Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services
Lives Uplifted
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Elder and Disabled Services
*Community Care for the Elderly provides case management coordination for homemaker, personal care, respite, and other services to enable frail and functionally impaired elders to remain in their homes and avoid or delay placement in a nursing home. Services are provided in Pinellas County.
*Community Care for Disabled Adults offers case management, homemaker services, and a range of other in-home services to help individuals, ages 18-59 who have significant disabilities, live dignified and reasonably independent lives in their own homes.
*Elderly Counseling Services support persons 60 years and older who would benefit from individual Gerontological or mental health counseling services that can be provided in-home or conducted at senior centers or various congregate meal sites in Pasco and Pinellas Counties.
*Myrtle Oaks is a 99-unit apartment complex for low income elderly located in northeast Tampa.
*Egret Housing is a seven-unit housing complex for low income disabled located in New Port Richey.
Behavioral and Mental Health Services
Gulf Coast JFCS's Behavioral and Mental Health Services provide a mix of residential treatment facilities and in-home interventions, community outreach, and more.
*Darlington Residential Treatment Facility is a 16-bed treatment facility for adults with mental illness and/or a co-occurring substance abuse disorder in Pasco County.
*Adult Residential Treatment and Stabilization (ARTS) is a 16-bed residential program in Broward County for older adults who have mental illness and possible co-occurring issues.
*Adele Gilbert Residential Treatment Facility is a 16-bed treatment program in Pasco County for adults that are mentally ill and may have co-occurring substance abuse issues.
*The Alternative Family Program is based on the therapeutic foster home concept of trained sponsors who open their homes to up to five adults or seniors with mental illness and welcome them into their families. With 190 beds in 75 licensed care homes covering a 36-county area, sponsors provide 24-hour client supervision, care and support in exchange for a monthly stipend.
*Older Adults Support Team, in coordination with state Adult Protective Services, provides intervention for elders who are at risk of suicide.
*Intervention Services provides in-home substance abuse intervention services for adults who are at risk for substance misuse in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties.
*Prevention Services provides substance abuse education focused on the prevention of medication mismanagement, alcohol abuse, and increasing healthy behaviors in our communities.
*Supported Housing and Living Program assists individuals with mental illness or co-occurring substance abuse issues to develop skills needed to live independently.
Children and Family Services
*Child Welfare Case Management provides protective supervision for children referred by the Florida Abuse Hotline and Child Protective Investigators.
*Diversion and Prevention Programs provide intensive in-home family preservation services and with the goal of keeping at-risk children “safe at home.”
*Family Reunification Services complement case management services in Hillsborough County and teach parents the skills necessary to improve their protective capacities so that their children can be safely returned to their homes.
*Family Services Initiative provides navigation and emergency financial support services for families with school age children in Pinellas County, strengthening family stability and connecting families to appropriate community resources.
*Good Afternoon Friends and Amigos is an afterschool program for K-3 students that provides tutoring and social skills development, as well as parental outreach, support, and referral services.
*Healthy Youth Transitions provides life coaching and counseling services that help youth in Broward County, FL transition successfully into healthy, independent young adults.
*Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco increases the number of successful adoptions of local children in foster care. In addition to featuring children, we recruit and support families interested in adoption.
*Kinship Support Program complements case management services by providing direct support to non-licensed caregivers (relatives and non-relatives) of children in the Hillsborough County child welfare system.
*Violence Prevention Program is offered in nine Pinellas County middle schools and decreases disruptive, aggressive, bullying behavior and substance abuse, empowering students to improve their academic performance and overall success.
*Woman-to-Woman Program supports teen mothers and pregnant girls from Hillsborough County who are at high risk for academic failure and repeat pregnancies, providing mentorship, enrichment activities, and ongoing educational and vocational support.
*Young Adult Transitional Program in Broward County provides support and assistance to young adults ages 17-24 who have emotional/behavioral issues or substance abuse and/or persistent mental illness.
Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program
In partnership with the state of Florida, NCPEP assists unemployed or underemployed non-custodial parents with establishing a pattern of regular child support payments by obtaining and maintaining unsubsidized, competitive employment.
The program was designed to reduce recidivism and keep parents out of jail for failure to make child support payments, while at the same time ensuring children received the financial support they needed to survive. To achieve this, NCPEP tackles a number of serious challenges that face individuals exiting the justice system—a criminal record, a lack of education, insufficient job skills, and a limited or nonexistent support system.
NCPEP works closely with local career-training agencies in four Florida counties and provides non-custodial parents with individual case management services, parenting training, short-term job skills training, support in navigating the court system to regain professional licenses, job placement assistance, and financial support to overcome any barriers to employment, such as transportation or purchasing uniforms and supplies. Clients receive life coaching as well as guidance on where to seek assistance for issues like substance abuse or mental health concerns.
Jewish Family Services
*Holocaust Survivors Program helps to improve the quality of life for Holocaust survivors in the Tampa Bay area by providing critically needed services and outreach programs so they can remain in their homes.
*Emergency Family Support Services offers assistance in meeting basic human needs for the Jewish community in Pinellas and Pasco Counties.
*Yad b' Yad (Hand-in-hand) recruits Jewish adult volunteers as mentors, companions, and role models for Jewish children ages 6 to 17.
William and Sally Israel Food Pantry
Through the William & Sally Israel Food Pantry, all clients and families of Gulf Coast JFCS programs have access to food assistance, school supplies, and limited clothing and household goods. The Food Pantry at Gulf Coast JFCS provides non-perishable food, clothing, household goods, and school supplies to support over 2,500 individuals and families throughout the year. The vast majority of those served are low-income, at-risk individuals, including seniors and children. The Food Pantry provides emergency food assistance as well as ongoing access other basic goods that assist our clients in achieving self-sufficiency.
Refugee Services
*Refugee Resettlement and Placement in Pinellas and Broward Counties resettles refugees from around the world who have been persecuted and fled their home country to come to America.
*Refugee Case Management provides intensive case management and supportive services to recently arrived refugees facing barriers to self-sufficiency.
*Florida Center for Survivors of Torture is a regional treatment center for survivors of torture and extreme trauma and helps them to access services from providers who have been trained to work effectively and sensitively with this population. FCST serves clients in Tampa and Miami.
*Refugee Youth Pathways addresses the educational, language, and employment needs of vulnerable refugee youth ages 16 to 19 to facilitate employment and integration in Tampa Bay.
Where we work
Awards
"Be More Humble" People's Choice Award 2019
WEDU
Affiliations & memberships
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) 2021
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Social and economic status, Age groups, Work status and occupations
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planHow we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Gulf Coast JFCS is one of the largest and most diverse social service agencies in Pinellas County, Florida. As a non-religious, community-based nonprofit, Gulf Coast JFCS serves people of all ages, faiths, cultures, and identities. We ensure children are safe through foster care case management and we support children across the state through mentorship programs and life-skills instruction. We support the independence of frail elders and Holocaust survivors, help non-custodial parents gain employment to pay their child support, and provide housing for low-income seniors and adults with mental health disorders. Additionally, Gulf Coast JFCS resettles and supports refugees in the Tampa Bay area so they can live healthy and fulfilling lives in the United States.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We surveyed our Holocaust clients, who are primarily seniors, on their socialization needs. As a result, we identified the types of events they like best. During the pandemic this meant we focused on providing access to virtual activities, and we incorporated things like concerts, exercise, and just connecting with one another.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services
Board of directorsas of 08/19/2021
Mr. Eric Feder
Jay Miller
J Square Developers
Vivian Benci
Physician
Debbie Berner
RBC Capital Markets
Vernon Bryant
Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation
David Delrahim
Attorney Englander Fischer
Eric Feder
Retired Health Administrator
Andrew Hano
Retired Physician
Helen Levine
University of Southern Florida
David Pilkington
Wallace, Welch & Willingham
Abigail Sterensis
Observe 4 Success
Jeff Baker
Duke Energy
Steve Benov
Berkeley Research Group
Evan Christiansen
Real Estate Associate
Karen Raymund Marder
Retired Nurse Practitioner
David Punzak, Esq.
Assistant General Counsel
Elizabeth Samuelson
Physical Therapist
Alan Schwartz
Retired President, Superior Uniform
Becca Tieder
One Student
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/06/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.