1970

Project Return Foundation Founded: PRF arises from the self-help movement, which created Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the Therapeutic community (TC) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). PRF is incorporated as a not-for-profit residential substance abuse treatment program.

1971

Project Return is incorporated:  The agency is incorporated as a not-for-profit residential substance abuse treatment program.

1973

First Women's Program Launched: PRF addresses the growing needs of women in residential treatment by creating Artemis, one of the first programs serving substance-abusing women in the nation.

1975

Vocational Educational services offered: One of the keys to successful recovery is having employable skills and getting a job. PRF formalizes its vocational training services to help clients develop successfully in these areas. Today, vocational education is offered at all PRF facilities.

Specialized Services for Gay Men and Women Established: PRF develops one of the first residential rehabilitation programs specifically for gay men and women-populations often isolated in therapeutic communities.

1979

Flagship Facility-Starhill-Acquired: Project Return acquires the former Calvary Hospital in the Bronx opening its largest residential facility (417 beds) and significantly expanding its programs. Starhill is named after a well-loved and respected PRF counselor, Starling Lee.

Women's Treatment Issues Gain National Hearing: Recognizing that women's treatment issues need a national forum, Women in Crisis (WIC) convenes the first annual conference on women and treatment where issues of substance and alcohol abuse, criminal justice and mental health are addressed.

Commitment to Communities Expanded: "Giving back" to the community is a basic tenet of the TC model. PRF expands its community service commitment by opening Senior Citizens Outreach Unit Teams (S.C.O.U.T.), a service program for senior citizens offered by PRF clients. Today, community services remain an integral part of PRF. Clients contribute more than 70,000 hours of service annually throughout New York City.

1981

Safe Haven for Mothers and Children of Domestic Violence Opened: Domestic violence bursts upon the public consciousness in the early 1980s. Building upon its commitment to meet the needs of those whose lives are shattered by violence and substance abuse in the home, PRF creates Aegis, a model shelter for survivors of domestic violence. Today Aegis serves 60 women and their children and issues of trauma and domestic violence are addressed at all Project Return facilities.

Criminal Justice Services Begun: Moving beyond the criminal justice system and into a responsible, independent life requires training, assistance and counseling. Equinox and Chrysalis are the first of Project Return's criminal justice programs that help clients do just this. Today, PRF operates five criminal justice programs that help parolees with employment readiness, job placement, individual and family counseling, as well as recreational and community service activities.

1986

Mental Illness Issues Addressed: PRF develops innovative services and interdisciplinary treatment teams to better recognize, diagnose and treat the many clients who suffer from mental illness while also struggling with addiction. Today PRF's treatment teams are made up of professional, credentialed staff working in close collaboration with individuals who have personal experiences of recovery.

1988

HIV/AIDS Specific Services Strengthened: The affects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic increasingly impact PRF clients. To reach out to at-risk persons, PRF develops an educational program through WIC that seeks women in places where they congregate (daycare centers, laundromats, hospital waiting rooms and more). Today WIC is a leader in the field of prevention and outreach, addressing the needs of high-risk men and women with information on addiction to drugs and alcohol as well as HIV/AIDS. PRF continues its programming with an intensive case management program (Community Follow-Up) and permanent supportive housing.

1990

In partnership with Samaritan Village, HELP/PSI Created: This partnership creates a residential health facility for patients with HIV/AIDS and substance abuse disorders. Today this partnership has expanded with Project Samaritan Health Services bringing primary health care to residential clients at Starhill and throughout the Samaritan Village, Project Return and HELP/PSI systems.

1991

Working Clients Gain Access to Outpatient Services: PRF develops the Comprehensive Treatment Institute (CTI) to better meet the needs of working clients, providing programs from intensive outpatient day services to relapse prevention and sobriety maintenance. CTI now also provides its clients vocational and childcare services.

1992

Unique Family Treatment Model Launched: PRF's early work with women leads it to open the nation's first residential treatment program for women who are struggling with both substance abuse and mental illness. The Albert and Mildred Dreitzer Women and Children's Treatment Center is unique in offering programming for both mothers and their children.

1994

PRF Serves the Homeless: Many men and women are homeless prior to entering treatment. PRF's experience with this population is formally acknowledged when the city engages PRF to provide programs and, later, manage Willow Shelter.

1995

Critical Need for Supportive Housing Addressed: The '90s housing crisis impacts PRF graduates as they struggle to find drug-free, safe housing. Providing permanent supportive housing is now a primary goal in Project Return's work to help people move beyond residential treatment and into independent, healthy and responsible lives. Also launched are: Shelter Plus Care provides 44 apartments and support services to families and singles throughout the city. Cedar Tremont, a model development for 17 families impacted by HIV/AIDS, provides housing and support services.

1999

Supportive Housing Expanded: Dreitzer House offers 36 families find permanent, safe drug-free homes. Hill House offers individual studios for 46 singles-23 of whom are also living with HIV/AIDS. Esperanza provides transitional shelter for 80 recovering and formerly homeless individuals who are moving towards greater independence, responsibility and permanent housing.

PRF Creates Model which integrates services for victims of trauma: The Portal Project is one of 14 research sites nationally to receive funding and support from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Its goal: to develop a model of integrated and coordinated services for treating the needs of women who are the survivors of trauma and struggling with mental illness and substance abuse.

2000-2002

Growth in Supportive Housing: Three new permanent housing projects opened in this year: Jerome Court, providing 37 units for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; FUSH, 11 units of supported permanent housing for mentally ill substance abusers in recovery program; and Chelsea House, supportive housing for 18 single adults. Palladia's housing for Families also grew significantly with the opening of Stratford House with 60 units for homeless families. This was joined shortly thereafter by the Stratford Early Learning Center.

2001

Growth in Fathers' Programming: 2001 saw the opening of the TANF Responsible Fathers Program at PTP.

2002

Project Return Becomes Palladia, Inc.

2003-2005

Outpatient and Family Services expand: Among the several new initiatives started during this period were the ACS Consultation Teams (2003), HomeBase (2004) our DHS funded program for families at risk of becoming homeless, and Athena House, the first Tier 2 facility for victims of domestic violence in New York State.

2005

Palladia's Executive Offices Move from 10 Astor Place to 2006 Madison Avenue.

2005-2010

Housing, Substance Abuse, Homeless and Criminal Justice Services continue to Define Palladia: This period of growth touched all parts of the agency: In Housing, Flora Vista (2005) opened it doors to single, homeless adults with a disabling condition, Fox Point (2009) opened to both homeless and community families, FUSE-a pilot housing and service program initiated by the Department of Corrections-began serving tenants in 2006, and the Breakthrough Transitional Housing Program (BTHP) began serving homeless men who had completed substance abuse treatment in 2008; In Substance Abuse, Palladia opened our Steps to Safety Project in 2008 to provide an evidence based trauma curriculum along with a housing preparation curriculum to homeless men in substance abuse treatment; the ACS program expanded to include a direct service referral program for substance affected families. In Criminal Justice Services, in 2005 Palladia opened our Palladia Men's Initiative (PMI), which acts as an alternative to incarceration program for men in our substance abuse treatment programs; in 2010 Palladia was awarded a federal stimulus grant for an alternative to incarceration program in response to changes in the Rockefeller Drug Laws for our Probation Violators Rehabilitation Center (PVRC) program. In Homeless Services, in 2010 Palladia opened 2 new shelters for homeless adults.

2011

Palladia celebrates 40^th anniversary:  In this anniversary year, Palladia operates 29 programs in neighborhoods throughout the city and works with over seventeen city, state and federal agencies to ensure that services target the neediest populations.  Project Return’s  first clients were all men—Palladia now offers treatment, shelter and housing to men, women and children.  In this year, Palladia also continued to prepare itself for the future, engaging in the agency’s most comprehensive Strategic Planning initiative ever.   Palladia is ready for and confident about the future.