Community Hope Expands Six-fold
Since 2001, Community Hope’s residential programs have expanded six-fold.  Today, more than 270 individuals are benefiting from supported housing where our counselors empower individuals to continue their recovery from mental illness and rejoin the workforce, family and community life.  With programs currently under development, Community Hope will soon be serving 300 individuals.  Expansion has been made possible in large part by private contributions and public grants averaging $1.2 million in each of the last three fiscal years.

New Wing Opens and Expands Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing ® Program
The 70-bed Hope for Veterans® Program opened in September 2004 as the largest and most comprehensive transitional housing program for homeless veterans in New Jersey and the Tri-State area. Based on the number of homeless veterans in dire need of safe shelter and specialized services, Community Hope secured over $200,000 in grants to expand the program to 95 beds. In December 2007, we completed a new wing creating an additional twenty-five beds. In support of our homeless veterans, the Somerset Hills YMCA helped raise more than $25,000 for the expanded facility from the 2008 Flag Day 5K Run

The Hope for Veterans® Program was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious national Community Partnership Award from the Mutual of America Foundation and the (NJ) Governor’s Excellence in Housing Award.

Final Phases Underway to Develop “The Partnership” at Greystone
Community Hope and our partner agency, Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare (CBH Care), are in the process of completing development of the Partnership, a specialized 48-bed recovery and reintegration program. Developing the Partnership Residential and Day Treatment Program entailed renovating the former patient cottages on the grounds of Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. Similar to CHAMP, the self-contained program serves individuals who have experienced long-term hospitalization and provides specialized services to individuals with medical conditions and those with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse.

Upon completion, the CHAMP and Partnership Programs will help nearly 90 patients reclaim their lives after lengthy hospitalizations. Plans to further expand the nearby CHAMP Program are also underway with support from the County of Morris and a grant from the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services.

In-Home Services Established for Patients Returning Home
Community Hope completed development of our In-Home Family Services Program. This newest initiative gives individuals leaving the hospital the option to return to their families with the additional support of our Supportive Living Program (SLP). This service is for individuals who are unable to leave the hospital to return home to their families unless they receive at-home support services. Community Hope provides the essential support services to the individual in their home so that independent-living can be resumed.

Supported Housing Program Expands with Respite Care Services
Community Hope continues to explore opportunities to develop new supportive housing programs for low-income, disabled individuals.  Nearly 70 individuals now benefit from our independent living program, established in 2001, but the need continues to escalate.  Our outcomes indicate how vulnerable the individuals we serve are to such external factors as the cost of living and the lack of affordable rental housing.  Since 2005, the rate of homelessness of those entering our CHOICE Independent Living Program rose from 30% to 50%.  Despite the rising rate of homelessness for individuals entering our CHOICE Program, 96% of our CHOICE residents were able to successfully transition into the Program and maintain independent living.

In order to help ensure that CHOICE supportive housing residents maintain their housing and ability to remain independent, Community Hope opened a Respite Care Service in one of our 24-hour staffed residences.  This service enables individuals experiencing relapse or temporary medical restrictions (i.e. limited mobility due to a broken limb, recovering from surgery) to benefit from a temporary stay in a 24-hour staffed residence.  The additional support of the Crisis Intervention and Respite Counselor assists them into the respite facility; through the crisis period and during the transition back to supported housing.

Sparkle of Hope Gala Successful in Raising Funds to Benefit Community Hope
In a show of support for Community Hope’s mission, nearly 500 supporters and corporate sponsors attended the annual Sparkle of Hope Dinner Auction on October 21, 2008.  The event raised more than $450,000 with proceeds benefiting Community Hope’s residential programs. Recognized at the charity event was Corporate Honoree Dr. Sol Barer, Chairman and CEO of the Celgene Corporation, a leader in the pharmaceutical sector, and Community Partner Honoree Robert J. Lomauro, President and CEO of the Somerset Hills YMCA, for helping to raise as much as $120,000 for the Hope for Veterans Program.

Community Hope Staff Are Awarded Honors
Our Executive Director who has been at Community Hope since 1999, received the Outstanding Mental Health Services to Veterans Award from the NJ Association of Mental Health Agencies in April 2008.

Our Director of Clinical Services  received  the 2008 New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies’ “Courage and Compassion” Award, and Our Director of Development is the recipient of the 2008 Robert J. Smythe Award for Outstanding Professional Fundraiser by the NJ Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals..