Bruce J. Henry

As Executive Director for Covenant House New York (CHNY), Bruce J. Henry has dedicated more than twenty-three years to this organization serving homeless and at-risk youth. His commitment and desire in assisting this underprivileged population is evident by his work to create programs and services that continually meet the needs of the youth. Mr. Henry has been influential in shaping, not only Covenant House New York but the field of social services. His current role as the Executive Director makes him responsible for the operation and leadership of all Covenant House New York sites: the Crisis Center, Mother and Child program, Rights of Passage, and the Community Resource Centers.

Mr. Henry joined Covenant House New York in 1984 as the Director of Crisis Services. As director, Mr. Henry was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Crisis Center and for creating innovative and unique services addressing the needs of the youth. His ability to foresee the immediate need for long term services for the youth led him to create Covenant House's most ground-breaking and complex program: Rights of Passage. This program, established in March of 1986, was designed as a transitional living facility to assist formerly homeless youth in achieving self-sufficiency and independent living. To date, the Rights of Passage program has been established in twelve Covenant House sites throughout North America: Alaska, California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC.

With the creation of Rights of Passage, Mr. Henry became the Executive Director of Covenant House New York in 1986. In addition to being the founder of Rights of Passage, Mr. Henry created Covenant House New York Community Resource Centers, which are located in each borough. The Community Resource Centers meet the needs of the youth by bridging the gap between at-risk and homelessness. The Community Resource Centers provide vocational and educational training allowing the youth to remain at home while obtaining services needed to become self-sufficient.

Another influential aspect of Covenant House New York that Mr. Henry introduced was a management training program, known as the COII program. This program encourages entry-level staff throughout the agency to be placed in management roles in order to train them to become the next generation of leaders. While enrolled in the COII program, individuals attend graduate school, learn about all of the functions of the agency including the budgeting process and receive direct training from senior management. The COII program has produced four Executive Directors throughout Covenant House and senior managers in many other social service agencies.

Although Mr. Henry has more than forty years of experience in adolescent care, it is his work at Covenant House New York that has made the most significant impact in the field of social services: He has changed the lives of thousands of inner city youth by establishing these services throughout his tenure. Mr. Henry continues to influence social change through his advocacy work for youth.

Mr. Henry was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He has been married for more than thirty-five years and his wife Patricia is an Acting Justice for the New York State Supreme Court. His two adult children reside in San Diego, California and New York City. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from Long Island University and a Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School.

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Related Information:

• Release: Bruce Henry, longtime leader of Covenant House New York, to head the Covenant House Institute
• Covenant House Institute -- Mission, Vision and Objectives

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