Major change is underway at Jewish Family Services of Western New York, which is shifting more focus on greater “social-care needs.” Members of the nonprofit hope that it will help them better serve the community.
The nonprofit helped secure housing last year for more than 750 Western New York residents who otherwise would be at risk of homelessness.
It’s one of the priorities, not just in Erie and Niagara Counties, but across the region, said JFS CEO Molly Carr, who also has a doctorate of policy and leadership.
“There's a lot of individuals who are at risk of homelessness and people who are on the verge of you know, one bad paycheck, one bad catastrophe, and they will become homeless," she said. "So our services not only help find housing, but also help people stay in their housing.”
The housing program will be able to expand in part because of a Medicaid 1115 waiver. The waiver program allows organizations to use Medicaid funds to test services and programs that benefit health but aren't currently covered under Medicaid.
In 2024, upstate agencies resettled 6,785 refugees from around the world. That service is among those JFS is moving away from.
There are plans to resume those services down the road, and JFS is continuing to work with refugees already in Buffalo, said Katheryn Diebold, vice president of Behavioral Health and Wellness Programs.
“Just because we do not have new refugees coming in does not mean that refugees aren't currently a part of our Western New York community," she said. "Just because we have a pause on our refugee resettlement program at the federal level does not mean that there is not a need to be able to be providing culturally competent services.”
One of the most important developments is the addition of $4.7 million in state funding for 2026, which will help offset the loss of $6 million in federal funding, said Diebold, who has a doctorate of social work. The new money is part of a grant through the state Department of Mental Health for critical intervention services.
"That program is specifically for folks who would be considered high utilizers of psychiatric emergency rooms and psychiatric inpatient," she said. "Those are highly vulnerable individuals in our community that have serious mental illness and need that added level of support wrapped around them to help them link with outpatient mental health providers, housing, transportation, nutrition."
