Institute for Community Living (ICL)
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Author Archive

Integrating Vocational Rehabilitation with Housing Support

Entering a residential program for substance use can be very scary, a time filled with questions and learning to navigate the unknown. As service providers, we can make this time a little easier by answering questions, offering assistance, reassuring clients that all of their needs will be met. We...

Employment, Quality of Life and Recovery

The notion that people who experience mental health challenges can and do recover has garnered a lot of attention in the peer, provider and policy making worlds; it is the subject of international research, practice change, and national efforts to reform our mental health system. In part, this...

Employment Opportunities Off the Battlefield Help Veterans Combat Mental Health Challenges

People are most fulfilled when their career goals lead to financial security, personal identity, and meaningful contributions to community. For a significant number of individuals, many of whom are military veterans, nothing would be more fulfilling and mentally stimulating than simply landing a...

Creating Culture Change: NYC Tackles Housing and Employment

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), together with community partners and providers, is working to increase access to employment and affordable housing for all people with mental illnesses. Local governments, including health departments, are ideally positioned to...

CPI’s Employment Resource Book – Designed to Help Consumers Achieve their Employment Goals

The Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) supports the New York State Office of Mental Health’s (OMH) mission to promote the widespread availability of evidence-based practices to improve mental health services, ensure accountability, and promote recovery-oriented outcomes for consumers and...

Court-Approved Settlement Gives New York Adult Home Residents Their Lives Back

Nicholas Garaufis, U.S. District Judge, approved a comprehensive settlement agreement that will provide approximately 4,000 residents of 23 large “adult homes” in New York City the opportunity to live in their own homes. “Adult homes” are large board and care homes serving primarily people...

Bringing Housing to Scale: A Study on the Housing Needs of Bronx Frequent Users

Despite national declines in homelessness, New York has continued to see a rise in its homeless levels. Lack of stable housing for homeless individuals often results in the frequent use of costly health care services and is a major driver of medical expenses. These are costs that can be avoided. A...

A Rainbow of Opportunities

Employment is an integral part of confidence building, hope, self-esteem, and an essential portion of the recovery from mental illness. In 1991, the Residential Services department of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center decided to pursue the development of a business which would provide vocational...

Behavioral Health Services Critical to Success of Managed Care in NYS

As New York State implements healthcare reform, Medicaid re-design, and the integration of primary care and behavioral healthcare, substance use and mental health disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services will have to play an important role if the hoped for transformation is to be...

Treatment and Housing: A Seamless Service Model for High Need Populations

A report published by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2013 found that: “Supportive housing has been demonstrated to end homelessness for persons with complex needs and to reduce overall public systems’ involvement and costs.” These “complex needs” include an array...