ICL Annual Report: From Housing to Whole Health

Yumedys endured years of trauma, grief, and anxiety. First, her son and father passed away. Then her home was destroyed when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. She returned to New York to live with family, but was forced to move out. That was the final straw and it resulted in a hospital stay for Yumedys.

Despite these challenges, Yumedys persevered. She entered ICL transitional housing and gained the stability she needed to pursue recovery. Today, Yumedys is thriving in her permanent home at ICL’s Nevins Street Apartments, where she has access to whole health support from counselors, employment specialists, and primary care providers. Her apartment is “a dream come true.”

Read our 2022 Annual Report to learn how ICL supports people like Yumedys in getting better. The report also highlights our impact, advocacy efforts, and generous supporters like you who make this work possible.

This month ICL President and CEO Jody Rudin testified before the New York City Council. She applauded the Mayor’s plan to address the mental health crisis, while calling for much-needed investments in the human service workforce.

The mental health plan importantly includes support for youth, increased access to substance use services, and more programs for people living with the most serious mental health challenges. In particular, the expansion of Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) teams will go a long way towards supporting the hardest-to-reach New Yorkers. ICL’s IMT teams have deployed whole-health interventions to house 56% of clients and reduce incarceration by 30%.

However, the expansion and success of these programs will rely on human service workers. Despite doing incredibly important and challenging work, these City-funded employees are woefully underpaid. As a result, staff turnover rates for providers like us are astronomical. We need the City Council and Mayor to pay these dedicated employees more to ensure we can effectively address the needs of our neighbors who are struggling.

Read the full testimony here.

Celebrating Social Work Month

“Even if we don't see the results right away, social workers plant seeds of change. Our work has a positive impact on people years down the line." We are recognizing #SocialWorkMonth on our social media channels. Like and comment on the posts to join us in thanking all the amazing social work staff at ICL! 

Institute for Community Living 

ICL helps New Yorkers of all backgrounds and ages living with serious mental illness, substance use disorder, and developmental disabilities achieve greater health and independence.

Your gift will immediately help those with the greatest need. Please take a moment to help people get better with us. To discuss your gift or learn more about your giving options, please email Development@iclinc.net or call 212-385-3030, x 10004.  

Call 844-ICL-HOPE (844-425-4673) to connect to resources.

Visit iclinc.org to learn more about ICL programs and services.