Mission
Founded to Serve Refugees
CRR is founded as Jewish Vocational Guidance Services to help European refugees in Houston find jobs and housing.
Incorprated as a Nonprofit
Fred Weiner served as Chief Executive Officer from 1948-1969
1945
1945
B’nai B’rith established a one-person office in Houston to help World War II refugees find employment and housing.
1947
B’nai B’rith established a one-person office in Houston to help World War II refugees find employment and housing.
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.
1964
1964
Operated one of the first Narcotic Addic Rehabilitation Act-funded aftercare programs in the late 1970s and then added service 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.
Provided Career Counseling Services
CRR is founded as Jewish Vocational Guidance Services to help European refugees in Houston find jobs and housing.
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.
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.
Housing Support & National Recognition
Dr. Vernus C. Swisher served as Chief Executive Officer from 1996- 2019
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.
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. 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 4,500+ 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!