Linda Lausell Bryant Honored by Inwood House

Linda Lausell Bryant, clinical assistant professor and director of the undergraduate field learning program, was honored by Inwood House at its annual gala on March 4. Lausell Bryant, PhD ’12, joined the NYU Silver School of Social Work in January from Inwood House, where she served as executive director for nine years.

The annual gala, which celebrated 185 years of the organization, highlighted programmatic services and recognized distinguished community partners, whose professional or personal virtues align with Inwood House’s mission of helping teens become healthy, self-reliant adults. Andrew Wozniak, Inwood House board president, introduced Lausell Bryant and spoke about her accomplished tenure.

Lausell Bryant’s leadership the organization was notable for key efforts aimed at meeting the increasingly complex needs of New York City’s most vulnerable youth during a time of dramatic change in child welfare. She convened the Citywide Dialogue on Teen Pregnancy and Intervention conference, a call to action to ensure all New York City teens have access to quality reproductive health services. She also developed Passport to Parenting, in which Inwood House is exporting to other child caring agencies its expertise and signature pregnancy prevention and teen parent support programs. Several important evaluation initiatives were also launched under Lausell Bryant, including one supported by national foundation and government funds that measured the impact of Inwood House’s range of services on teen parent/child outcomes.

“Linda’s vision, strategic initiatives—like Passport to Parenting—and national and local advocacy efforts have expanded and enriched our service to New York City’s vulnerable youth and positioned Inwood House’s mission for enduring vitality and significance,” said Wozniak to a crowd of over 400 guests at Cipirani Wall Street. “It is an honor to have worked with Linda on a long-term strategic plan for the next era of Inwood House.”

In her remarks, Lausell Bryant reflected on the “awesome responsibility” that came with leading Inwood House. “It is a privilege to work hard every day to fulfill a mission and a legacy of developing human potential,” she said. “It is a gift to know that your work has meaning and impact.”

She continued: “Throughout my career and especially the past nine years at Inwood House, my fuel has been a firm belief that all children deserve to be children, to be loved, to be safe, to be seen and to be invested in. They deserve the opportunity to be helped when they make a mistake for none of us is perfect. All children deserve to not be limited by the circumstances of their birth but to go as far as their potential and drive can take them.”