Brandon’s Bright Future
After a long day of security guard training, Brandon loves coming home to his apartment in Brooklyn to cook dinner and decompress. In his free time, he enjoys working out, going to the park, and spending time with friends.

Brandon’s future is bright—but he faced significant challenges in his past. In 2020, he was released from Rikers Island and entered the shelter system. Reintegrating into the community following incarceration proved difficult. One of ICL’s Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) teams consistently reached out to offer support, but he was reluctant to engage. “I was going through a lot,” Brandon says. “It was a huge adjustment.”

Recovery Month

September is Recovery Month. For individuals experiencing substance use disorder, ICL’s Hope and Recovery Center offers evidence-based treatment and harm-reduction interventions to meet each individual’s needs and goals. Clients can access overdose-prevention training, medication-assisted treatment, counseling services, and more. This work is more important than ever—New York City’s Department of Health recently announced that overdose deaths increased by 12% from 2021 to 2022.

Supporting New Yorkers in recovering their well-being is a common thread between all of our whole health programs. People get better with ICL because we combine behavioral and physical health services and address all the social determinants of health (including housing) that everyone needs to be well.

Biden Administration Invests in ICL

ICL has been awarded a $1 million grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for our Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. We are grateful to the Biden Administration for supporting our work to reduce health disparities and enhance equity through community-based whole health care!

Survey Says: People Get Better With Us

ICL's comprehensive 2023 Consumer Satisfaction Report provides our staff a deeper understanding of our clients’ experiences with our services and supports. The survey results are overwhelmingly positive. There are a few areas, in particular, that revealed excellence in client-centered service.

Person-Centered Care

ICL supports clients in taking charge of their treatment journey: 88.4% of respondents indicated that they, not the staff, decide their treatment goals.

The Power of Peer Support

ICL recognizes the significance of peer support in the recovery journey. It's inspiring to see that 83% of our clients feel encouraged to engage in peer-oriented services.

Finally, we found that 80.5% of our clients report an improvement in the overall quality of life experienced. We are grateful to be making a positive impact and look forward to further enhancing the whole-health of our clients.

Institute for Community Living — People Get Better With Us

It is ICL's mission to help New Yorkers with behavioral health challenges live healthy lives by providing comprehensive housing, health care, and recovery services. We believe all people should have the opportunity to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We take a trauma-informed approach—meeting the people we serve wherever they are, working together to support them in achieving their goals.

Support ICL

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