Patch Woonsocket, RI --Nancy Benoit, the Chair of the Board of Directors of Family Resources Community Action, and Denise Dussault Leduc, Chair of the NRI Community Services’ Board of Directors, have announced the formation of an alliance agreement between the two Woonsocket-based nonprofit human service agencies.
Under the terms of the agreement, approved recently by both Boards, each agency appoints two members to the other’s Board, a joint program development committee of Board and staff is created, and the organizations agree to collaborate on grant applications and coordinate services.
Benedict F. Lessing, Jr., Executive Director of Family Resources Community Action (FRCA), noted, “FRCA and NRICS have, in recent years, shown our Boards the benefits to clients of true collaboration. We share staff, co-locate services, coordinate family plans, and in doing so, can offer shared clients better services.”
“Family Resources is the lead agency for a Department of Children, Youth and Families Phase 1 Family Care Community Partnership for this region. Family Services of Rhode Island is the lead agency for a DCYF Phase 2 re-engineering of the child welfare system that FRCA is a member of. In both these networks, NRICS and FRCA clinical and management staff are fully engaged in strengthening families and preventing out-of-state or residential care through an interagency approach,” Lessing said.
Nancy Benoit, Chair of FRCA indicated her support for the alliance.“Poverty, family violence, lack of job training and employment often precipitate or aggravate mental health and substance abuse problems,” Benoit said. “Our partnership with NRI Community Services enhances access to crisis and counseling services for children, adolescents and adults, and does so without regard to their insurance coverage.”
Denise Dussault Leduc, Chair of NRICS added, “Many people are not aware of coordinated ways that NRICS and FRCA can respond to the needs of the homeless, veterans, ex-offenders and people with handicapping conditions. We are excited to continue a process of integrating and sharing our combined capacity to serve individuals and families in northern Rhode Island.”
“National and Rhode Island economic problems affect already challenged communities,” said Christian L. Stephens, President/CEO of NRI Community Services and its affiliates. “There have been more nonprofit closures, more nonprofit competition, and more potential for some groups in need not getting served. NRICS and FRCA are demonstrating real collaboration at a time when tax payers and funders want the most efficiency, the best outcomes, and services that lead to individual and family self sufficiency.”
Although NRICS and FRCA are based in Woonsocket, their services are regional and in some cases statewide. For more information, visit www.famresri.org and www.nricommunityservices.org Reported by Patch 3 days ago.