SEPTA Launches ‘Reach’ Program to Link Vulnerable Riders With Support Services

SEPTA is launching “Reach,” a one-year program with Citizens Acting Together Can Help, Inc. (CATCH), to connect vulnerable people taking refuge on its system with help and community resources.

According to a SEPTA news release, social outreach specialists will connect people experiencing homelessness, addiction, or mental illness with housing, health care, mental health, and recovery services, in addition to providing transportation to those services.

“By helping connect vulnerable individuals to services and support, SEPTA is working to build a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone who relies on our system,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer in a news release. “Through our ongoing collaborative work, SEPTA has formed critical partnerships with government agencies, nonprofits, health care providers, and the community to address these challenges compassionately while maintaining SEPTA's core responsibility to provide safe and reliable transportation.”

Reach will operate as a division of SEPTA Transit Police. Teams will be deployed to stations and vehicles based on safety reports submitted through the SEPTA app and customer service center.

Wearing purple vests, specialists will engage people and offer transportation to service providers. Those who decline assistance will be asked to leave the system, and workers may seek police support if a situation escalates.

SEPTA Transit Police Inspector R. Kitt Wells said the program aims to address people's needs rather than remove them, which could lead them to return to the system. Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson added that Reach is intended to address issues affecting vulnerable communities and reduce quality-of-life complaints, according to the PhillyVoice .

Riders can report safety concerns or quality-of-life issues anonymously through the SEPTA app or by calling Transit Police at 215-580-8111. SEPTA is also inviting community groups to collaborate by emailing reach@septa.org.

SEPTA Launches ‘Reach’ Program to Link Vulnerable Riders With Support Services

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