The Shira Ruskay Center

History

The Shira Ruskay Center was founded in 1997 to assist seriously ill patients, their families and loved ones. We assist with navigating the complex and often chaotic health and social service systems, thereby enabling access to better and more comprehensive care.

The center is named in memory of Shira Ruskay, who was an active member of our initial advisory committee. Both in her work and in her life, Shira, a hospice social worker, modeled the compassionate, sensitive caring that can make such a difference to patients and families as they face illness or impending death.

The "Doula to Accompany and Comfort Program" was initiated in October 2000. Trained volunteer Doulas visit people who are at the end-of-life, especially those with limited supports. Doulas work with one patient at a time, in collaborating hospitals, nursing homes and community agencies.

Since 2003, the Shira Ruskay Center has been the designated New York City Regional Care Center of the Jewish Healing and Hospice Alliance, an initiative of UJA-Federation of New York. The goal of the initiative is to enhance support and care for the Jewish community when serious illness is present. As part of this larger initiative, the Shira Ruskay Center has been able to increase our services to meet the complex needs of the Jewish community. Regional Care Centers have also been established in Westchester and Long Island.

Services

Telephone or in-person consultation is available to support patients and their loved ones. The course of many diseases creates significant stress; and families may struggle to cope with unpredictable and ever changing situations. Without help, alone and confused, families often face complex decisions about the care of patients with advanced or life-limiting illness. Appropriate support enhances the ability to cope, organize and utilize strengths.

Information and assistance as well as psychological, social and spiritual support is provided. Families are helped to explore and clarify options. A comprehensive care plan is created that respects and reflects the patient’s and family’s wishes, and connections are provided to resources.

Through the support from our rabbi and social worker the following services are available:

Information and Referral to Resources
Individual and Family Counseling at home, in our offices, or in a hospital
Support and Advocacy
Spiritual Counseling
Bereavement Counseling
Bikur Cholim volunteer Services

Community education workshops and conferences directed to the professional community are offered Workshops include: Ethical Wills: A Spiritual Legacy, Health Care Proxies: Honoring Your Wishes, Caring for Parents when Roles Reverse, and Using the Health Care System Effectively.

All of these services are offered to both affiliated and non-affiliated Jews in the New York City metropolitan area. Our workshops are offered in collaboration with agencies, synagogues and JCCs/Y’s.

Patients at the end-of-life are served through the Doula to Accompany and Comfort Program which also recruits and trains volunteers. The Doula volunteer program is offered in conjunction with various hospitals, nursing homes, synagogues and community agencies. The Shira Ruskay Center was established primarily to meet the needs of the Jewish community; nevertheless, our volunteer Doula program is non-sectarian and serves the entire population.

The Shira Ruskay Center is a program of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, one of the nation’s largest and most respected nonprofit mental health and social service agencies. JBFCS serves over 65,000 New Yorkers annually from all religious, ethnic and economic backgrounds through a comprehensive range of 185 community- based programs, residential facilities and day-treatment centers.

The Shira Ruskay Center receives funding from UJA-Federation of New York as well as other philanthropic foundations and individual donors.

©2008 The Shira Ruskay Center
120 West 57th Street · New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 664-1632 · Fax: (212) 399-2475 ·
[JBFCS site] [Jewish Connections Programs]