Mission

SJFS is s dedicated to helping individuals and families in the Jewish and general communities of Onondaga County maximize their self-determination, realize their potential and live with dignity. SJFS is guided by values of family, community, diversity, respect and autonomy. The agency promotes these values by identifying community needs, establishing priorities and implementing programs that seek to preserve and strengthen individual and family well-being. The human services arm of the Jewish community, SJFS is dedicated to holistic, preventive, wellness-oriented integration of social and human services offered without regard to race or creed to all residents of CNY.

What We Do

Vision
We envision a community in which older adults with and without cognitive impairment, and their care partners and support networks
* Maintain nutritional, cultural, social and spiritual well-being at the highest possible level of independence;
* Can live at home safely or make safe transitions into an appropriate level of care;
* Enjoy emotional well-being, quality of life, and the highest cognitive functioning;
* Are free from depression and have the skills and supports to achieve their goals;
* Have a sense of positive well-being; and
* Are socially resilient (have the capacity to foster, engage in, and sustain social relationships and the capacity to endure and recover from stressors and social isolation).
Therefore, with an emphasis on issues of aging, our services fall into four interactive areas: Planning and Navigating the Journey (Care management: health, housing, services; bill paying, personal affairs assistance; Kosher Meals on Wheels; transportation; medical appointment accompaniment; Activity Companions; AgeWise Planning Advisors; Elder Shelter) Promoting and Restoring Mental Health (Individual, Couples and Family Counseling; CNY PEARLS (evidence-based in-home depression care); Learning Groups; Family Wellness Connections; Family Time with the Family Service wellness events); Supporting Brain Health and Living Well with Dementia (M-Power U: A Learning Community for Early Memory Loss; Mind AerobicsTM cognitive suite of research-based program; depression care; Learning Groups; brain-health assessments; Dementia Consultation and Coaching; Dementia Friendly CNY); and Catalyzing the Team: Families, Professionals, and Ancillary Services (Internship program with accredited colleges and universities; BeWell Institute workshops, courses, and consulting; Planning to Flourish workplace seminars and clinics; Arts & Minds Training Consultants; Project SECURE: Supporting the Experience of Caregivers to Upstate Region Elders).