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SCOPE Success Stories

SCOPE, which stands for Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership and Engagement, is SEPTA’s system-wide, compassionate approach to connect vulnerable individuals with social services and provide a safe, clean transit system for both riders and employees. We have compiled a handful of success stories from the populations we serve, connecting vulnerable individuals with our resources.

The following SCOPE Success Stories were submitted by our dedicated outreach workers. The following are just a few success stories from recent months. There are hundreds of individuals that have been brought in for assessments and gotten into clinics through SCOPE’s outreach program due to our streamlined process.

Multiple individuals are in long term and safe haven shelters from our warm handoffs and connections.

Through the SCOPE Program, relationships have been built with South Philadelphia and Kensington residents.

Recent Success Stories

SCOPE Outreach Workers Help Vulnerable Populations on SEPTA System
Person and location depicted in photo is not the individual in the story.
  • We used to frequently engage John Doe #1 at Tioga Station. He is well known to Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD) and SEPTA Outreach Services. John Doe #1 went away numerous times through both services. He had open wounds, sores and infections. The last place he went to was Kirkbride Center. He has been in sobriety since then through Self-Help, reunited with his family and makes regular Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.
  • John Doe #2 is a veteran in a Suboxone Clinic. He is now doing well with a job and car. John Doe #2 was a regular engagement on the system. He sought SEPTA Outreach Services to let us know how he was doing. He was on his way to his appointment and looked great!
  • Our team engaged a regular at Frankford Transit Center. Officers Sylvester and Sarah Colton worked together with John Doe #3’s mother. John Doe #3 and the Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD) office secured a bed in a rehab and a recovery house for his continued care after rehab. He is now one year clean and living in Florida. His mother reaches out to SEPTA Outreach Services to give her appreciation for us and how thankful she is that her son is alive.

Merakey Outreach Success Stories

SCOPE Outreach Workers Assist Vulnerable Population into Treatment Facilities
Person and location depicted in photo is not the individual in the story.
  • Jane Doe #1 threatened to jump in front of a train at 8th and Market Street Station during a mental health crisis. The Merakey Outreach team was able to de-escalate the situation by calming her down and bringing her out of the station. We took her to Wawa for a snack while therapeutically providing positive feedback for her to agree to go to a crisis center.
  • Merakey worked with an individual at Tioga Station for 3 months before they decided to go in for treatment. They are now clean and living in medical residential services for rehabilitation. The individual currently uses a walker without relying on a wheelchair.
  • We had engaged Jane Doe #2 multiple times at 19th Street Station. For many months, she would avoid the Merakey Outreach workers and would leave the station upon seeing them. One evening, a part time employee, Shelly, engaged Jane Doe #2. Shelly realized that Jane Doe #2 may meet the criteria for a 302, which was approved and completed. Jane Doe #2 was gone for approximately 27 days and received treatment while she was gone. Although Jane Doe #2 did come back, she has full conversations with Merakey Outreach and accepts services to bathe. Merakey Outreach will continue to develop a report and offer her services.
  • The Merakey team was at Allegheny Station for a day shift (5 am – 1 pm) when a woman approached and thanked them for assisting her son into rehab. A few months prior, we engaged John Doe #4 and did a warm hand-off to the Merakey Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD) office on F Street and Allegheny Avenue. They completed his assessment and referred him to another program in Merakey. The woman, identified as his mother, said her son has been receiving services ever since and has not been back to Kensington.
  • Jane Doe #3 was a long-time user and occupant at Tioga Station. We were able to get her into the Merakey clinic. After 8 months, she is so unrecognizably healthy and living in a recovery home. She went from walking around in soiled clothing to clean for close to one year.
  • After 3 attempts of utilizing Merakey, Jane Doe #4 from Snyder Station is now going on 5 months clean.
  • Jane Doe #5 is over one year clean and working in Center City. The Merakey team did not recognize her. She looked like an executive when she approached and thanked us.