![Guidance Center to Host 23rd Annual Jonathan Krevat Memorial Golf & Tennis Classic]()
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | May 1, 2019 | Press Releases
Roslyn Heights, NY, May 1, 2019 —North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center will be holding its 23rd annual Jonathan Krevat Memorial Golf & Tennis Classic on Monday, June 3, 2019, at the North Hempstead Country Club in Port Washington, one of the region’s premier courses!
Co-chairs Mike Mondiello, Michael Schnepper and Troy Slade are once again working together to create a stellar event filled with friendly competition, delicious dining and wonderful auction prizes. This year, the event is celebrating the dedicated mental health professionals at the Guidance Center— the people who are at the heart of the many success stories of moving families from hurting to healing.
From Left to Right: Troy Slade, Mike Mondiello, Dan Donnelly and Michael Schnepper
“The reason the Guidance Center changes so many lives for the better is because the staff is composed of caring, compassionate and highly trained individuals,” said Slade, who is a member of the Board of Directors. “I’m thrilled that we are celebrating them at this year’s Krevat Cup.”
“This is going to be a phenomenal event,” said Mondiello, also a member of the Guidance Center’s Board of Directors. “The North Hempstead Country is a beautiful course, and we are excited to hold the Krevat Cup at this elegant location for the first time!”
Established on Long Island’s beautiful and serene Gold Coast in 1916, the North Hempstead Country Club features a tree-lined, superiorly manicured golf course designed by renowned architect A. W. Tillinghast, one of the most creative and productive golf course designers ever.
In addition to golf, the event will feature round robin tennis (for the non-golfers among the attendees), a delicious brunch and a gourmet dinner after the day’s games conclude. It will also feature a silent and live auction, with prizes ranging from club seats for a Yankee game to exciting vacation packages and much more.
Dan Donnelly, one of the Guidance Center’s most ardent supporters, as well as a former Krevat Cup honoree, will be serving again as the emcee and auctioneer. “I’m so pleased that this year’s event is celebrating the Guidance Center’s amazing staff,” says Donnelly. “The people working here are such caring souls who are truly devoted to saving lives.”
Left to right: Michael Mullman, Ed Geller, Jeff Krevat and Peter Braverman
The other auctioneer for the evening portion of the event is Andrew Marcell, a Guidance Center Board Member. “The Krevat Cup is one of the most enjoyable events of the season,” Marcell said. “It’s a win-win: Everyone has a terrific time while supporting the lifesaving mission of the Guidance Center.”
Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center, said, “The event is crucial to our fundraising efforts, and will help us continue to help thousands of children each year who are struggling with issues such as bullying, depression, anxiety and substance abuse.”
Thank you to Fifth Avenue of LI Realty/Americana Manhasset, which has signed on as a Diamond Sponsor.
For those interested in joining a team, attending the dinner, becoming a sponsor or placing a journal ad, it’s not too late! Contact Patrick Madden, pmadden@northshorechildguidance.org, (516) 626-1971, ext. 309.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is the preeminent nonprofit, children’s mental health agency on Long Island, dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth to age 24) and their families. For more than 65 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all regardless of their ability to pay.
About Us:
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.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | May 1, 2019 | Blog
When parents think about illicit drugs that can harm their children and teens, they probably first think of substances such as marijuana, LSD, heroin and cocaine. Also looming large is the epidemic of opioids, which is an enormous crisis for both youth and adults.
Sadly, newer drugs are finding their way into our kid’s lives, sometimes with deadly consequences. One of these is a substance called kratom, an herbal extract that comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree grown in Southeast Asia. The leaves of the tree contain compounds that can produce mind-altering effects.
Kratom can be easily purchased on the Internet. It typically comes in a pill, capsule or extract form. The leaves can be chewed, smoked or eaten in food, or they can be dried or powdered and made into tea. It is even available as a gum.
Marketers of kratom say it’s great for relieving pain, managing anxiety and depression, and acting as a stimulant to help in studying. One website where kratom is sold states, “Kratom is renowned for its ability to sharpen focus and streamline one’s thought process.” They boast that the substance increases sociability; improves mood, energy and motivation; decreases appetite; helps users get restful sleep; and even works as an antidote for opioid withdrawal.
While it is not approved by the FDA, Kratom is legal in most states in the U.S. That gives many people the idea that since it’s “all natural” and legal, it can’t be harmful. That idea couldn’t be further from the truth.
Case in point: Last month, a Long Islander posted the following on his Facebook page:
Today we are burying my nephew who died while writing a term paper for college. He had just gone back to finish his degree and was using kratom as a study/ health aid for his chronic back pain along with prescribed Adderall. His heart stopped last Monday afternoon, and no other drugs were found in his body. My nephew was always cautious about what he took for pain and often refused acetaminophen and X-rays for fear of radiation exposure. I repeat, he was free of all recreational drugs, legal and illegal, testing negative for barbiturates, opioids, THC, alcohol, Fentanyl, cocaine and heroin. Why aren’t there stronger warnings for kratom? Beyond sad.
Reported health effects of kratom use include nausea, sweating, seizures, and psychotic symptoms, but there have been deaths associated with kratom’s use. Poison control centers in the U.S. received approximately 1,800 reports involving the use of kratom from 2011 through 2017. A study published in the journal Clinical Toxicology found that calls to U.S. poison control centers about kratom skyrocketed more than 50-fold, from 13 calls in 2011 to 682 calls in 2017.
“Scientific data we’ve evaluated about kratom provides conclusive evidence that compounds contained in kratom are opioids and are expected to have similar addictive effects as well as risks of abuse, overdose, and in some cases, death,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement last year.
The takeaway: Parents must talk to their children and teens about the dangers of kratom and other so-called “natural” substances. Let them know that just because a substance is herbal, it can be dangerous and even deadly.
For more information on the potential dangers of herbal supplements, click here.
If your child or teen is experiencing a problem with alcohol or substance use, contact North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center at (516) 626-1971.
Sources:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/kratom
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kratom-linked-to-more-overdose-deaths-than-previously-reported/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/kratom/art-20402171
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/herbal-supplements/art-20046714
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Apr 23, 2019 | In The Media
Board members and supporters of the Guidance Center’s lifesaving mission had a wonderful time at this year’s Spring Luncheon.
A sellout crowd of 245 people joined together on Wednesday, April 17 for North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Annual Spring Luncheon. This year’s event, which supports the Guidance Center’s mission to restore and strengthen the emotional well-being of children and their families, was a record-breaker, raising more than $87,000.
The luncheon, which took place at Glen Head Country Club, began with a morning round of mahjong, canasta and bridge, along with unique shopping boutiques from some of Long Island’s trendiest and most charitable small business owners, including Buy the Bag, Club & Country, Dash, I Thrive, Transitions and RFC Fine Jewelry, among others.
After a luncheon buffet, Vanessa McMullen, supervisor at the Guidance Center’s Marks Family Right From The Start 0-3+ Center in Manhasset and also head of the agency’s Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, introduced the day’s speaker, former client Katherine. The audience was completely engrossed as Katherine shared her experience with postpartum depression and talked about the lifesaving treatment she received at the Guidance Center.
She told the crowd, “I was desperately seeking someone who could tell me that I could get through this and convince me that it would get better. When I was finally connected with North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, my life and my daughter’s life were changed forever… The Guidance Center has not only given me back my life, it has given my family a future.”
“Katherine’s story was incredibly moving,” said Nancy Lane, Guidance Center board president. “When she spoke about the dedication of the Guidance Center staff to both her and her family, I was incredibly proud. Our dedicated team of professionals gives their all to bring hope and healing to each and every client.”
The luncheon couldn’t have been so successful without the hard work of the co-chairs, Jan Ashley, Amy Cantor and Alexis Siegel.
“The enormous success of this year’s event is largely due to the incredible dedication of our three co-chairs,” said Andrew Malekoff, executive director of the Guidance Center. “They have put so much time and energy into the luncheon for several years, and we are truly grateful to them for continuing to make each year more special than the last.”
The Guidance Center is also grateful for the support of its sponsors. They are: Adelphi University, Baxter Smith & Shapiro PC, Amy Cantor, Ruth Fortunoff Cooper, Fara Copell, Linda Cronin, Julie Epstein, Fifth Avenue of LI Realty/Americana Manhasset, Joan & Jeffrey Grant, Janni and Associates/FNA, Deborah Klein, Rosemarie Klipper, Tracey Kupferberg/CBR, NYU Winthrop Women’s and Children’s Services, Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP, Alexis Siegel, Signature Bank, Ruth & Michael Slade, South Oaks and Zucker Hillside Hospitals — Northwell Health and Carol Wolowitz.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Apr 23, 2019 | Press Releases
Roslyn Heights, NY, April 22, 2019 — A sellout crowd of 245 people joined together on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, for North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Annual Spring Luncheon. This year’s event, which supports the Guidance Center’s mission to restore and strengthen the emotional well-being of children and their families, was a record-breaker, raising more than $87,000.
The luncheon, which took place at Glen Head Country Club, began with a morning round of Mahjong, Canasta and Bridge, along with unique shopping boutiques from some of Long Island’s trendiest and most charitable small business owners, including Buy the Bag, Club & Country, Dash, I Thrive, Transitions and RFC Fine Jewelry, among others.
After a delicious luncheon buffet, Vanessa McMullen, Supervisor at the Guidance Center’s Marks Family Right From The Start 0-3+ Center in Manhasset and also head of the agency’s Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, introduced the day’s speaker, former client Katherine. The audience was completely engrossed as Katherine shared her experience with postpartum depression and talked about the lifesaving treatment she received at the Guidance Center.
She told the crowd, “I was desperately seeking someone who could tell me that I could get through this and convince me that it would get better. When I was finally connected with North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, my life and my daughter’s life were changed forever. … The Guidance Center has not only given me back my life, it has given my family a future.”
“Katherine’s story was incredibly moving,” said Nancy Lane, Guidance Center Board President. “When she spoke about the dedication of the Guidance Center staff to both her and her family, I was incredibly proud. Our dedicated team of professionals gives their all to bring hope and healing to each and every client.”
The luncheon couldn’t have been so successful without the hard work of the co-chairs, Jan Ashley, Amy Cantor and Alexis Siegel. “The enormous success of this year’s event is largely due to the incredible dedication of our three co-chairs,” said Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center. “They have put so much time and energy into the luncheon for several years, and we are truly grateful to them for continuing to make each year more special than the last.”
The Guidance Center is also grateful for the support of its sponsors. They are: Adelphi University, Baxter Smith & Shapiro PC, Amy Cantor, Ruth Fortunoff Cooper, Fara Copell, Linda Cronin, Julie Epstein, Fifth Avenue of LI Realty/Americana Manhasset, Joan & Jeffrey Grant, Janni and Associates/FNA, Deborah Klein, Rosemarie Klipper, Tracey Kupferberg/CBR, NYU Winthrop Women’s and Children’s Services, Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP, Alexis Siegel, Signature Bank, Ruth & Michael Slade, South Oaks and Zucker Hillside Hospitals – Northwell Health and Carol Wolowitz.
About Us:
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.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Apr 22, 2019 | In The Media
In the modern world we live in, in the richest country in the world and in one of the wealthiest areas of that country, you’d think that Nassau County’s expectant and new mothers, along with their babies, would get the best care in the world.
You’d be wrong — especially when it comes to black women and their babies.
Dr. Martine Hackett, associate professor at Hofstra University’s School of Health Professions and Human Services, has compiled data from the New York State Department of Health that shows dramatically disparate outcomes for black mothers and babies compared with their white counterparts in Nassau County.
Hackett points to the startling differences between the infant mortality rates in contiguous communities in Nassau. (Infant mortality refers to the death of children before their first birthday.) For example, in Roosevelt there were 8.8 infant deaths per 1,000 births from 2014 to 2016, while neighboring Merrick had a rate of 1 death per 1,000 births. For all of Nassau County, regardless of economic status, the black infant mortality rate is more than four times that of the rate among whites — and even higher than the black infant mortality rate in New York City.
What needs to happen for change to occur in Nassau County, according to Hackett, is the following: 1) inform women after childbirth of warning signs for hemorrhage, embolism or infection; 2) enhance service integration for women and infants; and 3) treat women of color with dignity, respect and culturally relevant care.
Studies show that structural racism is a major factor in disparate infant mortality rates. There is unconscious bias among clinical staff, which negatively perceives black women’s pain before, during and after pregnancy. Even Serena Williams, hardly your average mom, experienced the denial of her concerns by medical professionals during and after the birth of her baby, and it almost led to her death.
Another factor is at work. On a recent NPR broadcast, Tasha Green Cruzat, president of Voices for Illinois Children, cited a study that concluded, “The accumulation of experiences of the African American woman, the racial discrimination that she experiences, produces chronic stress and brings on problems that constitute risk factors for pre-term delivery.”
In March 2018, Hackett and Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, of the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, announced the launch of Birth Justice Warriors, an initiative to train birth advocates to decrease birth inequities. Since the launch, 22 Warriors have been trained. The organizational partners — the Child & Family Guidance Center, Planned Parenthood Nassau County, the March of Dimes, Hofstra’s National Center for Suburban Studies and the Long Island Community Foundation — have provided support and guidance from the beginning, according to Hackett. “Over the past year I have met many strong advocates for black mothers and infants in Nassau County who acknowledge the challenges we face,” she said. “The positive response to Birth Justice Warriors from communities of color tells me that we have tapped into a growing movement for birth equity.”
As the initiative begins its second year, efforts will continue to make injustice visible and raise awareness of black maternal and infant mortality in Nassau by educating medical staff, holding “conversation cafes” with women, partnering with prenatal sites in the county, creating video stories that share the pregnancy and birthing experiences of black women in the county, and making legislative visits to advocate for policy changes to improve birth outcomes.
What can you do? Clearly, there is never a good reason to disrespect someone based on race, sexual orientation, religion — for any reason. But if you are an employer, colleague, physician or neighbor, it is important to understand that a pregnant woman who is disrespected in the workplace or community can develop chronic stress that can lead to miscarriage or the death of an infant. This is disproportionately the experience of pregnant women of color, and it is our moral obligation to remedy this injustice.
Joining up to be a Birth Justice Warrior project is one big way you can make a difference. But whatever you choose to do, awareness, respect and kindness are a great place to start.
Andrew Malekoff is the executive director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children and their families, including support for pregnant and parenting teens and their babies. For more, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
