Programs & Services

Housing

NCS Residence
a long-term, supportive housing facility, which is home to 65 formerly homeless New Yorkers

Louis Nine House
supportive housing for 46 young adults who are homeless or aging out of foster care

New Vistas and Transitions
transitional housing programs for up to 20 chronically homeless men and women who have both mental illness and chemical dependency

Seasonal Shelters

Programs

Hospitality Program for the Upper East Side (HP-CUES)
a “concierge” program providing social service information, referrals, and other assistance to low-income people utilizing Upper East Side free dinner programs

Chance for Change
a state-licensed chemical dependency treatment program designed to serve homeless men and women

OPTIONS
a vocational, educational and job-training program that helps over 100 people each year

Emporium Online
a 16-week job-training program focused on building skills in technology, administrative services and customer service. In addition to computer and employment workshops, participants receive on-the-job training through operating an Amazon zShop selling donated new and gently used CDs, DVDs, books and videotapes.

NCS Research Program
seeks to identify the characteristics of chronically homeless adults to continually improve engagement strategies for serving this population

 

NCS Residence

The NCS Residence, a long-term, supportive housing facility on East 81st Street in Manhattan, houses 65 formerly homeless men and women, the majority of whom are mentally ill and have been chronically homeless.

A 24-hour onsite staff provides a full range of services and programs to enhance and support residents’ independent living. Services include case management, psychiatric counseling, money management, vocational and educational training, meals and recreational activities.

In 2006, NCS completed a substantial renovation of the Residence. In addition to the refurbishment of the entire building, the renovation added a seventh-floor activity room and adjoining rooftop garden, as well as a lower-level tenant lounge, training kitchen and dining area. For information on the NCS Residence, please contact Roe Piccoli at rpiccoli@ncsinc.org or call (917) 677-4460.

Louis Nine House

Louis Nine House, with 46 studio apartments for young adults who are homeless or aging out of foster care, recently opened in the Bronx. Louis Nine House provides affordable housing and an integrated continuum of support services designed to help young adults, aged 18-25, achieve stability, maintain sobriety, and work towards the self-sufficiency needed to obtain and sustain permanent housing and independent lives. For information about Louis Nine House or referrals for housing, please contact Jeffrey S. Grunberg at jgrunberg@ncsinc.org or call (917) 477-2470.

New Vistas and Transitions

Six shared transitional apartments housing up to 20 chronically homeless men and women at a time. These individuals have histories of substance abuse and mental illness, which are challenges to maintaining employment and independent living. The programs provide a combination of a structured living environment, case management, psychiatric services, vocational education and job training, which enable participants to achieve stability and practice the skills needed to live independently. During their nine to twelve months in the program, each individual engages in cognitive behavioral therapy designed for individuals dually diagnosed with mental illness and chemical dependency. New Vistas and Transitions are highly structured programs for men and women, designed to support them in their journey to stable, independent living. For information on New Vistas and Transitions apartments, please contact Frederick Bryant at fbryant@ncsinc.org or call (718) 402-3760.

NCS Seasonal Shelters

NCS has operated seasonal shelters (from January through June) since 2010. Although we are not operating a shelter this year, we hope to do so again in the future. NCS staffs the shelters and works in collaboration with host Churches in Manhattan and other organizations to provide case management and housing services. Because our shelters are professionally staffed and supervised, we can serve people directly from the streets who are not eligible for volunteer-run overnight shelters. Outreach workers are able to engage the guests, where they are indoors and safe, to participate in other services, including a move from the streets to more stable housing.

 

Hospitality Program for the Upper East Side

(HP-CUES)

Our newest program, launched in April 2012, HP-CUES is an information and referral program on the Upper East Side that helps New York City's homeless and low income residents utilizing local food banks, food pantries and community meal programs. The volunteers who operate these meal programs often report requests for information and assistance by guests, but have neither the time nor resources to respond, resulting in many unmet human service needs.

Our program places a human services "Concierge" (a social worker) at weekday evening meal programs at our service sites: New York Common Pantry, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, Church of the Epiphany, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, and St. James' Church. Meal program guests served by HP-CUES will be able to get information and referrals related to public assistance, domestic abuse, emergency shelter and housing assistance, employment and vocational services, HIV/AIDS services, legal assistance, mental health treatment, nutrition programs and substance abuse treatment. For more information on HP-CUES, please contact Deborah Ellis at dellis@ncsinc.org or (212) 537-5170.

Chance for Change

At the NCS Chance for Change Medically Supervised Chemical Dependency Outpatient Program, located at The Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, we provide effective treatment for individuals who are faced with substance use issues. The program also helps people with substance use issues manage other life areas such as mental illness, chronic medical conditions, homelessness, unemployment and other life stressors. Although addiction may include a chronic relapsing condition, we believe change and positive growth are possible. Our clinic staff are trained chemical dependency counselors and mental health professionals who utilize evidence-based practices to assist the client with realizing their full potential and working toward healthy change through recovery. Our approach connects with each individual’s desire to change in a collaborative, respectful and empathic environment.

Chance for Change currently serves about 30 clients a month referred through other NCS programs or neighborhood partners. We have been expanding services and, in addition to individual therapy, offer 10 weekly group sessions addressing addiction, mental illness, trauma, relationships, anger management, relapse prevention and more.  Chance for Change participants also have access to other NCS programs, including housing and vocational services.  For information and referrals, contact Robert Yancey at ryancey@ncsinc.org or call (917) 677-0723.

OPTIONS

NCS’s vocational, educational and job-training program is available to all NCS clients as well as members of the East Side Homeless Network. OPTIONS is designed to meet the needs of individuals with histories of substance abuse, mental illness or both. The program focuses on developing participants’ economic and educational opportunities leading to employability and increased self-sufficiency. A variety of pre-employment and educational support is available, such as literacy tutoring, GED preparation, computer classes, resume-writing workshops, individual and group vocational counseling, work experience through paid internships, and job placement.

OPTIONS’ ability to help clients is enhanced by a part-time Education Coordinator who provides in-depth educational assessments of NCS program participants. Her work has helped identify learning disabilities and the coping mechanisms clients use to mask them. The Coordinator works with clients’ counselors to develop and implement individualized education plans that help them overcome barriers to employment.

In fiscal year 2008, OPTIONS provided training to 172 homeless and formerly homeless individuals, 59 of whom secured permanent employment, while 68 remained in the OPTIONS program and 45 went on to further educational and vocational training. NCS takes great pride in its job placement and retention rates—a tremendous success when working with chronically homeless individuals, who face extensive barriers to employment. For information on OPTIONS educational and vocational training programs, please contact Rebecca Marriott at rmarriott@ncsinc.org or call (917) 477-2210.

Emporium Online

Emporium Online is a 16-week on-the-job training program, through which homeless and formerly homeless men and women operate an online virtual store selling new and gently used donated items such as CDs, DVDs, video games, software and books.

Participants spend half of each day in computer instruction and employment workshops and the balance running the online store. Participants receive stipends, as well as valuable experience gaining skills in technology, administration and customer service. Emporium Online has a 94% completion rate with 81% vocational placement.

There are currently over 1,500 CDs, books, DVDs and videos on sale at the Amazon Shop that is called Support4Homeless. Browsing is encouraged.

Emporium Online is always in need of additional CDs, DVDs, books, videos, computer games and electronic equipment. If you would like to donate new or gently used goods to support this project, please contact Rebecca Marriott, rmarriott@ncsinc.org or (917) 477-2210.

Research

Along with direct service programming, NCS has a well integrated research agenda to study the characteristics of chronically homeless adults through clinical trials and assessment studies. Each strategy and program developed at NCS draws from research to ensure that programs are tailored to the distinct needs of our service population. We continue to better understand the needs of chronically homeless adults and remain committed to applying newfound knowledge to strengthening models of service. In addition, NCS shares its research findings with colleagues in New York City and nationally to advance knowledge in the field. In 2005, NCS published its first research study in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry. The findings of NCS's second study were published in 2008 in the Journal of Personality Disorders. Click here to read the first article. Click here to read the second article.

 

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