History & Impact

IRI was established in 1984 through the advocacy efforts of a small group of parents seeking increased supports and life skills training for their children.  

Co-founders, Elaine Radisch and Judita Prelog began advocating on behalf of their adult children and twenty other individuals who attended a sheltered workshop together. The individuals had a combination of needs that existing organizations either did not have any openings or did not feel qualified to support individuals with highly complex needs.  Lacking a current system that could provide for their children, they realized their only hope was to establish the residences themselves.

After four years of advocacy—petitioning the NYS Commissioner of Mental Health and the Office of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), exploring operation and business plans, and grassroots fundraising—the organization received incorporation in 1988. IRI maintains the distinction of providing care for more complex cases that other organizations are unable to. 

IRI’s first group home opened in 1992. Since then, thirty-four more residences were established and services expanded. In July 2016, Queens Parent Resource Center (QPRC), founded by Anna Magalee, merged with Independence Residences, Inc. to share resources with the goal of extending comprehensive care to a greater number of individuals. The new organization became who we are today, Innovative Resources for Independence.

Today, IRI has over $40 million in annual revenues and operates in Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

“We love our children and have been caring for them at home, but as we are getting older and ‘aging out’ we wanted to support their adjustment to a group home that provides superior care.”

— Co-founders Elaine Radisch and Judita Prelog

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

IRI stays true to our original mission:

  • Provide a supportive and safe living environment that encourages the growth of the individual and supports independence.

  • Guarantee individuals dignity, fulfillment and inclusion.

  • Provide services with excellence, compassion and mutual respect for individuals, families and staff.

  • Continue to provide and develop resources for those most in need.