Download the Fall 2007 Newsletter
February 2008
NCS Selected as Semi-Finalist in 2008 New York Times Nonprofit Excellence Award
NCS has been selected as one of ten semi-finalists for The 2008 New York Times Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The Awards will recognize four New York City area nonprofit organizations for management excellence and encourage innovation and communication among New York's large and diverse nonprofit community. http://www.nytimes.whsites.net/communityaffairs/programs/nonprofit.html
November 2007
Outpatient Services Opens
NCS's recently opened state-licensed chemical dependency treatment program is designed specifically to address the needs of homeless and formerly homeless men and women. NCS’s Outpatient Services provides alcohol and drug education, individual and group sessions, psychiatric services and acupuncture daily. Individuals are referred through Neighborhood Center for Homeless People (NCHP), NCS’s transitional and permanent residences, as well as through our partnering agencies, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and Yorkville Common Pantry. Located in Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, Outpatient Services is licensed by The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). Fifty-two percent of NCS clients have a history of substance abuse and many are dually-diagnosed with mental illness, creating challenges to sustaining employment and housing. Through offering chemical dependency treatment that addresses the specific needs of chronically homeless individuals, NCS is providing a much-needed support in the path to recovery.
September 2007
NCS Launches 25th Anniversary Campaign for Growth
The Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter proudly launches its 25th Anniversary Campaign for Growth. We need your help to reach our goal of raising $4 million in two years. This funding will support the organization through a period of tremendous growth and greatly expand the types of services we provide to help homeless individuals secure housing, employment and self-sufficiency. Thanks to the generosity of board members, long-standing donors and civic, religious and corporate partners, the Campaign has generated over $2 million in donations to date. To contribute, please click here or contact Rachel Greenstein, Development Director at: 212-537-5141 or rgreenstein@ncsinc.org.
June 2007
Strengthening Services with Motivational Interviewing
As part of our ongoing effort to strengthen program and service delivery, this past year NCS integrated Motivational Interviewing (MI) into all aspects of its work. MI is a counseling approach that has proved effective in the treatment of chemical addiction and with individuals who are less motivated or ready for change.
The central tenet of this counseling approach is that resistance is a natural and expected response to the behavior change process; all people have potential for change and it is the manner in which professionals work with people that may foster or inhibit their motivation.
MI is also shown to be helpful in engaging and retaining clients in program services and in achieving better behavioral change outcomes over time. NCS is confident that this practice will enhance our mission to transform the lives of homeless individuals, while maintaining respect for their personal autonomy.
NCS Residence Welcomes New Tenants
Sixty-five homeless adults have a handsome new place to call home in the recently renovated NCS Residence. After a tremendous amount of work and much patience from the 32 residents who stayed throughout construction, the NCS Residence renovation is complete. Two new floors were added—a lower level with a professional kitchen and dining area, a lounge with computers and television, and a laundry room. The roof now includes a glass-walled activities room and a roof garden, where residents can relax in the outdoors or participate in planting and maintaining the gardens.