Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA)

JASA honors older New Yorkers as vital members of society, providing services that support aging with purpose and partnering to build strong communities. JASA’s goal is to enable older adults to remain active and engaged in their communities with dignity and independence.
JASA is one of New York’s largest and most trusted organizations serving older adults in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, and Queens; and serves people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Our well-developed continuum of activities and services are designed to meet the changing needs of older adults as they age.

JASA's vision is to be a leader in demonstrating how social services and other non-medical interventions and supports can improve health, reduce illness, and help older adults avoid hospitalizations and nursing home placements.

JASA’s strategy is to use community-based, integrated, client-centered programming to help older adults live more active, safe, healthy, and vibrant lives. Our programs include:
• Adult Protective Services: Supervision of daily activities, supportive counseling, crisis intervention and financial management for abused, neglected, or exploited adults
• Advocacy: Adults age 55+ learn to advocate and empower themselves on issues of importance to seniors
• Affordable Housing: Affordable, safe, secure, and accessible housing for senior tenants
• Caregiver Assistance: Support groups, respite services, and referrals for family caregivers of ill or disabled older family members
• Case Management: Individualized, comprehensive assessments that provide direct assistance or referrals helping seniors live safely in their homes, and offer support for caregivers
• Community Guardian Program: Legal responsibility for vulnerable seniors judged incompetent by the Courts
• Community Health Navigators: Training for individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions, to manage their own illnesses and teach these skills to their peers in the community.
• Elder Abuse Prevention and Intervention: Trained attorneys and social workers assisting victims of abuse
• Help Center: Trained social workers answer inquiries from seniors and their families
• Home-Delivered Meals: Nutritious and life sustaining meals delivered to homebound seniors
• JASACare: Home health aide, personal care assistance, and nursing services for older adults
• Legal Assistance: Free legal services for adults age 60+ living in Queens
• Mental Health Services: Licensed mental health clinics, in-home care, and friendship houses for older adults suffering with or recovering from depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues
• Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC): Health, education, recreation, and case management support for seniors living in apartment complexes where the majority of the residents are 60+
• Partners in Dignity: Supporting individuals and family members coping with a serious, life-limiting or advanced illness, or a recent loss.
• Senior Centers: A “home away from home” for seniors seeking group activities, friendships, trips, special events, and hot meals
• Sundays at JASA: A continuing education program with college-level classes

With over 50 years of expertise and experience in the field of aging, JASA is one of the largest and most programmatically diversified organizations serving seniors in the New York metropolitan area. JASA is well positioned to respond to changes in market developments, strengthen the agency, and identify potential partners while also continuing to offer the high quality services that have been its hallmark. JASA continues to incorporate new research and best practices to enhance our current programs and develop new innovative ones.

JASA conducts its work under the leadership of Kathryn Haslanger, who was hired in 2012 to serve as CEO. Under Ms. Haslanger’s leadership, a business plan was created and a leadership team of existing and new staff were identified to meet the challenges of the agency going forward. This group includes professionals in home care, housing, social services, community-based services, adult protective services as well as technology, finance, and fundraising. An active board of trustees includes attorneys, business leaders, and philanthropists, and provides guidance and financial support at regular committee and full board meetings.

Since our founding over 50 years ago, JASA established 8 affordable housing complexes that are now home to over 2,400 seniors. We launched 22 senior centers that today engage over 11,000 seniors each year. JASA provides a wide array of services designed to meet a variety of different needs and continue doing so even as our clients’ needs change. To this end, each year JASA delivers quality care to 1,000 frail homebound clients; provides information and referrals in response to calls from over 10,000 elderly New Yorkers and their families; makes social work home visits and offered case management to over 6,000 clients; serves and delivers more than one million kosher and non-kosher meals; keeps over 3,100 at-risk clients safe through Adult Protective Services and Community Guardian programs; provides free legal assistance to 2,700 seniors; assists over 1,000 victims of elder abuse; and provides college-level courses to 150 seniors.

Our newest initiatives include the Community Health Navigator program that has reached over 200 adults to help them manage chronic illnesses; Partners in Dignity program which joined JASA in 2016 and helps individuals coping with a serious, life-limiting or advanced illness and their families; and our Care Transitions program that helps clients recently discharged from the hospital avoid readmission.

Going forward, JASA continues to strive to be an integral part of the region’s safety net for tens of thousands of seniors and their families. As the older adult population grows, JASA will continue to provide services and programs that help seniors stay active and engaged in their homes and communities.