Annual Meeting of the Guidance Center, from Blank Slate Media, July 6, 2018
Grant Brings Birth Justice Warriors to Long Island, from Blank Slate Media, July 6, 2018
Guidance Center Receives Advocacy Award
Roslyn Heights, NY, June 29, 2018 —North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, is pleased to announce that the Guidance Center and its Executive Director, Andrew Malekoff, have been named as a recipient of the Leaders of Mental Health Awareness Awards from NAMI-NYS (the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York State).
“Ensuring that people living with a mental illness have access to appropriate psychiatric services is of the utmost importance to NAMI-NYS,” says Matthew Shapiro, Associate Director, Public Affairs, NAMI-NYS. “One of the main barriers keeping people from these necessary treatments is a lack of insurance parity and network adequacy. This is a crucial issue which does not nearly receive the attention it deserves.”
In December 2017, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center released Project Access, a year-long research study that asked 650 Long Islanders about the ease or difficulty of accessing mental health and addictions care. Some of the key findings:
- Almost half of the participants said that it was more difficult finding help for mental health or substance use problems than finding help for physical illnesses, especially when they were in crisis.
- Nearly 40% said that their insurance company did not have an adequate number of providers.
- Two thirds told us that their insurance company was not helpful to them in finding a suitable provider for themselves or a loved one.
Although health insurers are required by law to offer an adequate network of providers from which their beneficiaries can choose, the law is widely ignored. “It’s heartbreaking and infuriating that when someone makes the difficult decision to seek out professional help for a mental health or substance use problem, they often face enormous roadblocks, including a lack of providers who take their insurance or waiting lists of six months or even longer,” says Malekoff. “The difficulty people have getting care is not simply a matter of stigma and discrimination. This is a civil rights issue and often a matter of life and death.”
“We are tremendously grateful to Andrew Malekoff and North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center for the incredible work they are doing to raise awareness of this issue,” says NAMI’s Shapiro. “Their Project Access study detailing the struggles many individuals and families experience in trying to access care was eye-opening for many and has been a true catalyst for the reforms which are necessary to create a more mentally healthy New York State. It is truly an honor to recognize Andrew’s commitment to parity and network adequacy by
presenting him with one of the Leaders of Mental Health Awareness Awards, especially this October, which marks the 10-year anniversary of the federal Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.”
The award will be presented at NAMI’s 2018 Education Conference on the evening of Friday, October 26th in Albany, NY.
What Is Today’s America Making Our Kids Morally Susceptible To
by Andrew Malekoff. Featured in Blank Slate Media, June 25, 2018
There are a few great films that have lingered in my consciousness; images are seared in, memorable lines are indelible and feelings evoked are still close to the surface.
“The White Ribbon: (2010) is one such film that has left a lasting residue. It depicts the residents of a northern German village, dominated by a baron, sometime before World War I.
Inhabitants of the village young and old are sliding down a slippery slope of moral decline. A number of men in leadership positions are despicable, especially in their treatment of women and children.
The cruelest scene of the movie was not one that showed physical violence, but verbal abuse towards a woman that served faithfully as caretaker and more for the town’s widowed physician.
As for some of the children, although it is only suggested it appears that they are budding sociopaths that perform serial acts of meanness.
Movie reviewer Mike LaSalle wrote about the film, “No child is trained to become a martinet, and no one says anything about a master race. Rather, the kids, from their elders, get quiet lessons in moral absolutism, sternness, emotional violence and heartlessness.”
Weeks after seeing the film, I started thinking more deeply about the children in this pre-World War I town. I realized that they would become young adults during the time Hitler would rise to power.
They lived an incubator in which they adopted the brutality that they experienced, often against unsuspecting victims. They were being unwittingly primed for carrying out the atrocities that later came to characterize their future lives in Nazi Germany.
Seeing this film has led me to wonder about what the times we live in today are a prequel for.
As LaSalle remarked, “It didn’t have to be Nazism that took hold a generation later. It might have been any ideology that encourages blind devotion that flatters people’s vanity by telling them they’re intelligent for not thinking and that they’re virtuous for believing themselves better than their fellow citizens.”
“The White Ribbon” begs the question: What is today’s America making our children morally susceptible to?
Guidance Center Hosts 22nd Annual Krevat Cup
Event raised more than $230,000 to support children’s mental health agency
Roslyn Heights, NY, DATE, 2018 —North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, once again hosted a joyful event filled with golf, tennis and an extraordinary dinner at our 22nd annual Jonathan Krevat Memorial Golf & Tennis Classic on Monday, June 18, 2018, at The Creek in Locust Valley. The event raised more than $230,000 to support the Guidance Center’s work to bring hope and healing to children and families dealing with mental health or substance use challenges.
This year’s honoree was Ed Haug, Managing Partner of Haug Partners LLP, a pioneer East Coast law firm and provider of synthesized, multidisciplinary legal services for life science and technology businesses.
“Everyone had a great time on this magnificent golf course and on the tennis courts, and the elegant steak and lobster dinner was exquisite” said Haug. “But the most important thing is that we came together so that children and their families will continue to receive the life-saving services of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Guidance Center.”
Left to right: Guidance Center Executive Director Andrew Malekoff, event co-chairs Mike Mondiello and Troy Slade, honoree Ed Haug and event founder Jeff Krevat.
The co-chairs for this year’s Krevat Cup were Michael Mondiello, Michael Schnepper and Troy Slade. In addition,
Dan Donnelly, last year’s honoree, served as the auctioneer at this year’s event. “It’s all about the kids,” said Donnelly, a longtime support of the Guidance Center. “I consider it a privilege to be here today to help raise money to support the incredible work that truly makes a difference in the lives of children and their families.”
“We’re so grateful to all of the people who worked so hard to make this year’s event a huge success,” said Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center. “Their dedication to our work enables us to provide the services to all those who need them, despite their ability to pay.”
Letters, Newsday, June 20, 2018
[In her column on her battle with depression], Daysi Calavia-Robertson’s statement speaks volumes: “Remember, no matter what anybody might say, this is not a weakness.”
Indeed, we need to treat mental illness the same as we treat a physical illness. After the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a news release that, “Depression does not discriminate.” But health insurers often discriminate when it comes to providing the coverage for mental health care required by federal law.
It takes courage to ask for help, but finding providers who take your insurance is a challenge. The list of providers is short and waiting lists are often months’ long. Would we stand for this kind of wait for cancer? Certainly not. Nevertheless, many are forced to wait for timely, affordable care for depression, anxiety or similar illnesses.
Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach
The Lives of Black Mothers and Babies, Anton Media, May 23-29, 2018
In a report issued by Nassau County’s Department of Health—Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan (2016-18)—there is no mention of maternal mortality or information on social and environmental risk factors for women and infants of color. Consequently, no initiatives to address maternal and infant mortality disparities are recommended, yet overall Nassau County health data indicates that it ranks at the top of all counties in New York State.
To address this “invisible injustice,” maternal and child health advocates convened at Hofstra University on March 23 for a Birth Equity Breakfast organized by the Nassau County Perinatal Services Network.
Birth equity refers to the assurance that all human beings have the best possible births, buttressed by careful attention to racial and social disparities.
Keynoter Dr. Martine Hackett, assistant professor at Hofstra University’s School of Health Professions and Human Services, presented data from the state Department of Health that showed the disparate outcomes for black mothers and babies as compared with their white counterparts.
Infant mortality refers to the death of children before their first birthdays, which is a key indicator of the overall health of a population. According to the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Japan is the number one ranked country for newborn survival, while the United States ranks only 22nd in the world.
Among the eye-opening data that Hackett cited are the differences between the infant mortality rates in contiguous communities in Nassau County. For example, in Roosevelt there were 11.1 infant deaths per 1,000 births from 2012-14, while neighboring Merrick had zero deaths. Overall, in Nassau County the black infant mortality rate is more than four times that of the White infant mortality rate and even higher than in New York City.
Dr. Joia Creer-Perry, president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, spoke about the perception of black mothers and the barriers to receiving holistic care by the health care system. If a woman is living under great stress she will have trouble carrying her baby to term. Premature birth to underweight babies is a leading cause of infant mortality.
Social justice activist and attorney Fred Brewington condemned the institutional racism prevalent in healthcare that has resulted in infant mortality figures today that are no different than they were almost a century ago.
Just weeks after the Birth Equity Breakfast, Tasha Portley, a nurse living in Tyler, TX, spoke at a similar forum halfway across the U.S. In a report published in the April 16 edition of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Portley stated that “Pregnant black women often experience casually degrading remarks from white people when they seek maternal health care.”
Portley shared the story of a black woman who had some difficulty acquiring a breast pump from a local social services agency and, in the process, was the target of demeaning remarks by an employee. Portley went on to say, “We are dying because we are black and we are living in a country where there is inherent racism. It is systemic. It is the thread; it is the fiber of everything that exists.”
Hackett highlighted what needs to happen in order to turn the corner on disparities in Nassau County. Among her recommendations were to inform women after childbirth of warning signs for hemorrhage, embolism or infection, especially when there are preexisting conditions; to enhance service integration for women and infants; and to treat women of color with dignity, respect and culturally relevant care.
Bringing birth inequities to light is an important step forward. When this issue is not identified in Nassau County health data, people don’t know about it and it cannot be addressed. The breakfast concluded with the unveiling of the Birth Justice Warriors, an initiative envisioned by Hackett, to train birth advocates with the hope of ameliorating the birth inequities in Nassau County.
An Open Letter to Gov. Cuomo About Suicide and Mental Health Care. Blank Slate Media, June 14, 2018
Dear Gov. Cuomo,
This week, in the aftermath of the deaths by suicide of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain you issued a press release about new funding to address the rising rate of suicide.
You stated: “Two high-profile suicides this week put mental illness front and center, but while those names were the ones in the press, every day there are thousands of New Yorkers who struggle with suicidal thoughts, and we must do everything we can to support them.
Depression does not discriminate. It affects every part of society and people from all walks of life.”
I applaud you for bringing light to this matter. You stated, “depression does not discriminate.”
May I remind you of those health insurers that do not comply with federal parity law; denying timely access to care, do discriminate?
When New York state government does not enforce this law, they aid and abet discrimination against the “thousands of New Yorkers,” who you referred to, “who struggle with suicidal thoughts”.
The difficulty people have accessing mental health and addiction care is not simply a matter of stigma. It is a matter of discrimination. This is a civil rights issue that an announcement of new funding will not solve.
On Dec. 15, 2017, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center held a press conference at its headquarters in Roslyn Heights and issued the results of a research study – Project Access that we conducted in collaboration with LIU Post Department of Social Work.
In this year-long study, hundreds of Long Islanders were surveyed about their experiences attempting to obtain help for mental health and addiction problems.
Of the 650 Long Islanders who took part in the survey, almost half said that it was more difficult finding help for mental health or substance abuse problems than finding help for physical illnesses, nearly 40 percent said that their insurance company did not have an adequate number of providers and two-thirds said that their insurance company was not helpful to them in finding a suitable provider for themselves or a loved one.
State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who attended the Dec. 15 press conference, stated that the findings were “Damning.”
In a bipartisan effort, Kaminsky and state Sen. Elaine Phillips wrote to the Department of Financial Services on Jan. 9, 2018 citing the Project Access study and requesting “a thorough investigation to determine why insurance companies are not being held accountable for network adequacy.”
As you know, network adequacy is the part of the federal parity law that states that health insurers who cover mental health and addiction care must have an adequate number of providers in their network.
Many more people wrote directly to you Mr. Governor, requesting the same.
Almost five months later Scott Fischer, executive deputy superintendent for Insurance, a division of DFS, responded in writing to the senators.
Fischer wrote: “DFS’s review of the various networks has confirmed that each of the insurance companies in Long Island exceeds the standards for mental health and substance use providers, for the purpose of the commercial products sold outside of NYSOH.”
Translation: There is no problem. There is nothing more to do.
This does not square with the results of Project Access.
Health insurers and government ignoring federal parity law is discrimination. When it comes to suicide prevention: access delayed, is access denied.
Governor, discrimination deserves a place alongside stigma when the conversation turns to access to care. This is a matter of civil rights.
Long after the tragic deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain fade from the front pages, the lack of compliance and enforcement of federal parity law will persist and the thousands of people you spoke of in your press release will still be unable to access care.
Andrew Malekoff
Birth Justice Warriors Fight Inequality
Grant will help educate community about racial disparities in birth outcomes
Roslyn Heights, NY, June 14, 2018 —North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, is pleased to announced that we received a $2,800 grant from the March of Dimes Greater NY Market. The grant will go toward supporting the Birth Justice Warriors Project, an initiative that focuses on improving the health of black mothers and their babies.
The concept of the Birth Justice Warriors, an initiative co-chaired by the Guidance Center’s Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust and Hofstra University’s Dr. Martine Hackett, was born out of the crippling bias and injustice faced by black and brown mothers in the United States in general and in Nassau County in particular. According to the New York State Department of Health, a black woman is up to four times more likely to die in childbirth than a white mother. In Nassau County, the infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births is 9.4 for black babies versus the 2.2 reported for white non-Hispanic babies.
The three communities at highest risk are (in order) Roosevelt, Hempstead and Westbury/New Cassel.
“I think most people are surprised—I certainly was—when they find out that an affluent suburb like Nassau County has such high infant and maternal mortality rates in certain areas for black mothers and babies, higher than it is in New York City,” says Dr. Hackett. “Lack of awareness means that these poor health outcomes are basically invisible, and if you can’t see these problems, then you can’t act on them. Birth Justice Warriors will use local residents to increase the understanding of the causes of infant and maternal mortality and what we can do about it.”
“Our goal is to bring education and awareness to this issue of inequality, which has a multitude of contributing factors,” says Dr. Taylor-Walthrust, Director of the Leeds Place, a Guidance Center site. “We’re going to educate people at all levels, from women in the community to pediatricians, nurses, health care professionals, elected officials and those in faith-based institutions. Ultimately we want legislation to be written that guarantees that this crucial information is delivered to all women of child-bearing age.”
Action is also being taken on the state level. On April 23, 2018, Governor Cuomo announced an initiative to target maternal mortality and reduce racial disparities in health outcome. The initiative includes efforts to review and better address maternal death and morbidity with a focus on racial disparities, expanding community outreach, and taking new actions to increase access to prenatal and perinatal care.
To find out more about the Birth Justice Warriors, contact Dr. Walthrust-Taylor at (516) 997-2926, ext. 229, or email NTaylorWalthrust@northshorechildguidance.org.
Garden City Welcoming Club Soiree Benefits the Guidance Center, Garden City News, May 24, 2018
The ladies deciding what raffles to bid on!
On Tuesday, May 15th, the Welcoming Club of Garden City hosted their Spring Soirée at the Garden City Hotel, with all proceeds going to benefit North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the premiere not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island.
The event featured fabulous boutique shopping, getting-to-know-you games, a Garden City trivia contest, great raffle prizes and a delicious buffet.
“Tuesday was a fun and fabulous night that allowed the ladies of the Welcoming Club of Garden City to come together with old friends and mix and mingle to meet new ones in a chic and festive atmosphere,” says Meg Dockery- Cremins, President of the Welcoming Club. “The Spring Soirée was the culmination of a year’s worth of family, couples and ladies events to benefit North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. The wonderful vendors along with our generous community sponsors provided fabulous prizes which will allow us to make a generous donation to The Guidance Center, which we view as a critically important organization in the community.”
“We are so grateful to the members of the Welcoming Club of Garden City for making us the beneficiary of their events for September 2017 through June 2018,” says Lauren McGowan, Director of Development for North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. “The funds that they raise will go directly to our core mission of helping Long Island children and their families who are in need of mental health or substance use care. We could not do our work without generous donations from community minded organizations like the Welcoming Club.”
The Welcoming Club of Garden City is a well-established women’s organization of over 650 members that focuses on welcoming new members to our community while promoting charitable and humanitarian projects. The Club offers many social activities/events for couples, children, families and nights out for the ladies. Some of the events they offer include: running/walking, tennis, golf, bowling, gourmet club, book club, bunko, toddler playgroups, family events, ladies nights, social events, = and movie night. To learn more, visit www.thegardencitywelcomingclub.org.
“The Lives of Black Mothers and Babies,” From Anton Media, May 27, 2018
In a report issued by Nassau County’s Department of Health—Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan (2016-18)—there is no mention of maternal mortality or information on social and environmental risk factors for women and infants of color. Consequently, no initiatives to address maternal and infant mortality disparities are recommended, yet overall Nassau County health data indicates that it ranks at the top of all counties in New York State.
To address this “invisible injustice,” maternal and child health advocates convened at Hofstra University on March 23 for a Birth Equity Breakfast organized by the Nassau County Perinatal Services Network.
Birth equity refers to the assurance that all human beings have the best possible births, buttressed by careful attention to racial and social disparities.
Keynoter Dr. Martine Hackett, assistant professor at Hofstra University’s School of Health Professions and Human Services, presented data from the state Department of Health that showed the disparate outcomes for black mothers and babies as compared with their white counterparts.
Infant mortality refers to the death of children before their first birthdays, which is a key indicator of the overall health of a population. According to the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Japan is the number one ranked country for newborn survival, while the United States ranks only 22nd in the world.
Among the eye-opening data that Hackett cited are the differences between the infant mortality rates in contiguous communities in Nassau County. For example, in Roosevelt there were 11.1 infant deaths per 1,000 births from 2012-14, while neighboring Merrick had zero deaths. Overall, in Nassau County the black infant mortality rate is more than four times that of the White infant mortality rate and even higher than in New York City.
Dr. Joia Creer-Perry, president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, spoke about the perception of black mothers and the barriers to receiving holistic care by the health care system. If a woman is living under great stress she will have trouble carrying her baby to term. Premature birth to underweight babies is a leading cause of infant mortality.
Social justice activist and attorney Fred Brewington condemned the institutional racism prevalent in healthcare that has resulted in infant mortality figures today that are no different than they were almost a century ago.
Just weeks after the Birth Equity Breakfast, Tasha Portley, a nurse living in Tyler, TX, spoke at a similar forum halfway across the U.S. In a report published in the April 16 edition of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Portley stated that “Pregnant black women often experience casually degrading remarks from white people when they seek maternal health care.”
Portley shared the story of a black woman who had some difficulty acquiring a breast pump from a local social services agency and, in the process, was the target of demeaning remarks by an employee. Portley went on to say, “We are dying because we are black and we are living in a country where there is inherent racism. It is systemic. It is the thread; it is the fiber of everything that exists.”
Hackett highlighted what needs to happen in order to turn the corner on disparities in Nassau County. Among her recommendations were to inform women after childbirth of warning signs for hemorrhage, embolism or infection, especially when there are preexisting conditions; to enhance service integration for women and infants; and to treat women of color with dignity, respect and culturally relevant care.
Bringing birth inequities to light is an important step forward. When this issue is not identified in Nassau County health data, people don’t know about it and it cannot be addressed. The breakfast concluded with the unveiling of the Birth Justice Warriors, an initiative envisioned by Hackett, to train birth advocates with the hope of ameliorating the birth inequities in Nassau County.
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, including support for pregnant and parenting teens and their babies. To find out more, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
2018 Spring Luncheon, From LIBN’s On Our Island, May 18-24, 2018
From left): Andrew Malekoff, Nancy Lane, Todd Kaminsky, Jo-Ellen Hazan and Andrea Leeds participated in North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Spring Luncheon.
Welcoming Club of Garden City Raises Funds for the Guidance Center
On Tuesday, May 15, the Welcoming Club of Garden City hosted their Spring Soirée at the Garden City Hotel, with all proceeds going to benefit North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the premiere not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island.
The event featured fabulous boutique shopping, getting-to-know-you games, a Garden City trivia contest, great raffle prizes and a delicious buffet.
“Tuesday was a fun and fabulous night that allowed the ladies of the Welcoming Club of Garden City to come together with old friends and mix and mingle to meet new ones in a chic and festive atmosphere,” says Meg Dockery-Cremins, president of the Welcoming Club. “The Spring Soirée was the culmination of a year’s worth of family, couples and ladies events to benefit North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. The wonderful vendors along with our generous community sponsors provided fabulous prizes which will allow us to make a generous donation to The Guidance Center, which we view as a critically important organization in the community.”
“We are so grateful to the members of the Welcoming Club of Garden City for making us the beneficiary of their events for September 2017 through June 2018,” says Lauren McGowan, Director of Development for North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. “The funds that they raise will go directly to our core mission of helping Long Island children and their families who are in need of mental health or substance use care. We could not do our work without generous donations from community-minded organizations like the Welcoming Club.”
Behavioral Health News, Fall 2017, “Context Counts In Caring for Chemically Dependent Kids and Families
Despite feeling blindsided, many of us now know that we are living in the midst of an unprecedented drug epidemic. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, since 1999, the rate of overdose deaths including prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, nearly quadrupled.
In the intervening years, many steps have been taken to help save lives. These include improving prescribing practices and expanding access to medication assisted treatment and the use of Naloxone.
Medication-assisted treatment combines behavioral therapy and medications such as methadone or buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction. Through affordable, accessible and quality care people can recover and go on to live productive lives.
Naloxone is used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation by reversing the effects of opioids, including slowed breathing or loss of consciousness.
Notwithstanding the increased attention to lifesaving measures, there is relatively little focus on the devastating impact of addiction on children living in families where a parent is addicted to drugs or alcohol.
There are more than 8 million children under 18 years of age that are growing up in homes with alcohol and other drugabusing parents. These young people are likely to become alcohol or drug abusers themselves without intervention.
Parental alcoholism and drug addiction influence the use of alcohol and other drugs in several ways. These include increased stress and decreased parental monitoring that contributes to adolescents’ joining peer groups that support drug use.
Children who grow up with an addicted parent learn to distrust to survive. When unpredictability dominates one’s life, he or she is likely to be wary, always sensing disappointment lurking nearby.
Children growing up with an addicted parent become uncomfortably accustomed to living with chaos, uncertainty and unpredictability. When a child grows up under these conditions, they learn to guess at what normal is.
Denial, secrecy, embarrassment and shame are common experiences of children who live with an addicted parent. Even seeking help outside of the family might in itself be seen as an act of betrayal, a step toward revealing the family secret. The stigma of addiction can leave chemically dependent persons and family members feeling utterly alone in the world.
Children who grow up with an addicted parent live with the unspoken mandate – don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel.
Growing up with an addicted family member leaves children with little hope that things will ever change. I am reminded of a parable about the small village on the edge of a river.
One day a villager saw a baby floating down the river. He jumped in the river and saved the baby. The next day he saw two babies floating down the river. He and another villager dived in and saved them. Each day that followed, more babies were found floating down the river. The villagers organized themselves, training teams of swimmers to rescue the babies. They were soon working around the clock.
Although they could not save all the babies, the rescue squad members felt good and were lauded for saving as many babies as they could. However, one day, one of the villagers asked: “Where are all these babies coming from? Why don’t we organize a team to head upstream to find out who’s throwing the babies into the river in the first place!”
Mobilizing resources to pull babies from the river, while neglecting the one’s left behind makes no sense.
Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health and chemical dependency services for children from birth through 24 and their families. To find out more, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.
Guidance Center Hosts Free Community Forum on Vaping Dangers
Roslyn Heights, NY, May 21, 2018 — On Thursday, May 17, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center hosted a free community forum on the dangers of e-cigarettes, vaping and other substances such as new concentrated forms of marijuana. The forum was held at the Guidance Center’s Leeds Place location, at 999 Brush Hollow Road in Westbury.
“Marketers are selling teens and even younger kids on the idea that vaping is safe,” says Kathy Knaust, Clinical Supervisor at Leeds Place. “They’re also making the products more appealing to younger ages, including creating products such as fruit- and dessert-flavored vaporizer Juuls and decorative vape pens.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of young people have taken up vaping—a trend that could push back decades of progress in helping prevent kids from taking up smoking. The U.S. Surgeon General’s office reports that, along with nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful ingredients such as ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds; and heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.
The seminar also discussed the fact that teen marijuana users are also more likely to be exposed to newer, more potent forms of marijuana, including a dangerous marijuana extract called “dabs” that is rapidly gaining in popularity. “We are seeing many more clients reporting that they’re using THC oil or THC wax,” says Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, Director of the Leeds Place. “It’s a very alarming trend, especially when they can’t know for sure what other substances may be added.”
Other information covered included how these marijuana products are produced and the dangerous chemical byproducts that are left as residue. Says Knaust, “It is a much concentrated form of THC that is addicting and causes hallucinations, psychotic symptoms, ER visits and long-term damage due to the chemicals involved, mostly butane. These are becoming more sought-after products due to the potency and due to the fact that when vaped there is no smell; therefore they can be used undetected in public places or in school or in the home.”
The forum also featured Nassau County Police Officer Yolanda Turner from Community Affairs at Police Headquarters in Mineola. “Parents need to know that kids are vaping right in front of them and they likely don’t even know because it is colorless and odorless,” says Officer Turner. “It’s been spreading to children as young as fifth grade.”
Spring Soirée Benefits North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center
Spring Soirée Benefits North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center
Welcoming Club of Garden City Donates All Proceeds to the Mental Health Organization
Roslyn Heights, NY, May 17, 2018 — On Tuesday, May 15, the Welcoming Club of Garden City hosted their Spring Soirée at the Garden City Hotel, with all proceeds going to benefit North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the premiere not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island.
The event featured fabulous boutique shopping, getting-to-know-you games, a Garden City trivia contest, great raffle prizes and a delicious buffet.
“Tuesday was a fun and fabulous night that allowed the ladies of the Welcoming Club of Garden City to come together with old friends and mix and mingle to meet new ones in a chic and festive atmosphere,” says Meg Dockery-Cremins, President of the Welcoming Club. “The Spring Soirée was the culmination of a year’s worth of family, couples and ladies events to benefit North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. The wonderful vendors along with our generous community sponsors provided fabulous prizes which will allow us to make a generous donation to The Guidance Center, which we view as a critically important organization in the community.”
“We are so grateful to the members of the Welcoming Club of Garden City for making us the beneficiary of their events for September 2017 through June 2018,” says Lauren McGowan, Director of Development for North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. “The funds that they raise will go directly to our core mission of helping Long Island children and their families who are in need of mental health or substance use care. We could not do our work without generous donations from community-minded organizations like the Welcoming Club.”
The Welcoming Club of Garden City is a well-established women’s organization of over 650 members that focuses on welcoming new members to our community while promoting charitable and humanitarian projects. The Club offers many social activities/events for couples, children, families and nights out for the ladies. Some of the events they offer include: running/walking, tennis, golf, bowling, gourmet club, book club, bunko, toddler playgroups, family events, ladies nights, social events and movie night. To learn more, visit www.thegardencitywelcomingclub.org.
Dangers of vaping and other inhalants for teens
On Thursday, May 17, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center will be hosting a free community forum on the dangers of e-cigarettes, vaping and other substances such as new concentrated forms of marijuana.
The forum will be held at the Guidance Center’s Leeds Place location, at 999 Brush Hollow Road in Westbury.
“Marketers are selling teens and even younger kids on the idea that vaping is safe,” said Kathy Knaust, Clinical Supervisor at Leeds Place. “They’re also making the products more appealing to younger ages, including creating products such as fruit- and dessert-flavored vaporizer Juuls and decorative vape pens.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of young people have taken up vaping — a trend that could push back decades of progress in helping prevent kids from taking up smoking.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s office reports that, along with nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful ingredients such as ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds; and heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.
The seminar will also discuss the fact that teen marijuana users are also more likely to be exposed to newer, more potent forms of marijuana, including a dangerous marijuana extract called “dabs” that is rapidly gaining in popularity.
“We are seeing many more clients reporting that they’re using THC oil or THC wax,” said Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, director of the Leeds Place. “It’s a very alarming trend, especially when they can’t know for sure what other substances may be added.”
Information to be covered includes how these marijuana products are produced and the dangerous chemical byproducts that are left as residue.
Said Knaust, “It is a much concentrated form of THC that is addicting and causes hallucinations, psychotic symptoms, ER visits and long-term damage due to the chemicals involved, mostly butane. These are becoming more sought-after products due to the potency and due to the fact that when vaped there is no smell; therefore they can be used undetected in public places or in school or in the home.”
The forum will also feature Nassau County Police Officer Yolanda Turner from Community Affairs at Police Headquarters in Mineola.
The forum is free but registration is required. Contact Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust at (516) 997-2926, ext. 229 or email NTaylorWalthrust@northshorechildguidance.org.
Spring Luncheon, from Anton Media’s Healthy Living insert in Newsday, May 9-15, 2018
NorthShore-1Radio Appearance on “Project Independence” (WCWP 88.1) by Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, April 27, 2018
Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, (Director NSCFGC-The Leeds Place)
Grandparents as Caregivers Part 1
Grandparents as Caregivers Part 2
Andrew Malekoff Receives Folio Award; Long Island Business News, May 3, 2018
Andrew Malekoff (center) of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center received a Folio Award from the Fair Media Council. He was congratulated by James Kinney (left) and Jaci Clement.
Guidance Center Luncheon Raises Over $68,000. Blank Slate Media, May 4, 2018
On April 26, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, raised more than $68,000 to support our mission to restore and strengthen the emotional well-being of children and their families.
The event, which took place at Glen Head Country Club, began with exciting games of Mahjong, Canasta and Bridge, along with unique shopping boutiques from some of Long Island’s trendiest and most charitable small business owners, including Dale’s Novelty Knits, Dash, Designs That Donate, iThrive, Kostume Klassics, Museum Coffee House and RFC Fine Jewelry, among others.
Following the delicious luncheon buffet came a most informative and engaging presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Victor M. Fornari.
Fornari is Director of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at The Zucker Hillside Hospital and Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at the Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He discussed the latest developments in the field of children’s mental health, focusing on the Mobility study currently being done in conjunction with the Guidance Center and others of a medication named Metformin.
“The purpose of this study is to determine if adding Metformin to a healthy lifestyle program would help children and teens control weight gain caused by certain medications,” said Fornari. He explained that a large percentage of some anti-psychotic medications for children and adolescents cause weight gain, which increases the risk of developing Type II diabetes as well as cardiovascular, neurological and digestive conditions.
Fornari cited “the courage” of Dr. Reena Nandi, the Guidance Center’s Director of Psychiatric Services, Executive Director Andrew Malekoff and other Guidance Center colleagues for playing such a central role in this study. He also said that the Guidance Center is “the most productive of all of our partners.”
He also told the audience that this is the largest pediatric psychopharmacological study ever funded by PCORI, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
“We are proud to partner with such a prestigious and patient-outcome drive study,” said Nandi. “We’re eagerly awaiting the results, which could have a dramatic impact on the health of children and adolescents.”
The luncheon couldn’t have been so successful without the hard work of our co-chairs, Jan Ashley, Amy Cantor and Alexis Siegel. “For several years, these three dedicated Guidance Center supporters have taken on the formidable task of organizing this exciting and informative event,” said Malekoff. “Their dedication to our mission is unwavering.”
We are also grateful for the support of our sponsors, without whom we couldn’t host such a terrific event. They are: The Children’s Medical Center at NYU Winthrop Hospital; Ruth Fortunoff Cooper; Americana Manhasset; Nancy Lane; Andrea Leeds; Signature Bank; Amy Cantor; Fara Copell; Klipper Family Foundation; Tracey Murray Kupferberg, CBR; Power Travel; Raich Ender Malter & Co. LLP; Alexis Siegel; Linda Cronin; Ann Dorman & Kenneth Adler; Joan Grant; Carol Marcell; Nanci Roth; and Carol Wolowitz.
Guidance Center Spring Luncheon Raises More Than $68,000
Roslyn Heights, NY, April 30, 2018 — On Thursday, April 26, 2018, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, raised more than $68,000 to support our mission to restore and strengthen the emotional well-being of children and their families.
The event, which took place at Glen Head Country Club, began with exciting games of Mahjong, Canasta and Bridge, along with unique shopping boutiques from some of Long Island’s trendiest and most charitable small business owners, including Dale’s Novelty Knits, Dash, Designs That Donate, iThrive, Kostume Klassics, Museum Coffee House and RFC Fine Jewelry, among others.
Following the delicious luncheon buffet came a most informative and engaging presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Victor M. Fornari, MD. Dr. Fornari is Director of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at The Zucker Hillside Hospital and Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at the Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He discussed the latest developments in the field of children’s mental health, focusing on the Mobility study currently being done in conjunction with the Guidance Center and others of a medication named Metformin.
“The purpose of this study is to determine if adding Metformin to a healthy lifestyle program would help children and teens control weight gain caused by certain medications,” said Dr. Fornari. He explained that a large percentage of some anti-psychotic medications for children and adolescents cause weight gain, which increases the risk of developing Type II diabetes as well as cardiovascular, neurological and digestive conditions.
Dr. Fornari cited “the courage” of Dr. Reena Nandi, the Guidance Center’s Director of Psychiatric Services, Executive Director Andrew Malekoff and other Guidance Center colleagues for playing such a central role in this study. He also said that the Guidance Center is “the most productive of all of our partners.”
He also told the audience that this is the largest pediatric psychopharmacological study ever funded by PCORI, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
“We are proud to partner with such a prestigious and patient-outcome drive study,” said Dr. Nandi. “We’re eagerly awaiting the results, which could have a dramatic impact on the health of children and adolescents.”
The luncheon couldn’t have been so successful without the hard work of our co-chairs, Jan Ashley, Amy Cantor and Alexis Siegel. “For several years, these three dedicated Guidance Center supporters have taken on the formidable task of organizing this exciting and informative event,” said Malekoff. “Their dedication to our mission is unwavering.”
We are also grateful for the support of our sponsors, without whom we couldn’t host such a terrific event. They are: The Children’s Medical Center at NYU Winthrop Hospital; Ruth Fortunoff Cooper; Americana Manhasset; Nancy Lane; Andrea Leeds; Signature Bank; Amy Cantor; Fara Copell; Klipper Family Foundation; Tracey Murray Kupferberg, CBR; Power Travel; Raich Ender Malter & Co. LLP; Alexis Siegel; Linda Cronin; Ann Dorman & Kenneth Adler; Joan Grant; Carol Marcell; Nanci Roth; 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 60 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.
American In Every Way Except on Paper, From Anton Media, April 17, 2018
By Andrew Malekoff
Imagine being American in every way except on paper and knowing that if you are the victim of violent crime you cannot report it out of fear of being deported. This is the sad reality for nearly 800,000 young immigrants who found hope in DACA.
If you’ve heard the acronym but are not familiar with DACA, it refers to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal program that began in 2012 permitting any person who was brought into the U.S. before the age of 16 the temporary right to live, study and work legally in America, providing they meet certain criteria including no criminal record and attending in high school or college, or serving in the military.
According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of current DACA recipients are 25 or younger, many of whom were brought to the U.S. as children so they might escape persecution, violence and poverty for the promise of a better life.
One young immigrant, Rodrigo Trejo, shared his story with United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country: “When I was in the 11th grade my step dad was deported to Mexico, but he had a conversation with me before he was sent back. He told me that I was going to have to be the man of the house because he didn’t think he was ever coming back. I didn’t know what he was trying to say at the time, until he passed away crossing the U.S border. He couldn’t bear to be away from his family.”
Although Rodrigo became depressed and dropped out of school he bounced back. He reenrolled and graduated at the age of 20. Soon thereafter he applied for DACA in order to continue his education. “I plan to continue my studies and want to help others who have the potential of becoming someone great but because of similar life circumstances, don’t believe in themselves,” he said.
On September 5, 2017, U.S. Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions pronounced, “I am here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded [effective March 5, 2018].”
On January 9, 2018, four months after AG Session’s announcement, a U.S. District Judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending DACA, thus allowing recipients to renew their protected status for two years, re-affirming their legal legitimacy to remain in the U.S. A subsequent appeal of the judge’s ruling to keep DACA going failed.
If DACA were to be permanently rescinded it would prevent young immigrants like Rodrigo from applying for deportation protections and work permits, exacerbating the isolation, uncertainty, hopelessness and terror that preceded DACA becoming law.
If you follow national news, there is a cat-and-mouse game being played with DACA recipients in our nation’s capital. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that what is at stake is the physical and emotional well-being of young people like Rodrigo who came to the U.S. as children by no fault of their own.
In addition to the shifting sentiments expressed by the president, there is an organized anti-immigrant movement underway in the U.S. led by groups such as the Federation for American Immigrant Reform (FAIR), Center for Immigration Studies and Numbers USA. These nativist groups advocate for white European power and political control, and paint undocumented immigrants with a broad criminalized brush.
The issue of immigration in the U.S. is much broader than DACA. Nevertheless, we need to stand up to protect these young people from being rounded up and sent away. If you believe in human rights, doing nothing is not an option.
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.
This article was first published in Long Island Weekly of the Anton Media Group, April 18-24, 2018
Guidance Center talks about stigma, Blank Slate Media, April 17, 2018
On Friday April 13, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center hosted a program featuring Long Island author Nicole Nagy.
Nagy’s book, “Creative Mind: A Diary of Teenage Mental Illness,” is a moving first-person account of her mental health challenges and also of the roadblocks she faced when trying to access timely and affordable treatment.
Nagy, a graduate social work student at Stony Brook, has also become a Project Access advocate, fighting alongside the Guidance Center for timely, affordable access to mental health and addictions care.
The April 13 program featured Nagy’s discussion of her journey to healing and also addressed the battle to overcome stigma.
“In her book, Nicole writes with an authentic, courageous voice as she talks about her experiences with depression and anxiety,” said Andrew Malekoff, executive director of the Guidance Center. “With this book, Nicole has helped lift the fear of stigma by so honestly sharing her story. In addition, her advocacy for people struggling with mental health issues is very powerful. The battle for access to care is a matter of civil rights for millions of people.”
Even with excellent health insurance, Nagy said that getting access to treatment was very difficult. “It took weeks to get an appointment after I was hospitalized for a suicide attempt,” she said. When she was finally able to get the help she needed, she “learned to own and manage my illness and love myself.” Her goal is to share her story with everyone she can and give them hope.
The April 13 event included insights from an outstanding panel: Nancy Manigat, chief program officer of CN Guidance & Counseling Services; author and psychotherapist Sean Grover; Kerry Lynn Eller, a social worker at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center who has experienced the difficulty of accessing mental health care in her own family; and the Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach, rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Cold Spring Harbor.
“Nicole’s story shows that having mental illness and being successful are not mutually exclusive,” said Eller. Grover talked about the need for adults to remember what it was like being a teenager and to “tap into our humanity,” while Pollach spoke of the need for communities of faith to fight for parity for mental health and addictions treatment.
Manigat, Chief Program Officer of CN Guidance & Counseling Services, applauded Nagy for being an advocate, and also spoke about the importance of the Project Access study, which surveyed 650 Long Islanders about their experience trying to find mental health care. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center on this very important study with the goal of improving access to lifesaving services for individuals living with a mental health and/or substance use disorder,” said Manigat. “Through our participation with Project Access, we were able to provide significant data which helped identify obstacles to care. At CN Guidance and Counseling Services, we believe in every individual’s ability to recover – and access to care is a necessary component of treatment. We are enthusiastic about the potential for change to come through the results of this survey.”
For more information about Project Access, email Guidance Center CEO Andrew Malekoff at amalekoff@northshorechildguidance.org. You can order “Creative Mind” on Amazon.com.
Long Island Business News, April 16, 2018: Nonprofit Highlights of the Week
Dina De Giorgio (center) of the Town of North Hempstead honored Vivian Moy (left) of the Port Washington Crisis Relief Team and Nancy Lane of the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center at the town’s 25th Annual May W. Newburger Women’s Roll of Honor.
Andrew Malekoff (right) of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center was honored with a Folio Award from the Fair Media Council. (Also shown, from left) Jo-Ellen Hazan, Rita Castagna and Frank Castagna.