Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies

Innovation Winners

2025

Beyond The Waitlist

Beyond the Waitlist is an innovative service redesign led by Jewish Family Services (JFS) Vancouver to address critical barriers to timely mental health care. In response to an eight-month waitlist, staffing shortages, and increasing community distress during the pandemic, JFS reimagined its intake and service delivery model. At the core of this approach is the integration of Tickit®, a digital health platform that uses evidence-based, conversational assessments and real-time analytics to triage client needs and match individuals to appropriate levels of care. This was paired with the development of an Intern Counselling Clinic, bringing in up to 15 graduate-level students annually alongside 7–10 contracted counsellors. Together, this model enables rapid access to care while building future workforce capacity, resulting in significantly reduced wait times and expanded service reach.

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Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota

Living Our Values (LOV) is an evergreen storytelling campaign by Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota that celebrates staff as the embodiment of the agency’s five core values—Compassion, Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation, and Collaboration. Each staff member was invited to author a personal reflection on what drives their work and how it connects to JFCS’s mission. These authentic, unedited narratives are paired with professional portraits, appearing across print ads, digital newsletters, social media, and in-office displays. The campaign showcases the organization’s values in action and fosters a deeper sense of pride, belonging, and purpose among employees.

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Stronger Together

Stronger Together is a staff-driven initiative at Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services (GCJFCS) designed to foster an inclusive, supportive, and engaged workplace culture. Originating from earlier staff retention and visioning efforts, the committee evolved into a dynamic model for organizational well-being and connection. Through creative programming, open communication, and staff-led innovation, Stronger Together introduced initiatives such as the New Hire Concierge Program, Alternative Work Schedule Policy, and the Compassion in Action all-staff conference—all aimed at improving morale, professional growth, and belonging.

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KAVOD SHEF Connections: A Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program

KAVOD SHEF Connections is a national peer-to-peer mentoring program designed to strengthen collaboration and leadership among staff across KAVOD SHEF’s 43 partner agencies. Participants—grant managers, case managers, and program leaders—are thoughtfully paired based on community size, role, and shared goals. Each partnership follows the organization’s original F.A.C.T. framework (Feedback, Accountability, Collaboration, Trust), which provides structure, tools, and prompts for intentional relationship-building. Participants also join leadership-focused sessions on topics such as mindful communication and effective feedback.

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Abby's Impact: Realizing Resilience

Abby’s Impact: Realizing Resilience, developed by Jewish Family Service of Colorado, is a six-week, evidence-informed program that teaches practical skills for building emotional resilience, mindfulness, and self-compassion. The structured curriculum helps participants strengthen coping, persistence, and self-efficacy through accessible, non-clinical tools. Five of the six sessions focus on core “me-with-me” skills—such as self-compassion, mindset mastery and crisis skills—and concludes with a “me-with-you” communication session designed to improve relationships and advocacy.

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Cummings to Community (C2C)

Cummings to Community (C2C) is a social impact initiative by the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors that delivers therapeutic recreational programming directly to seniors and other vulnerable populations in their living spaces. Operating both in-person and virtually across Montreal and Quebec, C2C partners with senior residences, long-term care facilities, and community centers to provide curated programs in physical and emotional wellness, creative arts, social and cognitive engagement. The model serves organizations rather than individuals, using a team of 70+ contract specialists and a small internal staff to scale impact efficiently.