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Annual Report 2011/Summer 2012
Annual Report 2011
Turning Challenges into Opportunities through Innovation I recently received a report on one of our newer programs for homeless families that provided incredibly exciting results. The innovative approach adopted by this program enabled us to rapidly house families. The successful outcomes to date demonstrate that it is already working. We have been able to place families in permanent housing and identify stable employment for the parents much more quickly than in the past – in approximately 185 days. This innovative program will help vulnerable people thrive and achieve selfsufficiency and in the long run it will realize savings to the county and state government.
treatment to Monmouth County. This treatment approach is a nationally recognized model for effective treatment and our program was selected as the lead agency. I want to acknowledge the dedication of our staff in making these efforts possible. I also express heartfelt gratitude to all of our friends, supporters and partners for their generous commitment to helping us meet our mission to alleviate human suffering by renewing lives and restoring hope. One of our Board members, a businessman, is fond of describing his support of Catholic Charities as a “solid investment.” He explains that he evaluates his philanthropic investments like any other investment, looking at the return, the effectiveness, and the efficiency. He recently offered a presentation in which he asserted: “The return at Catholic Charities is attractive. For many programs, $1 invested in treatment saves society $7 in social costs. Catholic Charities obtains measurable, successful outcomes and the result means more people can live independently and function productively. Overall, a very good investment in making the world a better place!”
I am proud that Catholic Charities is at the forefront of pioneering the development and implementation of such innovative programs. We have also led the effort to improve access to primary care for adults with severe, long-term mental illness through new collaborations in Burlington and Mercer Counties.
Despite the economic challenges of our funding environment, we have developed new programs and innovative ways to keep our mission alive. I have to agree with our Board member – we are a good investment. I could not have said it better myself!
Our domestic violence service, Providence House, has also been recognized as a statewide leader in the prevention of violence in the home and serves on New Jersey’s Child Abuse Prevention Task Force. They served as the statewide pilot for a specialized childrens’ counseling program that helps young victims recover and flourish into adulthood.
Best regards, Marlene Laó-Collins Executive Director
Programs in Children and Family Services have received recognition for their Community-Centered approach to working with families to develop the skills needed to find employment and achieve stability. Also, our Monmouth Counseling Program has been at the forefront of bringing an innovative type of trauma
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Pre-audit summary Page 3 2011 highlights Page 5 Catholic Charities news Page 14