Our Mission
To help people identify and overcome their barriers to achieving a stable life. We break down barriers for people experiencing substance abuse, underemployment, and housing instability, with focused services for youth, veterans, people with disabilities, and those referred from the criminal justice system. With behavioral and physical wellness, education, workforce development, and affordable housing, CRR’s vision is for our clients to live as self-determined, financially stable, happy, and productive individuals.
1945
- 1945: B’nai B’rith established a one-person office in Houston
to help World War II refugees find employment and housing. - 1947: Renamed to Jewish Vocational Guidance Services.
- 1958: Incorporated as a nonprofit, joined United Way,
expanded services to include vocational and job placement for
youth and people with disabilities. Name changed to Vocational
Guidance Services (VGS), Inc.
Founded to Serve Refugees
CRR is founded as Jewish Vocational Guidance Services to help European refugees in Houston find jobs and housing.
1964
- 1964: Operated one of the first Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation
Act-funded aftercare programs in the late 1970s and then added
services for the Harris County Adult Probation and Federal
Probation, Parole & Pre-Trial Services. - 1984: Became licensed by the Department of State Health
Services to provide adult outpatient substance abuse treatment
and aftercare that included HIV/STD and Hepatitis C testing, risk
reduction counseling, and housing assistance.
Vocational Guidance Service , Inc
Ann Liberman, began with VGS, Inc in 1987 and now serves on the Board of Directors for Career Recovery and Resource, Inc.
1985
- 1985: Provided employment services through the Waller County
Employment Assistance Program, Youth Employment Services, and
Houston Opportunities for Positive Employment, offering job
readiness training, skills testing, and long-term employment. - 1994: Began offering “Preparation for Adult Living” for youth
aging out of CPS protective custody, “Senior Employment Program”
for workers age 55+, and “Homeless Outreach” for job seekers in
shelters/transitional housing facilities. - 2003: Began providing substance abuse treatment for Harris
County Drug Court and became Drug Court’s largest
outplacement and related services for 8,000+ hurricane
evacuees, thanks to $2 million + in grants.
Provided Career Counseling Services
Charlie McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer from 1975-1995, was instrumental in the change of the name to Career and Recovery Resources, Inc.
2009
- 2009: CRR received funding from the Department of Labor to
reintegrate 200 homeless veterans into the community and
workforce. Additional support from the American Recovery &
Reinvestment Act allowed CRR to provide employment assistance
and training services to job seekers from families at 200% of the
federal poverty level, to support families affected by Hurricane Ike,
and to create summer job opportunities for 1,013 disadvantaged
youth from low-income households. - 2013: CRR received the American Legion Homeless
Outreach Award in recognition of our outstanding services
and immense help to homeless Veterans.
Honoring Veterans: Housing Support & National Recognition
Dr. Vernus C. Swisher served as Chief Executive Officer from 1996- 2019
2019
- 2019: Launched UpRise, a social enterprise designed to provide
meaningful employment opportunities and job training for individuals
facing significant barriers to the workforce. - 2020: As a part of the county and city efforts to address
homelessness during the pandemic, CRR's housing program
grew to house 400 individuals with the ability to provide intensive
employment services to those engaged in housing programs.
CRR was a part of the pilot project H3 that went into encampments
downtown to help move individuals into permanent housing. - 2022: CRR brought ID services in-house to better support clients in
obtaining identification and other required documents necessary to
access essential services.
Today
- 2014, 2015, 2016: CRR was recognized as one of Houston’s Best
and Brightest in the compensation, benefits, and employee solutions
categories based on a survey completed by the staff. - 2016: CRR was approved as a Commission on Accreditation of
Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) approved agency. CARF is an
independent, nonprofit organization focused on advancing the
quality of services used to meet client needs for the best possible
outcomes. The CARF accreditation signals a service provider's
commitment to continually improving services, encouraging
feedback, and serving the community. It signifies that our agency
focuses on quality and results. - 2022: CRR was CARF-accredited again. Our substance use
outpatient facility is licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services.
Empowering Thousands: Comprehensive Care & Accredited Excellence
CRR supports 5,400+ individuals annually through behavioral and physical wellness, employment, education, housing, and recovery. Recognized by CARF and the Texas Health and Human Services. Programs continue to evolve through partnerships and a focus on breaking down barriers to stability!