Black Agency Executives 2008 Honoree

Emory X. Brooks Honored by Black Agency Executives
January 17, 2008

Black Agency Executives (BAE) will be honoring CCM’s Founder, President & CEO at this year’s annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Founders Award Luncheon.  The purpose of the luncheon is to honor the memory of Dr. King and to pay tribute to individuals who exemplify his spirit and ideals.

Emory X. Brooks founded CCM in 1982 in response to the overwhelming problems facing poor, minority children and families in New York City.  CCM was one of the first minority led agencies in the City, operating under the premise that cultural sensitivity coupled with strong programs make a significant difference.

Under Mr. Brooks’ leadership and vision, CCM has grown into a multi-functional organization providing comprehensive services all built around a strong mental health core. The agency’s twelve service and housing sites provide mental health, substance abuse treatment, social support, health, youth development, youth employment, education, child abuse prevention, family counseling, AIDS prevention and supportive housing services to some of New York City’s most troubled neighborhoods. Among his many achievements at CCM, Mr. Brooks established Rico’s Place, one of the nation’s first supportive housing facilities for families in which one member is living with AIDS, as well as Georgia’s Place, a supportive housing facility for homeless single adults in need of mental health services, many of whom have spent years on the streets and in emergency shelters.

Prior to establishing CCM, Mr. Brooks was the Deputy Executive Director at the Queensborough Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (now Safe Space) and served as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and unit director of the Hawthorne Cedar Knolls School (operated by the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services for 15 years).  Cedar Knolls has long been recognized in the mental health field as one of the best residential treatment programs for severely emotionally disturbed youth in the U.S.

In addition, Mr. Brooks has guided and mentored countless CCM employees and friends, who continue to offer him their gratitude and admiration.

Black Agency Executives is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and professional development of its membership, which represents Black human services executives who promote the interests and values of the Black community.