URBAN RESOURCE INSTITUTE

URI’s Individualized Residential Alternative (IRAs) and Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) are 24-hour programs certified by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. These programs provide residential care for adult men and women with developmental disabilities. Individualized service options are provided in a supportive environment by direct care professionals, qualified health professionals, Medicaid service coordinators, and client coordinators.

All of URI’s facilities offer individualized treatment planning and care coordination as well as a wide variety of services, including transportation to and from day programs; community integration and recreational activities; nutritional, occupational, and physical therapies; and speech services.

We offer:

• Round-the-Clock Staff Support and Supervision:
Specially trained employees are assigned to each site 24 hours a day. Additional employees are assigned to the morning and evening shifts—times when residents require the highest level of assistance. Staff members who provide direct services to residents are trained and certified in medication administration, first aid, and CPR, as well as other specialties. Appropriate resident-to-staff ratios are maintained to ensure that each resident receives the proper level of attention and care.

• Individual Program Planning: a team of professionals—representative of various disciplines—reviews each case to ensure sufficient attention is paid to each resident’s individual strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences. Goals and objectives are developed accordingly. We maintain quality assurance in our service delivery through Onsite monitoring and monthly meetings of the Incident Review and Human Rights Committees.

• Medication Administration: Direct Care Professionals are trained and certified to administer various medications to residents under the direct supervision of a licensed health care professional. A local pharmacy, under a formal agreement with URI, provides assistance with medication administration and pharmaceutical supplies.

• Recreation: recreational activities are scheduled year-round and include evening and weekend social functions, day trips to special events, summer overnight camp, and overnight out-of-town trips.

For more information, please contact the Program Director or Program Manager at any of URI’s three residences:

Beny J. Primm Residence: (718) 899-8622
Linden House: (718) 322-9127
Ferndale House: (718) 558-0350

As many as 48 percent of domestic violence victims stay in abusive situations because they don’t want to leave their pet behind.* (* Frank Ascione, Ph.D. , Utah State University, 1997, 1998). They fear that the abuser might harm the animal if there’s no one there to protect it—a fear that, sadly, is well-founded, as pets are easy targets for abuse—and they aren’t willing to take that risk.

Pets are part of the family. Boarding or pet foster programs often aren’t an option, and owners are reluctant to separate from their beloved animals. For children who have witnessed or experienced abuse and have been forced to leave their home and personal belongings, losing contact with a cherished pet is yet another source of trauma.

URI’s programs are about supporting individuals and families and protecting the whole family from abuse—and we knew a solution was needed. That’s why we’ve launched URIPALS—People and Animals Living Safely, a pilot program at URI’s Urban Women’s Safe Haven shelter, in partnership with the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals. URIPALS, the first co-sheltering program in NYC and one of few offered nationwide, equips the shelter to house families and pets together, preserving the welfare and safety of all.

The program has begun by accepting small animals such as cats, rabbits, birds, and fish, and URI is seeking funding and resources to equip the facility to accept dogs and expand the program to other shelters. Your support will help us protect people and pets from abuse.

URI’s Domestic Violence Legal Education and Advocacy Program (LEAP) provides specialized, on-site legal services to the residents of the agency’s four domestic violence shelters.

Entering shelter is often the first step to ending an abusive relationship. If domestic violence victims don’t understand their legal options, they may feel compelled to return to their abusers. URI ensures that its shelter residents are educated about their legal rights and have immediate access to the legal support and services they need to achieve and maintain their independence.

Our social service teams assess each family’s circumstance and work with them to identify the specific support they need. We help families create individual living plans and housing exit strategies, and we provide comprehensive and continuous case management and support so that residents can stay on track and meet their goals.

We have housing specialists who connect families to landlords; social workers who counsel clients who need support; education specialist who work with the Board of Education to get children into neighborhoods school if needed, and tutors who hold afternoon homework sessions to help children who struggle academically.

Finding affordable housing in NYC is already a daunting challenge, so URI housing specialists work double-duty to ensure that residents are as well positioned as possible to secure homes for their families. They make sure clients have all necessary documentation; conduct mock interviews to prepare them for meetings with landlords and real estate management companies; assist with appropriate attire for interviews, and provide transportation to and from meetings.