Youth Peer Advocate

Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground, formerly Leake & Watts, is a leading nonprofit organization providing children, adults, and families in need with the resources and skills needed to rise above adversity and positively direct their lives. We envision a future where every child has an equal opportunity to succeed; where vulnerable individuals and families have the resources and support they need; where people with disabilities can access opportunity and fully participate in their communities; and where all are supported as they navigate life’s challenges and positively direct their lives. Gold Winner of the New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards, our work is a positive force in the lives of more than 12,000 individuals annually through a continuum of juvenile justice, child welfare, early childhood, special education, intellectual disabilities services and health services. With an annual budget of $100 million and 47 programs at 25 sites throughout the New York City area, we deliver dedicated support to promote safe environments for children and help families thrive through our family stabilization, family foster care and adoption programs; innovative educational programs that advance learning from early childhood through high school; result-focused programs that help court-involved youth change the trajectory of their lives; caring services that promote independence for children and adults with developmental disabilities; and pro-active community health initiatives that foster well-being. Across programs, we continually engage new, innovative techniques and implement evidence-based models to increase our impact and promote better outcomes. We are proud of our positive mission-related and organizational results, which have come from these efforts.