![Guidance Center and National Grid Join to Help Students Think Big!]()
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Feb 21, 2019 | Press Releases
New partnership includes inspirational talk on setting future career goals
Roslyn Heights, NY, February 21, 2019 — On February 12, 2019, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center and National Grid launched their new partnership with a Career Day talk at the Center for Community Adjustment (CCA), part of Nassau B.O.C.E.S. in Wantagh.
The speaker was Juan Santiago, National Grid Customer and Community Manager, who quickly won over the students with his engaging tale about his life and career journey, from his beginnings as a kid in Brooklyn who shared three pairs of jeans and a bed with his brother and was admittedly not all that interested in school. But he always dreamed big and went for what he called “stretch goals,” and it shows: Santiago’s career trajectory took him from a grocery store bagger to a successful Navy career to a National Grid meter reader and ultimately his current high-level role with National Grid, all while getting his degree online.
He told the students that there are many paths to success, and if they put their hearts and minds to it, they could reach the highest levels. “Just because someone doesn’t take a traditional route doesn’t mean they are any less motivated,” said Santiago.
When he asked the students what they liked to do, many shared their interests, and he encouraged them to take those passions, make far-reaching goals, and then take the steps needed so that one day, they’d have terrific careers that they’d love.
Assistant Principal Easton Hazell; Kathleen Wisnewski, National Grid Customer and Community Manager; Lauren McGowan, Director of Development at the Guidance Center; Juan Santiago, National Grid Customer and Community Manager; Dena Papadopoulos, Mental Health Counselor at the Guidance Center; and Suzanne Martin, Youth Employment Specialist at the Guidance Center.
For example, one student shared that he was good at fixing things, and Santiago told him that his skill could take him to new heights: “Think big! One day you can design and help build a bridge, or maybe you will go to Japan someday and help build the tallest skyscraper. If you can dream it, you can do it!”
Kathleen Wisnewski, National Grid Customer and Community Manager, said that Santiago’s enthusiasm “pulled the kids in and got them engaged from the very beginning.” The kids were “all smiles” by the end of the talk, she added, and many were eager to pull Santiago aside to ask questions and share their own stories.
“While we encourage the exploration and discussion of various tracks to success within the Guidance Center and Nassau B.O.C.E.S., to hear and connect with someone who has navigated the ‘non-traditional’ route to success often leaves more of a lasting impact with our population of students,” said Dena Papadopoulos, Mental Health Counselor at the Center for Community Adjustment (CCA), Nassau B.O.C.E.S, which is one of three B.O.C.E.S schools at which the Guidance Center runs the Intensive Support Program, or ISP. At each school, students who come from all 56 Nassau districts receive intensive mental health services on site.
Suzanne Martin, Youth Employment Counselor at ISP, added, “All the students responded well and enjoyed hearing Juan’s path to success. They found it encouraging and relatable.” She added, “We’re very grateful to Juan and the National Grid team for bringing us this very special program.”
The event was the first of several that the Guidance Center has planned in partnership with National Grid. “We work with organizations all over Long Island and the city to promote STEM [science, technology, engineering and math],” explained Wisnewski. “We are excited about our new partnership with the Guidance Center, and we look forward to our future events.”
About North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center:
As the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) and their families. Our highly trained staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, vocational rehabilitation counselors and other mental health professionals lead the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy. The Guidance Center helps children and families address issues such as depression and anxiety; developmental delays; bullying; teen pregnancy; sexual abuse; teen drug
and alcohol abuse; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. For more than 65 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to
all who enter our doors, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information about the Guidance Center, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org or call (516) 626-1971.
About National Grid:
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We are the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Our Northeast 80×50 Pathway is an industry leading analysis for how to reach that goal in the states we serve, focusing on the power generation, heat and transportation sectors.
Read more about the innovative projects across our footprint in The Democratization of Energy, an eBook written by National Grid’s U.S. president, Dean Seavers. For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Feb 21, 2019 | Blog
When Dan Donnelly was asked by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center to be the honoree at our Jonathan Krevat Memorial Golf & Tennis Classic in 2017, he took on the challenge with gusto. As with everything that he commits to in his life, Donnelly got involved in a big way!
With a spirit of generosity, creativity and fun, Donnelly gave his all to planning the day, coming up with new and creative ways to make the event more exciting and successful than ever. His flair for sales and marketing—along with his penchant for playfulness—was in full swing as he helped design our print materials, which featured him and the golf co-chairs dressed in 1920s golf attire. And his competitive nature led him to establish a friendly rivalry by putting together teams to represent four local towns.
Jeff Krevat, who created our golf fundraiser in honor of his brother, has known Donnelly for over 40 years. “Dan was and still is smart, driven and extremely personable,” says Krevat. “I knew when I first met him that he would become incredibly successful in all of his endeavors.”
Indeed, Donnelly’s dedication to being at the top of his game started at a very young age. Taking inspiration from his hard-working parents, he got his first job at 12. “My father’s rule was at 7 a.m. you had to get your feet on the floor,” says Donnelly. “He encouraged us to work. My first job was as a newspaper boy, and I loved it! It made me realize early on the power of working and saving.”
Many years later, his success continued when he founded Donnelly Mechanical in 1989. As Chief Executive Officer, Donnelly led the strategic vision of the company. Today, he owns and operates five companies. But his many interests extend to a variety of areas, including life coaching and philanthropy.
“I love watching talent grow,” says Donnelly. “I’m fascinated by seeing the gleam in a young entrepreneur’s eye when they connect the dots and achieve their goals.”
Paul Vitale, a member of the Guidance Center’s Board of Directors who used to play against Donnelly in a softball league, says his friend’s commitment to helping others is one of his defining characteristics. “As competitive as Dan was on the softball field, he was even more generous to the Garden City community,” says Vitale. “When I asked him to support the Guidance Center he was all in because he recognized the great work that the Guidance Center does, and he also recognized the value of the time and counsel that so many of us do to support the organization.”
A Key to Success
When Donnelly isn’t engaged in life coaching or philanthropic work, you can find him on his meditation cushion. “Meditation is the rock upon which I define my life,” he says. “Ninety percent of my success has come from being quiet in a room and meditating each day. It has enabled me to be present to everything around me.”
Donnelly, who is the devoted father of two and proud grandfather to Ronen, 2, and Claire, 6 months, says that the work the Guidance Center does for children on Long Island is what motivates him to be such a dedicated supporter. But he also credits his admiration for the staff. “The people you have working there are such caring souls,” he says. “Life is about people and connecting. The relationships that I have with the Guidance Center staff and support team are one of the reasons why I stay involved.”
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Feb 21, 2019 | In The Media
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent state budget included no funding to increase the paltry salaries of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who are on the frontlines working with individuals living with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
A DSP’s job is to assist individuals in developing daily living skills that will advance their ability to live independently and become better integrated into their communities or in the least-restrictive environment possible.
In order to get an up close and personal view of this matter I had a conversation Drs. Lawrence and Ronda Fein, an orthopedic surgeon and clinical psychologist. They are the parents of Jonathan, a 33-year-old man living with severe autism.
Ronda Fein shared her understanding about what a DSP’s training entails: “They require extensive training on medication administration, behavior management, HIPAA compliance (data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical records) and driving a van with wheelchair accommodation. In addition, they must have excellent social skills and the empathy necessary to support clients’ needs.”
Despite the fact that DSPs’ work is essential, they do not make a living wage. Why should we pay attention to this? Without the consistency of relationships and quality care that a well-trained DSP provides, thousands of New Yorkers like Jonathan will be shortchanged and their quality of life compromised.
As state Senator David Carlucci, chairman of the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and a champion for a living wage, asserted to the Rockland County Times, “a living wage is a wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living, but this is not the case for DSPs.”
Carlucci cited a 2017 report by the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, which reported the average DSP wage to be $10.72 per hour, which means most workers must hold extra jobs to pay their bills. The report went on to say that “the poverty level in New York State stands at $12,060 a year for an individual and $24,600 for a family of four. A DSP who makes $10.72 an hour would make about $22,298 if they worked 40 hours a week.”
Although this salary may exceed the poverty line, it is not enough to live in Nassau County, where the average household income is $126,112, according to Point2Homes.com. This is more than five times higher than what a DSP takes home.
In 2017, according to the State Department of Taxation and Finance, the median cost of a home in Nassau County was $500,000. A DSP could never afford a home in Nassau let alone bank any savings. As Carlucci points out, “When you factor in taxes, utility costs, groceries and gas, a DSP cannot make ends meet.”
There are about 100,000 DSPs who work primarily in nonprofits helping 130,000 New Yorkers living with developmental disabilities and mental illness. And the turnover rate is high at 45 percent, which interrupts the continuity of care and adds months and years to already untenable waiting lists.
The Feins said almost all of Jonathan’s DSP workers over the last 10 years have been wonderful, caring people who have a natural calling for this type of work. Nevertheless, “every time there is a DSP that leaves for a better paying job, Jonathan suffers and experiences the loss in a profound way. This is because he cannot express himself and relies on people who get used to understanding his nonverbal communication for what he needs and wants.”
Someone needs to explain this to the governor. The only way for DSPs to see an increase in their salaries is for Gov. Cuomo to put additional funding in the budget.
You can help to change this untenable situation by contacting your state representative in Albany and asking them to urge the governor to establish a living wage for those who have chosen careers aimed at improving the quality of life for our most vulnerable loved ones.
Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children from birth through 24 and their families.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Feb 20, 2019 | In The Media
Having a baby can be the happiest time in a woman’s life. But for many, new motherhood can also bring risk of an increase in existing depression or the occurrence of new depression.
In a recent report on maternal depression and economic mobility released by the Brookings Institution, author Richard V. Reeves states that “about 10 to 20 percent of mothers will be depressed at some time during their lives, and one in 11 infants will experience their mothers’ perinatal depression.”
Mental health experts agree that constancy of relationships from early childhood is the single most reliable predictor of positive outcomes in later life. Promoting safe and warm relationships with parents and other caregivers is an important factor in young children’s healthy development, later success in school and prevention of intergenerational transmission of poverty and lack of economic mobility.
One young mother who was recovering from postpartum depression at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center brought her depression to life at a public event hosted by the Guidance Center. As she recalled, “I could barely lift my head off my pillow, let alone lift and hold and cuddle and care for my baby.”
Studies reveal that mothers who are poor are more likely to experience depression. When a primary caregiver (most often the mother) is depressed, it is difficult to make a positive connection with her baby or toddler, which is likely to negatively impact the child’s development. Of course, postpartum depression can strike any woman regardless of her socioeconomic status, but it can be especially difficult for people struggling to survive financial woes.
At the same time, developing the skills, confidence and aspirations needed to transcend living in poverty are byproducts of strong early bonding.
So, if poverty, poor mental health, compromised child development and worse outcomes are likely factors contributing to perpetuation of poverty, what can be done to break the cycle?
According to the Brookings report, the goals of policies necessary to intervene in breaking the cycle are: (1) Reduce poverty; (2) Reduce the impact of poverty on depression among caregivers; (3) Reduce the impact of caregiver depression on early child development; and (4) Reduce the impact of weaker early child development on later outcomes.
The Center of Disease Control in Atlanta administered a project aimed at identifying maternal depression early on. Two questions that they asked moms were: 1) Since your new baby was born, how often have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless?; and 2) Since your new baby was born, how often have you had little interest or little pleasure in doing things?
The women who answered “often” or “always” to either question were classified as experiencing self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms. Detecting the problem is the first step in getting moms and their families the help they need.
One thing we can do to help to break the cycle is to encourage primary care physicians and other health professionals to incorporate screening tools into their encounters with pregnant women and mothers of infants.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that clinicians screen patients at least once during the perinatal period for depression and anxiety symptoms using a standardized, validated tool. Screening should be coupled with appropriate follow-up and treatment when indicated.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a woman experiencing negative feelings about her pregnancy should receive additional support from the health care team. She should be monitored for symptoms of severe postpartum depression and offered culturally appropriate treatment or referral to community resources.
They also recommend ongoing assessment soon after hospital discharge. Monitoring for continuing or worsening symptoms should occur from four to six weeks after delivery, including a review of symptoms for clinically significant depression to determine if intervention is needed.
Healthy attachments are not about children getting what they want, but getting what they need — the assurance that an adult caregiver is by their side, looking out for them, teaching them how to manage their own feelings, and learning about the give and take of relationships. All children deserve this, regardless of their family’s socioeconomic status.
If you or your loved one is a caregiver of an infant or toddler and are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, ask for the Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center at 516-484-3174. If there is a teenage girl in your family who is pregnant or parenting an infant child, ask for the Good Beginnings for Babies Program, also at the Guidance Center, at 516-997-2926. We turn no one away for inability to pay.
Andrew Malekoff is the executive director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children from birth through 24 and their families.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Feb 11, 2019 | Anton Media, In The Media
By Andrew Malekoff
Why do people choose to support certain causes, while others look away?
Sometimes it’s personal. A family member dies in hospice where their dignity was preserved in their final days. Other times it’s not as close to home. A television spot features a child with a cleft palette, a shivering dog or a malnourished baby.
Certain causes seem easier to sell. For example, the school you attended or a research center that is making advances in treating cancer.
Other causes may be tarnished by misunderstanding. For example, I’ve worked in the mental health and addiction fields since the early 1970s. It is in this arena that some believe that one’s ailments “above the neck” are self-inflicted, failures of character or poor parenting or lack of will power. Consequently, they deem them unworthy of philanthropy.
Nevertheless, I must recognize the compassion and generosity of those who do understand and support the work we do at North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center and many of our sister agencies. It is important to acknowledge that these givers are more than do-gooders, despite the good that they do.
They are smart and empathetic. They know that what we do is cost-effective, saving tens of millions of dollars by keeping troubled kids at home and out of costly institutional settings. They look into the eyes of their own children or grandchildren and feel a deep connection to all children.
Family members and friends have asked me what led to my choosing a career in human services, intimating that it’s not a financially lucrative path. My greatest influence was observing the profound impact of the kindness of others during my childhood and youth.
The father of my closest childhood friend died in the 1950s when we were little kids. We lost touch as we grew older. When his mom died, I sent him a sympathy card.
Some weeks later my friend wrote back to me. His words brought a lump to my throat.
“Dear Andy: What a surprise to hear from you! My mom’s death has caused me to spend hours thinking about my childhood. Some of my most fond recollections involve you and your family. Your father was the dad I didn’t have…”
Throughout my childhood, my parents, as well as other adults in my family, performed acts of profound kindness and generosity without fanfare or any expectation of anything in return. I married a woman who came from a similar family. Her parents took in their nieces after the untimely death of their mother.
Now I have found these people with giving hearts again among our board of directors and community supporters. What they have in common with my family is their empathy.
Government bureaucracies have no empathy. They have rules and regulations. One can only hope that legislation they enact is guided by values rooted in the felt needs of real people.
We cannot rely exclusively on government to take care of us. We must rely on one another. We cannot allow empathy to slip away, as it sometimes seems it is. The demise of empathy is perhaps the most perilous consequence in today’s divided America.
When all else fails, empathy is all we have to maintain a humane society.
Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children from birth through 24 and their families. To find out more, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
