To consider City & State’s inaugural Above & Beyond: Social Services list is to gain new appreciation for the breadth of talent and dedication powering New York’s human-centered agencies.
The altruistic backbone of the sector is a front line of social workers and counselors nimbly responding to the twin exigencies of America’s mental health crisis and New York’s influx of high-needs asylum-seekers. But these practitioners could not do their work without the support of management consultants; attorneys who specialize in the nonprofit space; fundraisers, insurers and financing experts to secure ever-more-costly initiatives; and the lobbyists and advocates who ensure that Albany and Washington invest in our most vulnerable communities.
Housing is a secondary theme of this list, reflecting the skyrocketing need for emergency shelter, transitional housing and supportive residences for people struggling with the fallout of homelessness, substance use, chronic illness and other complex needs.
As this list illustrates, New York’s social services community rallies to meet these evolving needs – and does so with professionalism, patience and indomitable optimism. This list – written by journalist Hilary Danailova – celebrates the people who make our communities healthier and happier, one New Yorker at a time.