Urban Resource Institute

About

Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that offers services for survivors of domestic violence, the homeless, and adults who have been diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities.[1] Serving over 1,600 individuals annually, URI currently operates six domestic violence shelters, with over 600 beds, as well as three permanent residences for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.[1] In addition, the organization operates programs and services to empower survivors of domestic violence and provide them with therapy and legal assistance. URI also provides support services for homeless families in 2 city-run shelters.[1]

History

Urban Resource Institute was founded in 1980 as an affiliate of the Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation and expanded into domestic violence services in 1984.[2] In 1985, the organization established the Urban Center for the Developmentally Disabled.[2] Urban Resource Institute continued to expand its services for individuals struggling with addiction, with the founding of its Marguerite T. Saunders Urban Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Services in 1988.[2] In 1990, URI opened two permanent residencies for adults with developmental disabilities.[2] Through the 1990s and 2000s, URI continued to bolster its services catered toward survivors of domestic violence and adults with developmental disabilities.[2]

Nathaniel M. Fields has been the President and CEO of Urban Resource Institute since 2012, when the organization split from its affiliate and became independent.[2][3]

URIPALS

Urban Resource Institute launched its URIPALS (People and Animals Living Safely) program in May 2013.[4][5] URIPALS is the first program in New York and one of few in the United States that allows domestic violence survivors to live in a shelter apartment with their pets.[4][6] Through URIPALS, survivors live in pet-friendly apartments and have access to private dog parks so they can play with their pets outside without encountering their abusers.[4][6]

In 2015, URI published a report on the connection between domestic violence and pet ownership that drew from two years of data collected from the URIPALS program.[2]

Economic Empowerment

Urban Resource Institute (URI) has several economic empowerment programs aimed at helping domestic violence survivors become self-sufficient and recover from economic abuse.

A key element of URI’s economic empowerment program is the Working Internship Network (WIN). Since 1998, WIN has successfully provided URI residents with valuable job training and internship opportunities in a variety of work settings.[7] The program also provides residents with job-skill development services, including career-readiness and financial literacy workshops.[7] Additionally, WIN includes career counseling, vocational and psychosocial assessments, job-readiness training, and resume-preparation assistance to help survivors of domestic violence secure the education and skills necessary to begin achieving financial freedom.[7]

Legal Education and Advocacy Program

URI’s Domestic Violence Legal Education and Advocacy Program (LEAP) provides specialized, on-site legal services to the residents of the agency’s six domestic violence shelters.[8] LEAP served 111 shelter residents in 2015.[1] LEAP provides legal advice, referrals, and assistance on family law issues, including custody, visitation, orders of protection, child support, and divorce.[8] LEAP also advocates on behalf of clients with the local police precincts and district attorneys’ offices.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Urban Resource Institute 2015 Annual Report" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History of URI - Urban Resource Institute". Urban Resource Institute. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  3. ↑ "Urban Resource Institute Appoints Nathaniel Fields as President - Urban Resource Institute". Urban Resource Institute. 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  4. 1 2 3 Newman, Andy (2016-04-14). "Where the Abused, and Their Pets, Can Be Safe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  5. ↑ "LOOK: New York City's First Pet-Friendly Domestic Abuse Shelter". The Huffington Post. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  6. 1 2 "Manhattan's First Dog Park in Domestic Violence Shelter Opens in Harlem". DNAinfo New York. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  7. 1 2 3 "Working Internship Network (WIN) - Urban Resource Institute". Urban Resource Institute. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  8. 1 2 3 "Legal Education and Advocacy Program (LEAP) - Urban Resource Institute". Urban Resource Institute. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
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