Daniel Farrell reorganizes the operations team in the first weeks of his tenure as HELP USA’s Chief Operating Officer, promoting three industry experts to transformational positions.
SVP Single Adult Services, Jina Park
SVP Families with Children Services, Tina Goodrich
VP Supportive Housing and Services
NEW YORK, NY– (January 19, 2023) HELP USA, the renowned national homeless services provider, and low-income housing developer, today announced a slate of promotions amidst departmental restructuring initiated by new COO Daniel Farrell, LCSW. Nicole Richards has been named Senior Vice President of Single Adult Services; Jina Park, LCSW, takes on a broader portfolio as Senior Vice President of Familie with Children Services; and Tina Goodrich moves into an expanded role as Vice President of Supportive Housing and Services. HELP USA, known as an incubator of talent, elevates three highly qualified changemakers from within to build capacity, foster innovation, and deliver best-in-class services to underserved populations.
“Nicole, Jina, and Tina are powerhouses of knowledge, professionalism, and passion for this work,” said Tom Hameline, Ph.D., HELP USA President & CEO. “Their skill in homeless shelter operations, empathy for people in need, and dedication to providing wrap-around supportive services is second-to-none. I am confident they are the leaders we need as we head into a period of foundational change and growth ushered in by the recent housing initiatives announced by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams.”
These three seasoned and highly respected industry professionals have a combined experience base that covers every aspect of HELP USA’s homeless services offerings. They will collaborate closely with COO Daniel Farrell, building on the solid operational structure of his predecessor Karen Ford, recently tapped to Head Mayor Eric Adam’s new Office for Nonprofit Services. Farrell takes over the department with several landmark projects in development that will add hundreds of critical transitional housing units and permanent supportive and affordable homes for families in Brooklyn and the Bronx. These purpose-built complexes draw on trauma-informed design to deliver spaces uniquely suited to promote safety, respect, connection, and community while families work toward long-term housing stability.
“The programs we already manage are significant, and their increased success is due in large part to the committed work ethic of Nicole, Jina, and Tina,” said Farrell. “The tasks ahead, as laid out by the Governor and Mayor, will require visionary thinking and transformational leadership to succeed. With these promotions, we now have that in place.”
Nicole Richards, a twenty-five-year HELP USA veteran, began her tenure as a case manager at HELP’sBrownsville Women’s Center. Subsequently, she served in roles with extensive direct client care before rising to her most recent position of Vice President of Clinical Services, where she created HELP USA’s first behavioral health program and spearheaded the introduction of a trauma-informed care model. Her expanded responsibilities as Senior Vice President will cover all aspects of HELP USA’s single adult transitional housing programs regulated by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and the Veterans Administration (VA). This entails eleven shelters in two cities, encompassing approximately 1,600 shelter beds. Richards will have responsibility for the delivery of client services, including programs, safety, and facilities maintenance, as well as budget compliance. Richards will also be an outward-facing representative of HELP USA, meeting with community groups, government agencies, program funders, and regulatory bodies to ensure the integration of HELP’s shelters into neighborhoods and the highest level of care for those seeking assistance.
“Fulfilling our promise as a right-to-shelter city has never been more important. We have seen the long-term financial effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic compounded by the unique needs of unprecedented numbers of unhoused immigrants arriving daily,” said Richards. “I will be working closely with my colleagues, Commissioner Jenkins’ office, and our other partners to make sure HELP USA’s shelters are doing all we can to provide support to those seeking housing assistance.”
Richards holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Long Island University, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from SUNY Buffalo, and has a pending NYS license in Mental Health Counseling.
Jina Park, a licensed clinical social worker recently named to City & State’s Responsible 100 list and the recipient of the 2022 NASW Leadership Award, will head HELP USA’s portfolio of shelters and services for families with children as Senior Vice President of Families with Children Services. During her eight-year tenure with the agency, Park has overseen homeless employment programs, managed women’s shelters, run supportive services at permanent housing properties, and most recently, lead HELP’s family transitional and early learn services operation. In her expanded role, her oversight will expand to nine sites with 800 units regulated by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), Human Resources Administration (HRA), Housing and Preservation Development (HPD), and Departments of Social Services of Suffolk and Westchester Counties.
Park will focus on identifying best practices and programs across the portfolio and bring the most robust and high-quality services to families in need. “The number one priority is to place as many families as possible back into their communities with the support and tools they need to sustain stable housing,” said Park
“I will be expanding community partnerships and building new relationships with private funders so we can extend proven pilot programs into our family shelters. Programs like art therapy, on-site childcare, afterschool learning, parenting training, job placement services, and financial literacy should be available to all parents and children. By doing so, we will build foundations to provide long-term solutions for families who come to HELP USA.”
Park holds a Master of Social Work degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Science in from California State University at Long Beach.
Easily accessible supportive services are a key component to housing stability. Tina Goodrich, the newly named Vice President of Supportive Housing and Services, is uniquely qualified to lead HELP USA’s efforts in this area. With 25 years in housing administration and homeless services delivery, 14 of them at HELP USA, Goodrich brings a broad perspective to the table. She began her tenure at HELP as Housing Director at HELP Women’s Center in East New York, Brooklyn. Subsequently, she moved to positions with increasing responsibility across multiple sites including Director of Social Services, Program, and Executive Director of two rapid rehousing initiatives underwritten by grants from the Robin Hood Foundation, and most recently to Associate Vice President of Supportive Services. In these roles of critical responsibility, Goodrich oversaw key projects that crafted positive outcomes for the most vulnerable households in NYC including single women, young adults, veterans, and families, as they transitioned from homelessness to the community.
As HELP USA answers the call for more affordable, supportive housing, Goodrich’s team will be at the front ensuring that people-forward, trauma-informed practices are incorporated into HELP’s sites. Her portfolio will soon expand from 395 permanent supportive housing households to 593, with the addition of 198 homes slated to be completed and occupied in 2023 alone.
“This role at this moment in time is exactly where I want to be. With my HELP USA colleagues – Danny, Nicole, and Jina especially – and the major state and city initiatives geared to transform the permanent supportive housing landscape in the coming years, we will be able to make substantive progress toward breaking the cycle of chronic homelessness caused by systemic barriers to housing security,” said Goodrich. “Progress is possible, and by connecting individuals to mainstream resources and embedding them into the surrounding communities, HELP USA is creating a sea change in the way we support people as they build better lives for themselves and their families.”
Goodrich holds a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs from CUNY Queens College, a Bachelor of Arts from CUNY Brooklyn College, and serves as Board Vice-Chair at The Institute of Family Health.
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About HELP USA
HELP USA works to ensure that everyone has a place to call home. We build affordable homes, provide shelter for people in crisis, and strengthen vulnerable communities. Every day, we address the root causes of homelessness at our 44 residences and over a dozen prevention and support programs. For more information, visit www.helpusa.org.