JVS Human Services and Kadima, Two Nonprofit Organizations Serving Vulnerable Metro Detroiters, Announce Combination
Operational January 1, 2022, new name being explored
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (January 1, 2022) – Two prominent nonprofit organizations, JVS Human Services and Kadima, that serve vulnerable communities in metro Detroit have combined. The new organization is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the central fundraising and planning organization of the Detroit Jewish community.
JVS provides social services and vocational programs, including services for people with developmental disabilities. Kadima provides behavioral health services, including supportive housing, for adults with mental health challenges. The decision was made to create a new single organization, yet unnamed, to provide a broader continuum of care, more robust and higher quality programs, and overall better outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
Unemployment can be as high as 80% for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Between JVS Human Services and Kadima, approximately 1,000 people with a diagnosed mental illness will be served in areas of vocational, residential, and clinical services at the time of the combination.
Paul J Blatt, previous JVS president and chief executive officer, will continue in that role to lead the new organization. Aubrey Macfarlane, JVS executive vice president and chief operating officer, will also remain in her role at the new organization. Eric Adelman, previous Kadima executive director, will be the executive vice president and chief advancement officer of the new organization.
“From the outset, we were eager to see if a combined organization would be better positioned to positively impact the lives of people in our community,” said Blatt. “Through an in-depth due diligence process, we were able to demonstrate that the new organization will be able to offer a more expansive continuum of services, yielding stronger outcomes for the people we serve. This is an exciting time for JVS, Kadima, and our communities.”
Through shared operational and administrative savings, the new organization will re-invest funds into programs that directly benefit and support underserved community members, such as those with development disabilities or mental illness. Deeper investments in areas of clinical services and compliance will allow for more data-based decision making and impact measurement, all exponentially enhancing outcomes for people served and the community at large.
The combination will also help to ensure long-term sustainability of vital services for individuals who need them, while positioning the agency for success in the everchanging landscape of public mental health service funding.
“Our coming together is vital because it will strengthen our operations, allow us to provide more impactful services and enable our new organization to thrive for many years to come,” said Adelman. “By improving services for the people we serve today and ensuring the sustainability of those services for decades to come, we continue to realize our founders’ goals of meeting the needs of vulnerable people in our community.”
There are dozens of services offered by the two agencies including career counseling and job placement for job seekers with obstacles to employment, supportive housing for individuals with severe mental illness, financial education, day programs for adults living with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness, counseling for families in crisis, assistance and support coordination for adults living with mental health challenges, enrichment activities, and more.
About JVS Human Services
Since 1941 JVS Human Services has assisted thousands of people in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties to overcome life challenges and realize their potential. The agency helps job seekers jumpstart their careers, offers financial education and counseling, provides fulfilling integrated community programs and skill building opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and helps seniors remain active and engaged. In addition, JVS Human Services provides many local businesses with assistance to reach their own employment goals. In 2020, JVS Human Services provided services to over 13,000 metro-Detroit residents and more than 1,000 employers seeking job candidates for a variety of occupations and skill levels. In August 2021, it was announced that JVS Human Services would combine with Kadima, an organization providing residential, therapeutic, and social services to metro-Detroiters with severe and persistent mental illness, a move expected to be operational in early 2022. JVS Human Services is supported by The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Learn more at www.jvshumanservices.org
About Kadima
Kadima provides comprehensive residential, therapeutic, and social services to all people with mental health needs as they move forward in their lives. Inspired by Jewish values, Kadima delivers these services while providing education and outreach to the broader community to ensure positive mental health outcomes for all. Learn more at www.kadimacenter.org