Kenneth Moskowitz, president and CEO of JFSA, recently appeared on the Heals Pod podcast, produced by Las Vegas HEALS, a nonprofit committed to improving healthcare access and delivery in Southern Nevada. Hosted by Diego Trujillo, the show started by focusing on JFSA’s long history in the state. It started in 1977, primarily serving the Jewish community, but has branched out to support all populations, serving more than 75,000 people each year.
“As an organization that gets support from a variety of sources … it opens up the door for us to really be able to identify the gaps and needs in our community,” Moskowitz said. “We provide services across the age continuum and try to fill those [service] needs for people in all age groups.”
While briefly touching on JFSA’s adoption and Holocaust Survivors Assistance programs, several key areas of service were covered in the show. They were:
· Behavioral services: Moskowitz shed light on JFSA’s counseling professionals who provide crisis support, and serve individuals, families, children, and seniors. In addition, the department houses the Center for assessment and educational services (CAES) to help children struggling in schools whose parents may not know where to turn or don’t have financial resources to have their child screened.
“We work with the school district, juvenile justice system, and charter schools to provide educational and psychological assessments that identify the child’s challenges and then we put a comprehensive plan together to help them,” Moskowitz explained.
· Senior services: Moskowitz also discussed the deep reach JFSA has when it comes to supporting local seniors. JFSA provides financial and medical assistance, counseling support, and a one-of-a-kind senior companion program, where volunteers are paired with a senior to visit their residence and help them around the home, while also providing companionship to combat isolation.
· Recent initiatives, future goals: Started last summer, JFSA’s Breast cancer support program has provided case management, financial support, and counseling to more than 25 people today, Moskowitz added. Going forward, the CEO said JFSA would also like to fill service gaps seen in addiction counseling. As for future organizational goals, Moskowitz and his team are building JFSA into a comprehensive social services network, where clients can find all they need in one place.
In closing, the CEO shared the philosophy behind how JFSA goes about helping thousands of Southern Nevadans each year.
“It’s not taking that person and fitting them into our mold,” he emphasized. “What we try to do is ask ‘what can we do to adapt [our services] to meet a person’s individual needs?’ It’s about putting the person first.”
To learn more about JFSA, visit JFSAlv.org or call (702) 732-0304.