For Immediate Release
For press inquiries, contact Dondi Quintans, dquintans@urinyc.org
NEW YORK, NY (December 21, 2023) – Urban Resource Institute (URI), the foremost provider of domestic violence shelter services in the U.S. and a leading advocate for homeless families, is delighted to announce the promotion of Teal Inzunza, LMSW to the role of Associate Vice President of Justice Initiatives.
As a crucial addition to URI’s Senior Team, Inzunza, reporting directly to Dr. Amanda Eckhardt, Chief Program Officer, will spearhead the newly established Justice Initiatives department. URI’s comprehensive portfolio of trauma-informed programs, reaching thousands in New York City annually, underscores the organization’s commitment to ending cycles of violence and homelessness by providing trauma-informed and client-centered support to the families in our care.
In her expanded role, Inzunza will oversee ten programs – URI’s Justice Initiatives – with a $7 million budget, encompassing People and Animals Living Safely, clinical support, economic empowerment, legal services, crime victim services and prevention and intervention as solutions to end domestic violence and homelessness. URI’s Justice Initiatives will work in partnership with survivors and impacted communities at the intersection of poverty and racism to end the cycles that fuel homelessness and violence.
“Teal Inzunza has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication throughout her tenure at URI. As we expand our commitment to Justice Initiatives, Teal’s passion and expertise will be instrumental in advancing our mission. We are confident that she will continue to make significant contributions to ending cycles of violence, homelessness, poverty, and trauma in partnership with the communities we serve,” said Eckhardt.
Inzunza, a licensed social worker, brings a wealth of expertise around economic justice for survivors and families experiencing homelessness; working towards system’s level change; building equitable and inclusive systems, including LGBTQ survivor advocacy, and navigating housing and public benefits systems in New York City. Her distinguished five-year tenure as the Program Director of Economic Empowerment at URI, during which she co-chaired the city-wide Domestic Violence and Economic Justice Task Force, highlights her commitment to creating pathways for survivors to overcome economic challenges.
An active participant in various city and nationwide working groups, Inzunza co-founded the Economic Justice for Survivors Collaborative and contributed to the National Coerced Debt Working Group, which supported the first inclusion of economic abuse and coerced debt in the updated Violence Against Women Act. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, she received the Systems Changer Award from Her Justice in 2023 and was named as a Change Maker from the Anti-Violence Project in 2022.
Lastly, Inzunza co-wrote the groundbreaking report entitled Reinvesting in Economic Justice, Equity, and Solidarity for[http:// Survivors] Survivors in NYC in 2022, outlining policy strategies to support survivors of economic abuse. As a result of this report and the combined community advocacy, local law Int 148 was passed in 2023, which added economic abuse to New York City’s definition of domestic violence, enabling city agencies to address economic abuse in the same way they do physical abuse.
“I am honored to lead the Justice Initiatives department at URI and contribute to the organization’s commitment to creating a more just and equitable world. This is an opportunity to build upon the impactful work URI has been doing and further address the complex challenges faced by those impacted by domestic violence, homelessness, poverty and oppression,” added Inzunza.
Teal Inzunza’s appointment as Associate Vice President of Justice Initiatives marks a significant step forward in URI’s commitment to creating a more just and equitable world, addressing the economic impact on survivors of domestic violence, and fostering meaningful change.
About Urban Resource Institute:
Urban Resource Institute (URI) transforms the lives of domestic violence survivors and homeless families by empowering individuals, families, and communities, particularly communities of color and other vulnerable populations, to end cycles of domestic violence, homelessness, poverty, and trauma by increasing safety and resiliency. As the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the US and a leading provider of homeless services, URI’s programs impact more than 40,000 individuals annually through prevention, intervention, education, and direct services in both residential and non-residential settings in New York. URI is recognized as a thought-leader with influence across the U.S. and beyond. For more information, visit www.urinyc.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, call NYC’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
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