarcerated patients receive their health care in a safe and welcoming environment.
Iris Bowen, LMSW, joined the Coming Home program in 2013, and knows how tough a transition can be for her clients. “People come out of prison confused and not sure of their next steps. My clients say they never had anyone to care for them or listen to them—so many come from a history of foster care or group homes before they went to prison,” Iris says. “They tell me about physical and mental abuse. About having families they cannot care for. We do not judge them. We listen to them, we care for them. We meet them where they are and go from there. That means connections to health care, of course, including mental health and help with substance abuse, but also education and job training.”
Iris has forged special relationships with all of her clients, but is very proud of John Gargano, a man who spent 12 years in prison on drug charges and completely turned his life around with the support of Coming Home.
Iris met John shortly after he found out he was being discharged into the New York City shelter system from a halfway house. John told his inspiring story of prison and post-prison life in the blog Humans of NY: He was referred to Iris by a fellow inmate, and he was prepared to be disappointed. Instead, John says, Iris had a “calm and comforting” presence and wanted to know everything about him. Iris helped him find an apartment, arranged for him to have hip surgery, get through the red tape of applying to school, and into a job-training program. With her encouragement, he completed a bachelor’s degree at New York University (and was the keynote speaker at graduation) and land a job as the General Manager of Craft Restaurant in Manhattan, where he works today.
Iris loves being a member of the highly dedicated Mount Sinai Morningside Social Work team and the Coming Home program staff and helping patients. “I tell my patients that we can make it happen, that they can have a better life. I like to see people be happy and become productive and successful, and most of all, empower them.”
Members of the Coming Home program team (left to right): Jennifer Guzman, MSW, Substance Use Specialist, Cory Butler, Outreach Coordinator, Serina Yancey, Peer Education Specialist, Jesus Robles, LCSW, Program Coordinator.