About Us

SELF, Inc is a minority non-profit organization, founded by Dr. Sylvester Outley, which has been providing services for homeless, behaviorally challenged individuals in Philadelphia for over 20 years. It grew out of the original state licensed out-patient drug and alcohol programs begin in 1985 by its predecessor agency, Outley Professional Services, Inc. In response to the City of Philadelphia's critical need to address the substance abuse problems of its homeless people, SELF, Inc. was formed in 1989 to deliver on site drug and alcohol counseling in City shelters. SELF's "clean and sober" supportive services program, featuring the principles of a therapeutic community of peers, transformed the shelters from havens for addiction and crime into bases for recovery and wellness and becomethe model for Philadelphia's entire shelter system.

Our Growth

SELF has grown from an agency of five employees in 1989 to well over 150 employees today; from a budget that included the first government contract of $75,000 to a budget in excess of $7 million; from a single program of drug and alcohol treatment to a comprehensive continuum of care that extends from contact with homeless people still living on the street through Peer Outreach to service-enriched transitional housing scattered throughout Philadelphia; and from a "Mom and Pop" grass roots operation to a professional, financially-viable non-profit business.