Ella Houston – Chief Executive Officer

For Ella Houston, caring for others has always been more than a profession—it is a value that has guided her throughout her life. Born and raised in the small South American country of Guyana, Ella was the second of eight children and the oldest girl in a close-knit family. Although her family had limited financial resources, their home was rich in love, support, and a deep sense of responsibility for one another. From an early age, Ella dreamed of building a life around helping others, a calling that eventually led her to the United States and a career in nursing. She began as a Certified Nursing Assistant and continued her education to become an LPN and then a Registered Nurse, earning her associate’s degree from New York City Technical College before completing both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing Science at Long Island University, with a focus on leadership and management. After more than a decade providing direct care at the bedside, Ella spent over 20 years in nursing leadership, eventually serving in senior roles including Associate Director of Nursing at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and Director of Nursing at both St. John’s Riverside Hospital and Vassar Brothers Medical Center.

Throughout her years in healthcare, Ella never lost the perspective she gained at the bedside: behind every diagnosis, every chart, and every care plan is a person—and a family—who deserves to be heard, respected, and treated with dignity. She became particularly aware that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families did not always receive the level of support, compassion, and individualized care they deserved. That realization inspired Ella to found Elohim Healthcare Services in 2019. What began as a desire to provide something better has grown into a family-led and family-run agency supporting more than two dozen adults with developmental disabilities and their families throughout New Jersey. Ella brings the same values to Elohim that shaped her childhood and her nursing career: compassion, dignity, advocacy, and the belief that caring for someone means seeing and valuing the whole person. For Ella, Elohim is more than a healthcare agency—it is an extension of a lifelong commitment to ensuring that people and their families feel supported, valued, and never alone

Mark Braithwaite – Chief Operating Officer

Mark Braithwaite brings an uncommon blend of business experience, education, and a genuine passion for helping people to his role as Chief Operating Officer. Before entering the developmental disabilities field, Mark spent more than a decade in accounting, finance, and operations, including senior roles with Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. But some of the most meaningful chapters of his career have taken place outside of the corporate world—as a nonprofit leader, mentor, high school physics teacher, special needs tutor, and Direct Support Professional. Each of those experiences reinforced something Mark has come to believe deeply: people thrive when they feel heard, respected, understood, and supported as individuals.

That belief guides Mark’s approach to both leadership and service. Whether he is working with an individual to build greater independence, speaking with a family member, mentoring a Direct Support Professional, or managing the day-to-day operations of the agency, Mark tries to begin from the same place—listening and understanding. His background as an educator taught him to look beyond what someone may be struggling with and instead ask what they are communicating, what strengths they already possess, and how those strengths can be developed. For Mark, serving individuals with developmental disabilities is about more than providing services; it is about building meaningful relationships, creating opportunities for growth, and helping each person pursue a life that is as independent, connected, and fulfilling as possible.  Mark holds a B.S. in Accounting and a M.S. in Taxation, both from St. John’s University in Queens, NY.

Our Commitment

We are committed to:

• Treating every individual with dignity and respect

• Taking the time to understand each person as a whole individual

• Providing reliable, consistent communication

• Working collaboratively with families, guardians, and Support Coordinators

Delivering supports that evolve as needs and goals change

Service Area

We proudly serve adults in:

• Bergen County

• Hudson County

• Morris County

• Passaic County

• Sussex County

• Warren County

Eligibility

We serve:

• Adults enrolled through the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)

• Adults eligible through private insurance plans