Reuben Engagement Center Announces Executive Director
Brandy McCord
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowBrandy McCord has been named executive director of the Reuben Engagement Center. Part of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan for comprehensive criminal justice reform, the facility provides a safe place for adults who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and unable to enter emergency shelter due to active substance abuse or a mental health diagnosis.
She developed the Parole Re-Entry Liaison Program for the Indiana Department of Correction, connecting individuals on parole with community service providers to foster successful reintegration back into the community – a program that made more than 13,900 referrals to 940 community-based organizations. Prior to developing this program, McCord spent time advocating for offenders with mental illness to receive treatment instead of prison sentences, coordinating the Psychiatric Assertive and Identification Referral program, and serving as a mental health liaison for community corrections. She holds a degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Indiana University.
Part of the city of Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety, the Reuben Engagement Center is a first-of-its-kind facility in Indianapolis. The facility is staffed by medical personnel who collaborate with private and not-for-profit agencies, as well as healthcare providers, to deliver immediate non-emergency care and wraparound services such as mental health evaluations, case management, and housing referrals.