Family Shelter Service and Metropolitan Family Services Announce Merger
Contact:
Bridget Hatch, Family Shelter Service | 630.995.0275 | bhatch@familyshelterservice.net
Ann Pinkney, Metropolitan Family Services | 312.986.4032 | pinkneya@metrofamily.org
Family Shelter Service and Metropolitan Family Services Announce Merger
Effective Date April 1, 2019
Family Shelter Service (FSS), DuPage County’s only comprehensive domestic violence services provider and emergency shelter, and Metropolitan Family Services DuPage (MFSD), the County’s largest provider of community services, ranging from behavioral health to early childhood services, are pleased to announce that FSS will merge with MFS, effective April 1, 2019.
FSS will be renamed Family Shelter Service of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, with services remaining dedicated to DuPage County clients.
The need for domestic violence services continues to outpace capacity in DuPage County. In addition, domestic violence survivors’ needs increasingly involve intersections between domestic violence and other social issues such as education, mental health, addiction and physical health, requiring a coordinated response. The combination of Family Shelter Service and Metropolitan Family Services DuPage will create a seamless continuum of services as well as reach more survivors of domestic violence in DuPage County.
“Family Shelter Service has had a long and trusting history with Metropolitan Family Services,” says Judie Caribeaux, Executive Director of Family Shelter Service. “This partnership helps us better fulfill our promise to provide faster, greater, equal access to domestic violence services so clients and this community can thrive, not just survive. We are able to reduce administrative costs and use those savings to expand programs. This model of providing integrated care for victims of domestic violence is revolutionary.”
The decision to merge was reached after an extensive multi-year review, including a comprehensive feasibility study which identified Family Shelter Service and Metropolitan Family Services DuPage as being excellent partners. The combination of complementary services, commitment to serving the needs of the community, focus on survivors of domestic violence, and dedication to expanding services will create a best practices service model.
“Bringing a full spectrum of services that truly work to facilitate the healing of families and individuals is a priority Metropolitan Family Services DuPage and Family Shelter Service share,” says Rita Lopez Brosnan, Executive Director of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage. “We are truly excited about combining strengths to better serve our clients.”
By drawing on coordinated services, Family Shelter Service of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage will explore and create new funding frameworks for domestic violence services. This partnership will be a point of strength as well, serving as a standard of success in the field of domestic violence services. Most importantly, the combined organization also will be able to create a continuum of services for domestic violence survivors, coordinating community, individual and behavioral health services. The result will be a program whose expertise and impact will increase the depth and breadth of domestic violence services in DuPage County and beyond.
The organization’s goals also include impacting the domestic violence field by initiating and facilitating the program’s best practices locally and throughout the metropolitan area.
About Family Shelter Service
Founded 42 years ago, Family Shelter Service is the only comprehensive domestic violence service provider in DuPage County. Family Shelter Service transforms lives by offering help and hope to those affected by domestic violence by providing faster, greater, equal access to services to help people in DuPage County thrive not just survive.
About Metropolitan Family Services DuPage
Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, started more than 80 years ago, is a family service/mental health agency serving some of DuPage County’s most vulnerable children and families. Whether through early childhood education, parent education, family therapy, psychiatric and mental health services for all ages, or services for older adults and their caregivers, Metropolitan “Mpowers” individuals and families to learn, to earn, to heal and to thrive. www.metrofamily.org.
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