Agent of Change 2000-Present Day

JFSA celebrates its 125th year with a series of family events held throughout the year, culminating in a gala event with 360 people celebrating at Landerhaven.

Honorees of the evening include past board chairs, and executive director Kaye Chavinson for her 20 years of service.

JFSA Administration and MRDD services move to the PDC Building in Beachwood and occupies nearly the entire 3rd floor.

The Charlotte Goldberg Computer Education Center opens as part of the Career Center. It provides computer training and literacy to job search candidates, individuals with disabilities, and adults seeking a career change.

The center is established through a gift from her 19 grandchildren.

Forever Children, a supported living residence for four severely disabled young adults, is established by a consortium of four families, with JFSA providing 24/7 management of the residence. It is JFSA’s 4th consortia residence in 12 years.

JFSA is the first agency in Cuyahoga County to create housing under the consortia model.

JFSA creates Expect Respect: Healthy Teen Relationships, a live play performed by local student volunteer actors showing real life dating scenarios.

Faced with dramatic increases in the number of clients with developmental disabilities and serious mental illness, the PASS, MRDD and Employment Services are combined into one division Ascentia: Pathways to Community Living.

This represents a major shift in how services are delivered to clients and family members and streamlines back-office processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Project Chai receives the Celebrating Solutions Award from the Mary Byron Foundation.

The award recognizes JFSA’s innovative efforts to stop domestic violence by confronting its root causes and by developing solutions to break the cycle of violence.

It is one of only four programs nationally to receive this award.

The Psychobiology Clinic is a not for profit organization which provides treatment and rehabilitation to persons suffering from serious psychiatric disorders.

Founded in 1985, The Psychobiology Clinic is renowned for its important role in the national crusade to gain FDA approval of Clozaril, the breakthrough anti-psychotic drug used to treat people suffering from “treatment-resistant” schizophrenia. Use of this medication, combined with psychosocial  rehabilitation, has been the basis for the Psychobiology Clinic’s treatment regimen, which has greatly improved the long term prognosis for people living with schizophrenia.

With this acquisition, JFSA will provide mental health and psychosocial services to more than 300 individuals and their families.

The TOV (Tikkun Olam Volunteer) program is established to provide companionship and socialization for aging Holocaust Survivors. Working with Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Kol Israel Foundation, Second Generation Kol Israel, and Jewish Volunteers in Action, JFSA matches volunteers, ages 16 and up, with survivors to help with transportation to appointments and friendly visits.

JFSA and Hebrew Shelter Home merge.

The Center for Cognition and Recovery, LLC is established to disseminate cognitive enhancement therapy (CETCLEVELAND) on a national level.

The Center for Cognition and Recovery, one of 11 organizations nationally, is awarded the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Science and Services Award for disseminating CET (Cognitive Enhancement Therapy). CET helps people with schizophrenia and related mental illnesses improve their processing speed, cognition, social cognition and increase job preparation.

JFSA merges with PLAN of Northeast Ohio .

Alyson’s Place Medical Clinic is established, providing clients with direct access to primary medical care.

The Ruderman Family Foundation awards the Horvitz YouthAbility program the Ruderman Prize in Inclusion in recognition of its innovative program and services that foster inclusion of people with disabilities in their local Jewish community. The foundation, based in Boston and Israel, names only five organizations internationally to each receive a $50,000 award.

JFSA’s Caring at Home home care service is named to the Top 500 of the HomeCare Elite. The ranking is developed by ABILITY Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and customers simplify the administrative and clinical aspects of healthcare. HomeCare Elite recognizes 2,353 agencies out of 9,406 considered.

Aging in Place is created in partnership with CWRU and University Hospitals. Under the guidance of board member Dr. David Rosenberg, the program pairs student teams with the elderly living at home to help students learn geriatrics and communications skills, the importance of team work and how social factors affect health care results.

JFSA relocates all programs and services to new headquarters in Pepper Pike. The move consolidates operations from three locations in Beachwood and Lyndhurst into one facility offering the efficiency of a central location.

JFSA acquires Jewish Family Service of Akron. The acquisition expands the service opportunities offered at JFS Akron through the addition of high level clinical oversight, electronic health record keeping, Medicare/Medicaid documentation and billing, service to Holocaust survivors living in Summit County and access to other support and services to families.

JFSA is awarded $1 million in federal funding for Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support. It is one of 14 provider sites nationwide to receive funding to create a comprehensive program of education and support for caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer’s and other related dementias.

The COVID19 Pandemic compels the agency to develop new ways of delivering healthcare services to clients. Because of social distancing requirements and the shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) clients use telehealth and virtual clinical appointments to stay connected with JFSA. In some cases, when domestic violence clients need to meet their caseworkers in person, they meet in public parking areas and remain in their cars with windows rolled down. When a vaccine is formulated and made available to the public, JFSA begins to hold vaccination clinics in partnership with local synagogues and the Jewish Community Center.

JFSA merges with the Cleveland Chesed Center, providing direct access to JFSA’s Strengthening Families services for Chesed Center clients. The merger offers expanded access to Jewish families facing financial distress, homelessness and domestic violence with wrap‐around services, including employment, financial literacy, temporary housing, kosher food, clothing and school supplies.

With the purchase of additional office space in Beachwood, The Kindness Center is established, creating a special space for socialization and activities for Horvitz YouthAbility, Adult Day Support and PLAN programs.

JFSA marks its 150th anniversary with the establishment of the JFSA Foundation.