Andrew Malekoff featured on News 12 Long Island discussing Project Access
A new study has found that Long Islanders can often face problems getting treatment for mental illnesses and addiction.
North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center’s ‘Project Access’ shows struggles of finding mental health care
From Blank Slate Media
Janet Susin said during her family’s first visit to the emergency room after her 16-year-old son was diagnosed with schizophrenia, the hospital staff had only one concern.
“The first question we heard wasn’t, ‘how’s he doing?’ It was, ‘do you have insurance?’” Susin said.
Susin was among a group of concerned relatives, public officials and caregivers at a press conference held Monday by the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center to discuss the results of a year-long study titled Project Access that examined the ease or difficulty with which patients and their family have accessing mental health and substance abuse care, especially through insurance providers.
North Shore Child Guidance Executive Director Andrew Malekoff said that as part of the study, a 41-question survey was completed by 644 people who answered questions about demographics and experiences as well as an open-ended question for personal stories about the process.
Malekoff said fewer providers accept commercial health insurance plans because their rates of reimbursement are often lower than Medicare rates.
According to Project Access results, almost half the participants said it was more difficult to find help for mental health or substance abuse problems than care for physical ailments, 40 percent said their insurance providers did not have an adequate number of providers, and two-thirds said their insurance company was not helpful in finding a mental health care provider.
State senators Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) and Elaine Phillips (R-Flower Hill) provided a bipartisan front from the state Legislature, both sharing stories of family members who suffered from mental health issues and struggled to receive help.
“The founder of the Nassau-Queens National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter was my cousin Arnold Gould, who passed away last year,” Kaminsky said. “He devoted his life to this issue, and for a long time, Arnold had a son who was the cousin in my family no one talked about or knew existed. We have to turn the page on that. We can do better.”
Kaminsky and Phillips both said they would write letters to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Department of Financial Services with the Project Access data and their concerns about the issue.
“I am extremely proud to be supporting Project Access and to be supporting the mental health industry because it is going to take research like this when we do write the governor and the New York State Department of Financial Services,” Phillips said. “We have data behind it to say this isn’t happening in low socio-economic areas of one part of the state; this is a rampant problem that is happening throughout New York and especially here on Long Island.”
Phillips also said if needed, she would support legislation to make mental health care more accessible and affordable across New York.
North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center partnered with LIU Post for the research, and social work professor Elissa Giffords said the school received approval from their institutional review board before administering the survey to human subjects and placed surveys in waiting rooms and posted flyers with a link to the survey as well.
“People who completed the survey, it’s likely they already accessed care,” Giffords said. “This is quite important, particularly because although they could access treatment, they still reported impediments when seeking this care. This also means there’s a distinct possibility there are many people who gave up seeking care altogether.”
Susin, a past president of the Nassau-Queens chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness, was a teacher, and her husband was a doctor at North Shore Hospital during that hospital visit 30 years ago, and she quickly learned that while her policy had $1 million worth of mental health coverage, her husband’s only offered $40,000 for the family for life.
Soon after their visit, her son, now 47, was prescribed an anti-psychotic medication and has not been in the hospital since thanks to the care of an excellent psychiatrist — a psychiatrist who charges $250 per visit and does not take insurance, Susin said.
Susin said while their psychiatrist was willing to try working with her insurance company, the agreement ended less than a year later because the psychiatrist believed the rates were too low and receiving payments from the insurers was a hassle.
Susin said she has paid out of pocket ever since.
“We’re lucky we can afford to pay for good care for our son and as a result, he’s remained stable all these years,” she said. “Every person struggling with a psychotic disorder or any mental health condition should have the same opportunity.”
Social worker Kerry Eller also spoke about the struggles of her teenage sister, who has dealt with mental health and substance abuse issues since she was 11.
Her mother was a single parent, trying to manage two younger boys while fighting to get her daughter the care she needed. Eller said her mother often blamed herself, asking if she caused these problems for her daughter and whether she was enough of a mother to care for her children.
“When anyone in my family had some kind of physical ailment, there were no issues getting care,” Eller said. “When I needed my tonsils removed, I wasn’t directed to multiple doctors just to find one that was one willing to provide me with the medically necessary treatment that my condition required. There is such a sigma related to psychiatric and substance abuse related disorders, which makes it scary to reach out in the first place.
“When you finally build up enough courage to reach out for help, and then your efforts are thwarted, it feels defeating.”
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Releases Project Access
Family members share stories about difficulty accessing mental health and addictions care as results of year-long study are detailed at press conference
Roslyn Heights, NY, December 11, 2017 — If you’ve tried to get help for a family member or loved one who was struggling with mental health or chemical dependency issues and had trouble finding a provider who takes your insurance, you are not alone.
Today, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center (also known as the Guidance Center) released the results of Project Access, a year-long study in which approximately 650 Long Islanders were surveyed about their experiences and frustrations in trying to obtain help. The results were announced at a press conference at the Guidance Center’s Roslyn Heights headquarters on Monday, December 11.
“This report verifies what we have long known: Insurance companies and the government are not living up to their responsibility to provide people with quality, affordable and timely mental health and addictions care,” said Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center. “Even though they are legally bound to have adequate networks of care, they fall far short of that mandate.”
A few key findings:
- Almost half of the participants said that it was more difficult finding help for mental health or substance abuse 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.
- Almost 40% of participants reported that stigma and affordability were impediments to seeking care.
- And, almost 25% of participants reported that they felt their attempts at accessing care were futile.
The problem of access is often complicated by a family’s reluctance to seek help for a mental health or drug problem, as opposed to physical illnesses like cancer or diabetes. Despite progress, stigma still looms large.
Kerry Eller spoke of the difficulty in finding treatment for her family member who has mental health and chemical addictions issues. “When my sister’s condition began to worsen, it put our entire family into crisis,” said Eller. “We knew she needed professional help to get her through this incredibly difficult time. It was extremely challenging to access appropriate treatment for my sister. The insurance company was not helpful with connecting us to in-network providers; they would give us referrals but when we would call, we would often find out that they no longer participated with our plan. It was exhausting and heart breaking to have to endure one failed call after another.”
Janet Susin, the President of Queens/Nassau NAMI, spoke of the trouble she faced getting her son care for schizophrenia. “At our first visit to the ER, their first question wasn’t ‘How is he doing’ but rather ‘Do you have insurance that covers mental health care?’ The reality is that there are not enough psychiatrists, particularly child psychiatrists, and very few are willing to take insurance. We need to do something to rectify that situation.”
State Senator Todd Kaminsky, who also spoke at the press conference, said, “The Project Access report is a damning indictment of where we are with mental health and addictions care in our state today… We’re not in the 19th or even 20th century. We have to do better!”
State Senator Elaine Phillips told the audience, “With Project Access, we now have the data when we write to our government and state agencies. We need to demand change so people get the support they deserve!”
For her part, Rebecca Sanin, President/CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, spoke of the great disparity in obtaining mental health care as opposed to care for physical illnesses. “Imagine if cancer patients faced delays and inadequate coverage; we would be up in arms as a region,” she said. “Project Access shows that two-thirds of respondents said insurance companies were not helpful and that it required multiple calls and contacts to access care. This is unconscionable. When a person is in crisis, the window to engage in treatment is small, and it may never open again if they are turned away.”
“We are calling on the New York State Department of Financial Services to launch a thorough investigation of this issue,” said Malekoff. “It’s incumbent upon all of us to advocate for change. Access delayed is access denied. People’s lives are at stake.”
The study is supported by the Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund of the Long Island Community Foundation.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Releases First-Of-Its-Kind Report on Roadblocks to Accessing Mental Health and Addictions Care
Roslyn Heights, NY, November 27, 2017 — It’s a scenario that is far too common: Someone makes the difficult decision to seek out professional help for a mental health problem for themselves or their loved one and is faced with a myriad of roadblocks, including a lack of providers who take their insurance and demand cash only—or even if they find a therapist in their plan, the provider has an enormously long waiting list or is not accepting new clients at all.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center (also known as the Guidance Center) led an effort to assess these problems with Project Access, in which approximately 650 Long Islanders were surveyed about their experiences in trying to obtain help. The results will be announced at a press conference at the Guidance Center’s Roslyn Heights headquarters on Monday, December 11 at 10 a.m.
Expected to be speaking are New York State Senators Elaine Phillips and Todd Kaminsky; Janet Susin, Past President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Queens/Nassau; and Rebecca Sanin, President of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island.
“This report verifies what we have long known: Insurance companies and the government are not living up to their responsibility to provide people with quality, affordable and timely mental health and addictions care,” says Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center. “Even though they are legally bound to have adequate networks of care, they fall far short of that mandate. It’s incumbent upon all of us to advocate for change. Access delayed is access denied. People’s lives are at stake.”
A few key findings:
- Almost 50% of respondents indicated that it was more difficult finding help for mental health or substance abuse/addiction problems than finding help for physical illnesses, particularly when they were in crisis.
- Nearly 40% of respondents said that their insurance company did not have an adequate number of providers.
Exacerbating the problem of individuals finding appropriate providers for mental health and addictions care is stigma and the shame it generates, notes Malekoff. “If someone’s child has cancer, they won’t hesitate to call the doctor, but because of the stigma surrounding mental health, it makes it very difficult for them to reach out. Clearly, as this study reveals, despite any
progress made in eradicating stigma, we still have a long way to go with respect to public education and mental health awareness.”
The aim of Project Access is to raise public consciousness, stimulate interaction among stakeholders and motivate New York State, through the Department of Financial Services, to carry out a thorough investigation of commercial health insurers with respect to access to care.
After reviewing the research, Project Access committee member Dr. Ilene Nathanson, Chair of the Social Work Department at LIU Post, concluded, “If the definition of insurance is protection then the gross inadequacies of our insurance system are laid bare in this study. Delays, unaffordability, outright inaccessibility – all courageously endured by human beings in need of mental health care. It is time that the insurance industry stepped up to the task of protecting.”
The study is supported by the Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund of the Long Island Community Foundation.
For previews of the research prior to the press conference, contact Andrew Malekoff at amalekoff@northshorechildguidance.org.
Project Access Report Released
The Project Access report has been released click here to view
We’re pleased to provide you with a link to the results of a year-long research undertaking called Project Access, which has been supported by the Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund of the Long Island Community Foundation.
We surveyed almost 650 respondents across Long Island about their experiences regarding the ease or difficulty with which they were able to access mental health and addictions care. As the results of our study show, far too many people are having trouble finding timely, affordable, quality care for themselves and their loved ones. Access delayed is access denied.
We hope that you will find this report affirms what many of us know anecdotally regarding the impediments we and our neighbors experience when seeking to access care. Please feel free to forward this and to make your legislator aware of it.
Andrew Malekoff appears on News 12 Long Island: Discusses Facebook and social media’s effect on teens
Click Here to Watch the Video on News12
Facebook’s first president Sean Parker said Wednesday that the social media giant was designed to exploit “human vulnerability.”
“We needed to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever,” Parker said at an Axios event in Philadelphia. “It’s a social validation feedback loop. It’s exactly the kind of thing that a hacker, like myself, would come up with because you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.”
He went on to say the “[The inventors] understood this, consciously, and we did it anyway.”
Parker says he now wonders about the consequences of Facebook on future generations.
“God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains,” he said.
Mental health experts say it’s having a negative impact. Andrew Malekoff, of the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center, says those overly absorbed in the site often become isolated, anxious and disconnected.
Malekoff says parents should consider putting limits on the time their children spend on social media.
When Your Child Relates Better To Screens Than Human Beings
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center recently hosted psychotherapist, author and parenting expert Sean Grover for a workshop titled “When Your Child Relates Better to Screens than Human Beings.” We were pleased to offer this program to help fortify parents during these difficult times.
As tech-dependence increases, many kids move through the world in a self-centered bubble, separated from their own thoughts and feelings, as well as the thoughts and feelings of others. As conversation skills and positive interactions crumble, technology even starts to change kids’ sense of humanity; they are less compassionate and sensitive to others. The workshop explored these vital issues and offered advice about what parents can do to help.
“Everywhere you look, children are staring into cell phones, screens, computer screens, tablets, iPads and more,” said Grover, who has appeared on the Today Show, in the New York Times and in many other media outlets. “While some kids use technology as a pastime, others are absorbed by it. Technology devours their lives. They can’t put it down or turn it off. These kids tend to be more isolated and anxious, have poor people skills, difficulty maintaining friendships or an unstable sense of self.”
In his workshop, Grover gave parents guidelines on how to take back control and help their offspring wean off their technology addiction. Here are some of his tips:
Tech Blackouts
Set aside specific times at home when no one (parents included) uses technology. Cell phones, computers, iPad…everything is off. If you want your kid to be less tech-addicted, you must lead the way. Tech-free time can be spent reading, talking, playing games, cooking, making art…anything creative or social will do.
Tech Hours
Kids resist structure—but fall apart without it. Technology needs limits. For instance, I often recommend that families establish tech hours; time for homework, gaming or surfing the Internet. Scheduling tech time will help to limit battles by setting clear guidelines. For instance, when it comes to gaming, many parents may allow thirty minutes a day during the school week and two hours a day on the weekends.
Tech Spaces
When possible, keep all technology in a common space like the living room — not in a child’s bedroom. Establish communal places for tech time; try to avoid allowing your kid to disappear for hours behind a closed door.
Tech Limits
There are plenty of online services that can filter out inappropriate or violent material. These services can also limit Internet access by scheduling times that the Internet is available and times when it is not. One example of such a service is Net Nanny.
If you haven’t already read between the lines, you should know that how you use tech devices influences your ability to effectively guide your kids. Although your example is not the sole factor, keep in mind that as distant as some kids become from adults as they are moving through their teen years, they continue to observe you, and more closely than you know.
As the lyrics from the 1970s-80s new wave rock band the Police advise: “Every breath you take, Every move you make, Every bond you break, Every step you take, I’ll be watching you.”
Andrew Malekoff is the executive director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which provides comprehensive mental health services for children and their families. Visit www.northshorechildguidance.org for more.
Launch of Let In the Light Campaign
From Long Island Business News, Nov. 24-30, 2017
More killings, but Congress won’t act
From Newsday, Letters, Nov. 12 2017
The Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing of 26 innocents, including eight children and a pregnant mom, is a grim reminder and prelude to the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings [“Church massacre,” News, Nov. 6].
At the same time, as President Donald Trump paid his respects to the fallen, ordering flags flown at half-staff, he was quick to label the tragedy as a mental health problem. This is despite the fact that he advocated for a repeal-and-replace national health insurance policy that would strip away insurance coverage parity for mental health care.
When the president advocates for limiting access to care, it compounds the public health challenges of mental illness.
Think about it: After the Sandy Hook shootings, there was not one parent who was able to escape the tyranny of imagining his or her child being killed in the neighborhood school. Now, Sutherland Springs affirms that the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, is not isolated.
Our leaders can support the constitutional right to bear arms while taking steps to prevent gun violence and passing legislation that supports the emotional well-being of all of our citizens.
Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach
Editor’s note: The writer is the executive director of the nonprofit children’s mental health agency North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights.
Ex-Facebook president: Site was designed to exploit ‘human vulnerability’
“From News 12 Long Island, Nov. 11, 2017”
WOODBURY – Facebook’s first president Sean Parker said Wednesday that the social media giant was designed to exploit “human vulnerability.”
“We needed to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever,” Parker said at an Axios event in Philadelphia. “It’s a social validation feedback loop. It’s exactly the kind of thing that a hacker, like myself, would come up with because you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.”
He went on to say the “[The inventors] understood this, consciously, and we did it anyway.”
Parker says he now wonders about the consequences of Facebook on future generations.
“God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains,” he said.
Mental health experts say it’s having a negative impact. Andrew Malekoff, of the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center, says those overly absorbed in the site often become isolated, anxious and disconnected.
Malekoff says parents should consider putting limits on the time their children spend on social media.
In The Company Of Oneself
Anton Media’s Long Island Weekly, Parenthood Plus by Andrew Malekoff
In New York it is illegal to use a handheld cellphone while driving. Although drivers have the option to use hands-free devices, studies show that talking or texting on any cellphone while driving is so mentally distracting as to suggest it is a serious safety hazard. Nevertheless, not a day goes by that I do not see drivers talking on both hand-held and hands-free devices. Safety aside, what does all this chatter in the car portend about one’s ability to be alone?
More than 50 years ago Clark Moustakas, a psychologist and the author of the existential study Loneliness, wrote, “Being alone, for me, usually means an opportunity to think, imagine, plan. I choose to be alone because I desire to be quiet for awhile to consider aspects of my life. It is usually a tranquil time of self-expression and self-renewal.”
Can you remember a time when a solitary ride in the car offered such an opportunity, to simply be alone with your thoughts, feelings and sensations—maybe with your favorite soundtrack playing in the background?
We now live in an era when, because we are plugged in 24-7, the simple pleasure of being alone is something that we avoid. For many people, young and old, aloneness is a source of discontent. Why? Are we afraid that it might lead to loneliness?
Loneliness is not just about a lack of companionship but an inner sense of being alone, regardless of the external circumstances—of feeling lonely even when with friends or family.
I believe that the recent popularity of mindfulness—a mental state achieved by directing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly noticing and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations—is a counterforce to the busy-ness of our perpetually plugged-in lives.
As if to foreshadow the current era of mindfulness, Moustakas said, “Loneliness anxiety is a widespread condition in contemporary society. The individual no longer has an intimate sense of relatedness to the food he eats, the clothing he wears, the shelter which houses him.”
According to Maria Gonzalez, an author and corporate executive whose most recent book is Mindful Leadership, 9 Ways to Self-Awareness, Transforming Yourself, and Inspiring Others, “The daily commute is a great opportunity to train the mind.” She recommends practicing simple techniques, repeatedly, to train the mind in three areas:
1. To be more focused and better able to concentrate;
2. To experience more clarity in our thinking and decision-making; and
3. To approach all of life with a sense of balance, whereby we can “go with the flow” when a situation cannot be changed in the moment.
“The idea,” Gonzalez says, “is that you are continuously aware of three things: your body, what you see and what you hear. This is what it is to be mindfully present as you drive. Do your best to stay present for the entire commute.”
Although it seems elementary, it’s not as easy it sounds. As your mind wanders you may have the impulse to check your phone, or give in to some other distraction. When that happens, intentionally pull yourself back.
Like all things worth mastering, being mindful takes practice. As you do this you are preparing yourself to be present, to be at ease in your own company and, at the same time, you’re making the road a safer place for us all.
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. Visit www.northshorechildguidance.org to find out more.
North Shore guidance center raises $430K at annual gala
from Blank Slate Media
From left, Andrew Malekoff, Regina Barros-Rivera, Russell and Marilyn Albanese, Carol and Andrew Marcell, Nancy and Lew Lane. (Photo courtesy of North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center)
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center was proud to announce that its annual gala, “Under the Stars,” raised more than $430,000 to support the Guidance Center’s work to restore and strengthen the emotional health and well-being of children and families on Long Island.
More than 220 guests attended the event, enjoying a wonderful evening of delicious food, musical entertainment provided by New York, New York Dueling Pianos, a silent and live auction.
The honorees this year were Marilyn and Russell Albanese. Marilyn, a new member of the Guidance Center’s Board of Directors, has been volunteering for the Guidance Center for several years, working to support and educate young mothers at the Leeds Place location.
Both Marilyn and Russell hold the mission of the Guidance Center close to their hearts. They shared the story of when they had a teen girl from Haiti who needed surgery and who was staying at their home. “The Guidance Center had someone who spoke Creole, and she was a tremendous help to our entire family and our guest,” said Marilyn.
The Albanese family
“We are delighted that the Guidance Center’s ‘Under the Stars’ gala was a grand fundraising and friendraising event,” board president Nancy Lane said. “The Board of Directors is thrilled that Marilyn and Russell Albanese agreed to be our 2017 honorees. This year’s co-chairs, Carol and Andy Marcell, pulled out all of the stops to help make this year’s event a real standout.”
The money raised at the event will help the Guidance Center continue its many innovative programs and services, with no one ever turned away for inability to pay.
“The financial success of the Gala is essential to our continuing to extend the Guidance Center’s reach to thousands of children and families that call on us in their hour of need,”executive director Andrew Malekoff said. “It was a fun and festive evening and a prime example of neighbor helping neighbor to bring hope and healing to vulnerable children.”
From left, Frank and Rita Castagna with Chris and Jack Bransfield. (Photo courtest of North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center)
Senator Phillips Attends North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s 2017 ‘Under The Stars’ Gala
Senator Elaine Phillips recently attended the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s 2017 “Under the Stars” Gala.
“The North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is an essential resource in our community for children struggling with mental health conditions,” Senator Elaine Phillips said. “I applaud the Center’s committed staff for working tirelessly to help restore and strengthen the emotional well-being of children. Thank you to the Center for inviting me to this year’s wonderful “Under the Stars” Gala, and congratulations and thank you to this year’s honorees, Marilyn and Russell Albanese, for your gracious support of the community’s children.”
The North Shore Child & Family 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.
At North Shore Child & Family Guidance, there’s always hope
From Long Island Business News, Oct. 20-26, 2017
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE
In the Company of Oneself
In New York it is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving. Although drivers have the option to use hands-free devices, studies show that talking or texting on any cell phone while driving is so mentally distracting as to suggest it is a serious safety hazard. Nevertheless, not a day goes by that I do not see drivers talking on both hand-held and hands-free devices. Safety aside, what does all this chatter in the car portend about one’s ability to be alone?
More than 50 years ago Clark Moustakas, a psychologist and the author of the existential study Loneliness, wrote, “Being alone, for me, usually means an opportunity to think, imagine, plan. I choose to be alone because I desire to be quiet for awhile to consider aspects of my life. It is usually a tranquil time of self-expression and self-renewal.”
Can you remember a time when a solitary ride in the car offered such an opportunity, to simply be alone with your thoughts, feelings and sensations—maybe with your favorite soundtrack playing in the background?
We now live in an era when, because we are plugged in 24-7, the simple pleasure of being alone is something that we avoid. For many people, young and old, aloneness is a source of discontent. Why? Are we afraid that it might lead to loneliness?
Loneliness is not just about a lack of companionship but an inner sense of being alone, regardless of the external circumstances—of feeling lonely even when with friends or family.
I believe that the recent popularity of mindfulness—a mental state achieved by directing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly noticing and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations—is a counterforce to the busy-ness of our perpetually plugged-in lives.
As if to foreshadow the current era of mindfulness, Moustakas said, “Loneliness anxiety is a widespread condition in contemporary society. The individual no longer has an intimate sense of relatedness to the food he eats, the clothing he wears, the shelter which houses him.”
According to Maria Gonzalez, an author and corporate executive whose most recent book is Mindful Leadership, 9 Ways to Self-Awareness, Transforming Yourself, and Inspiring Others, “The daily commute is a great opportunity to train the mind.” She recommends practicing simple techniques, repeatedly, to train the mind in three areas:
1. To be more focused and better able to concentrate;
2. To experience more clarity in our thinking and decision-making; and
3. To approach all of life with a sense of balance, whereby we can “go with the flow” when a situation cannot be changed in the moment.
“The idea,” Gonzalez says, “is that you are continuously aware of three things: your body, what you see and what you hear. This is what it is to be mindfully present as you drive. Do your best to stay present for the entire commute.”
Although it seems elementary, it’s not as easy it sounds. As your mind wanders you may have the impulse to check your phone, or give in to some other distraction. When that happens, intentionally pull yourself back.
Like all things worth mastering, being mindful takes practice. As you do this you are preparing yourself to be present, to be at ease in your own company and, at the same time, you’re making the road a safer place for us all.
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
How Kids Are Affected By the Drug Epidemic
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 drug-abusing 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 ones 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.
This article appeared in the Behavioral Health News, Volume 5, Number 2, Fall 2017, p. 20, under the title: Context Counts in Caring for Chemically Dependent Kids and Families
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Guidance Center Hosts Headquarters Tour
from Blank Slate Media, Oct. 13, 2017
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Lets the Light Shine In With Tour of Historic Whispered Wishes Headquarters
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Lets the Light Shine In With Tour of Historic Whispered Wishes Headquarters
Also announces capital campaign for major windows renovation project
Roslyn Heights, NY, October 5, 2017 — The past came to life on October 3rd as North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center hosted a luncheon at its Roslyn Heights headquarters, known as “Whispered Wishes,” featuring a visit by one of the home’s former occupants.
Whispered Wishes today, which is the Guidance Center’s main headquarters.
Mary Jo Balkind, the granddaughter of one of the building’s early owners, financier and industrialist Charles C. Auchincloss, lived in the Guidance Center’s headquarters during WW II when she was a young girl. She enthusiastically shared many stories of those years with the luncheon’s guests, which included board members, donors and New York State Senator Elaine Phillips.
“It was a working farm,” said Balkind, who lived in the home with her grandparents, mother and siblings. “We had pigs, cows and chickens, along with a tennis court and stable. It was a great place to live.”
Another interesting point of history: Balkind’s sister Rosie was best friends with future First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, who visited the home often as a young girl.
Buck and Leslie Balkind with Buck’s mother Mary Jo Balkind and her drawing of the original estate’s layout.
The history of the building—one of the oldest in the East Hills area—is quite fascinating, said Howard Kroplick, Town Historian for the Town of North Hempstead. Whispered Wishes, formerly named “Builtover” by Charles Auchincloss when he purchased the home in 1905, was originally part of a 46-acre property owned by the Willets and Taber families, early settlers of Long Island.
Well-known architecture firm Peabody, Wilson and Brown was hired by Auchincloss to update the original home and turn it into a 25-room Georgian Revival mansion. He also hired the famed Olmstead Brothers, who designed Central Park, as architects for the grounds in 1917.
Kroplick stated, “This is a building that does so many wonderful things for the community. It should be cherished and preserved.”
John Grillo, Senator Elaine Phillips, Guidance Center Executive Director Andrew Malekoff and Board President Nancy Lane.
Gold Coast historian Paul J. Mateyunas gave the audience a tour of the home, pointing out its numerous original features, from fireplaces to sconces to cast iron heating grates to a call box for the servants. “This is an amazing example of preservation,” said Mateyunas.
Since the Guidance Center purchased the home in 1983, preserving its beauty and structural integrity has been of utmost importance. Executive Director Andrew Malekoff told the luncheon guests that the Guidance Center is embarking on a crucial renovation project to keep the “warm and welcoming” feeling for all of the Guidance Center’s clients.
“We’re very grateful to Senator Phillips for helping us secure $100,000 toward the windows project from the Dormitory Authority of New York State,” said Malekoff, noting that the cost to replace all 120 windows will be approximately $1.2 million.
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy with Rosie Balkind in front of the home’s barn.
For her part, Mary Jo Balkind is thrilled that her former childhood home is a place where helping children and families in need of mental health services is paramount. “I’m so thankful that the Guidance Center has preserved the beauty of this house. They’ve also preserved the spiritual essence of the building. There is the most wonderful atmosphere here; from the moment you walk in you can feel it. It makes me so happy that the Guidance Center is here.”
To learn more about the windows renovation project, please contact Director of Development Lauren McGowan at LMcGowan@northshorechildguidance.org or call (516) 626-1971, ext. 320.
Under The Stars Gala
From Anton Media’s Roslyn News Oct. 4-10, 2017
Mental Health Education A Must For Schools
New legislation signed by Governor Cuomo in 2016 requires that public schools in New York State begin providing instruction in mental health on or after July 1, 2018. The legislation was co-sponsored by Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Nassau) and Assemblywoman Kathy Nolan (D-Queens).
The new legislation adds mental health education to areas of learning that were already required by law, including education on the use and misuse of alcohol, tobacco and other substances and the early detection of cancer.
According to Glen Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, “By ensuring that young people are educated about mental health, we increase the likelihood that they will be able to recognize signs in themselves and others that indicate when help is needed and how to get help.”
Why is this legislation so important? One in five adolescents ages 13-18 is diagnosed with a mental health problem, yet only 40% get help. The average time from onset to seeking help is eight to 10 years. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 12 high school students attempt suicide, the third leading cause of death for 10 to 24 year olds.
Teaching about mental health in schools and educating to reduce stigma is long overdue. There is great misunderstanding and fear among many who have erroneous ideas about people with mental illness. Consequently, young people suffering with mental illness walk around school feeling isolated, believing that there’s something inherently wrong with them that will never change.
These children and teens often feel shunned, unlike their peers who have a physical health problem and who have others rally around them. I can vividly recall a news report and photo of a middle school boy afflicted with cancer who was receiving chemotherapy. In the photo he was surrounded by his teacher and a smiling group of his classmates, all of whom shaved their heads in solidarity with him. Imagine if instead of cancer he was depressed and suicidal. There would be no such image of public support, only one of isolation, shame and despair.
A caring school community can offer a young person a safety net of meaningful and helpful connections. It is not unusual for a teenager to feel defective when struggling alone with a mental illness. Mental health education in schools can begin with mental wellness practices for children as early as four or five years old, for example, by teaching social skills and how to manage angry feelings.
As children grow they can learn about the concept of wellness including self-care and personal responsibility. They can learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of developing mental health problems, how to manage crises such as the risk of suicide and self-harm and how to identify appropriate services and supports for treating and maintaining recovery from mental illness.
I can already hear those voices that will decry using educational resources for addressing the emotional needs of kids. If that is your view, I ask you to consider that approximately 50% of students age 14 and older who are living with a mental illness drop out of high school. Youngsters’ mental health and their ability to learn and become productive citizens in the community and workplace go hand-in-hand.
We owe it to our children to support this vital new legislation by encouraging schools to incorporate meaningful education into the curriculum that reinforces the idea that mental health is an integral part of wellbeing. Our children need to learn that there is help that can lead to recovery.
Bio: Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director and CEO 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.
from Anton Media, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2017
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center raises over $12K for Children’s Center
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center hosted Sept. 19 a fundraiser for its Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court. The event at Tesoro’s Ristorante Cucini Italiana at 967 Old Country Road in Westbury featured entertainment by musician and soul crooner Paul Loren, along with cocktails and a delicious buffet.
The event raised over $12,000 for operating the Children’s Center, which provides care and early learning to almost 2,000 children annually, ages 6 weeks to 12 years, while their parents or guardians are conducting court business.
“The Children Center is not a babysitting service,” Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, Director of The Leeds Place, explained. “It is an early learning center. Often this is a child’s first exposure to an early learning environment. Every aspect of the Center promotes learning by which the children can explore new things in a safe, structured and professionally supervised setting.”
Dr. Taylor-Walthrust also thanked all of the Children’s Center volunteers. “We have only two full-time staff members, and we are required to have two adults present at the Center for it to be open. We could never provide the level of service that we do without these dedicated volunteers.” She also acknowledged Laurie Joseph-Yehuda and Rene Joseph, the daughter and widow of the late Honorable Burton S. Joseph, founder of the Children’s Center, who were also in attendance. Laurie is a new member of the Children’s Center Advisory Council and Rene painted a beautiful mural on the wall of the Children’s Center many years ago.
Andrew Malekoff, executive director of the Guidance Center, thanked event co-chairs Bob Mangi, Esq. and John Zenir as well as Allison Cacace, a volunteer for the Children’s Center who was instrumental in coordinating the event for the second year in a row.
“This fundraiser is critical for the Children’s Center, as funds for it have been drastically cut over the years, though we have been able to keep it open full time,” Malekoff said.
The fundraiser was sponsored by an array of local law firms and other businesses, including Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone, LLP, DiMascio & Associates, LLP, Gassman Baiamonte Gruner, P.C., Mangi & Graham, LLP, the Pessala Family, and In Memory of Hon. Burton S. Joseph.
North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center Gala Takes on New Format
North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center’s Under the Stars gala is 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Garden City Hotel. (Photo courtesy of North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center)
Marilyn Albanese stumbled upon the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center when she needed it most.
After taking in a child from Haiti named Caila, Albanese learned the girl needed surgery but she was unable to communicate with Caila in Creole or French. Her son Anthony was volunteering with the Guidance Center and suggested she call for help.
There, she met Executive Director Andrew Malekoff and quickly became a volunteer with the center, working with its young mothers program, then a board member, and now the annual Under the Stars gala honoree along with her husband, Russell.
“It makes me feel really proud and honored because we so believe in the organization, having seen both sides of the experience, benefiting from their services as well as having volunteered myself and my sons,” Albanese said. “It makes us feel very proud to be associated with the organization.”
Gala co-chair Carol Marcell said the annual gala will have a different format this year, moving away from the past Dancing with Our Stars theme to Under the Stars with a new entertainment format with Dueling Pianos. The gala will also be moved to a Thursday night, held at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Garden City Hotel, instead of a typical Saturday night affair.
Tickets for the event as well as journal advertisements are still available.
“It will be more appropriate for the Thursday evening instead of the big ballroom dance format,” Marcell said. “We felt like this year, it was time to mix it up. We’re excited.”
Malekoff said the gala is the Guidance Center’s largest fundraiser of the year and helps provide a number of mental health and chemical abuse services to the community, including the daily child care program available for those attending Nassau County Family Court so parents who can’t afford sitters for children from six weeks to 12 years old don’t have to bring children into the courtroom.
Malekoff said while the center gets some funding from the government, that funding has been at a standstill for the past 30 years and the center relies on fundraisers to keep services running.
“In order for us to continue to provide services at the level of quality that we do and turn no one away for the inability to pay, we have to raise a significant amount of funding each year in order to make up the difference between, say, what we might be reimbursed from a commercial insurance company and what it costs us to provide the service,” Malekoff said.
Founded in 1953, the Guidance Center was the product of a grassroots movement of mothers who saw a gap and decided to fill it, Malekoff said.
Since then, the stigma of mental health issues still plagues the country, and many people, Malekoff said, don’t seek treatment for years, if they do at all.
“The stigma is still a major issue, so asking for help when you have a child with a physical health problem like asthma or diabetes or cancer, they won’t hesitate for a moment to call a provider to get help,” Malekoff said. “With mental health, because of the stigma and shame it generates for some, they will wait hours, days, weeks, months, sometimes years to call.”
Albanese said in her time on the center’s Board of Directors, she said she has seen accountability and support across the organization, from Malekoff trickling down to his support staff and volunteers.
“He has a gift of being both very educated and very aware of what needs to be done, but also being able to educate the people getting involved and facilitate the things that need to get done,” Albanese said of Malekoff. “He seems to have a real heart for young people and all people with mental health issues.”
The center has three offices, a headquarters in Roslyn Heights and two branches in Manhasset and Westbury, but they serve a greater population than anyone would guess, Marcell said.
“People from Nassau County, without knowing they know, know many people that have been helped by the center,” Marcell said. “It is a center that is understated, but it’s helped our community serve families, and because it’s mental health, it’s not as publicized. We can’t showcase our clients. We can’t say, speak to this family, their daughter was suicidal.
“We can’t showcase a lot of these specific issues and names, but they’re so prevalent and we serve so many. They are probably friends with people we’ve supported. They’ve done a lot to improve our community without always being the face of that.”
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Raises Over $12k for the Children’s Center at Nassau Family Court
Daniel Gale’s Gail Holman, Guidance Center Board Member Tracey Kupferberg and Guidance Center Board President Nancy Lane
Roslyn Heights, NY, September 22, 2017 — On Tuesday evening September 19th, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center hosted a fundraiser for its Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court. The event, which was held at Tesoro’s Ristorante Cucini Italiana at 967 Old Country Road in Westbury, featured wonderful entertainment by musician and soul crooner Paul Loren, along with cocktails and a delicious buffet.
The event raised over $12,000 for operating the Children’s Center, which provides care and early learning to almost 2,000 children annually, ages 6 weeks – 12 years, while their parents or guardians are conducting court business.
“The Children Center is not a babysitting service,” explains Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, Director of The Leeds Place (under which the Children’s Center operates). “It is an early learning center. Often this is a child’s first exposure to an early learning environment. Every aspect of the Center promotes learning by which the children can explore new things in a safe, structured and professionally supervised setting.”
Guidance Center Executive Director Andrew Malekoff, Children’s Center volunteer Allison Cacace, event co-chair John Zenir, Leeds Place Director Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust and event co-chair Bob Mangi.
Dr. Taylor-Walthrust also thanked all of the Children’s Center volunteers. “We have only two full-time staff members, and we are required to have two adults present at the Center for it to be open. We could never provide the level of service that we do without these dedicated volunteers.” She also acknowledged Laurie Joseph-Yehuda and Rene Joseph, the daughter and widow of the late Honorable Burton S. Joseph, founder of the Children’s Center, who were also in attendance. Laurie is a new member of the Children’s Center Advisory Council and Rene painted a beautiful mural on the wall of the Children’s Center many years ago.
Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director of the Guidance Center, thanked event co-chairs Bob Mangi, Esq. and John Zenir, Esq., P.C., as well as Allison Cacace, a volunteer for the Children’s Center who was instrumental in coordinating the event for the second year in a row. “This fundraiser is critical for the Children’s Center, as funds for it have been drastically cut over the years, though we have been able to keep it open full time,” says Malekoff.
The fundraiser was sponsored by an array of local law firms and other businesses, including Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone, LLP, DiMascio & Associates, LLP, Gassman Baiamonte Gruner, P.C., Mangi & Graham, LLP, the Pessala Family, and In Memory of Hon. Burton S. Joseph.
Looking for a Path Back to Civility
Opinion Piece published in Newsday, 9-17-17
By Andrew Malekoff, Executive Director, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center and Long Beach resident
My family lives in a high ranch in a section of Long Beach known as “the canals.” The houses sit close together, sometimes just yards apart. One warm August afternoon many years ago, one of my neighbors lit his fireplace. Our windows were wide open and in no time our house filled with smoke. We appealed to our neighbors to wait until the weather was a little cooler. Later that evening, we were again invaded by smoke.
After one more attempt to address the problem civilly, it became clear to me that our neighbors did not appreciate that their pleasure was our pain. Drawing on my knowledge of nonviolent tactics to resolve conflict, I went door to door on the street to enlist support and called local officials. Some neighbors spoke up about the problem. The fireplace problem was soon resolved.
Years later, I was out for an early morning bike ride on East Park Avenue in Long Beach when I was run down by a driver who subscribed to the now-popular practice of turning right on red without coming to a full stop. The irate driver exited his car, pointed up and hollered, “I had green!” He backed off when I corrected him, loudly, from my prone position underneath my mangled bicycle. I survived with a few bumps and bruises. When he saw the shape of my bike, he threw a $50 bill at me and said, “This is for your bike.”
Most people I talk to agree that civility is on the decline. Everyone seems to have his or her own horror stories, whether it is inconsiderate neighbors or co-workers, aggressive driving or just plain rudeness. There are books on the subject. Titles include “The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct” and “A Short History of Rudeness.” Another is “The Duel in Early Modern England: Civility, Politeness and Honour.” Ah, yes, those were the days.
We have become all too familiar with the epidemic of F-bombs that pepper civic discourse, pervasive public cellphone calls and drunkenness at sporting events. We live in a time when every movie theater begins with a public service announcement stating ground rules for being considerate.
Highways have become the Wild West. Hardly anyone comes to a complete stop for a stop sign. The yellow traffic signal has evolved from its original meaning, slow down, to speed up. And, of course, there are tailgating, middle-finger salutes and rampant road rage.
Today, there is so much talk about putting an end to bullying in schools. Yet, we live in a world of adults who don’t think twice about trampling personal boundaries through rude, intimidating and obnoxious behavior.
It never fails to surprise me, when I travel somewhere, to see drivers stop for pedestrians, and people of all ages wave and say, “Good morning.”
If we cannot reverse the trend, we can at least slow down and teach our children, after we remind ourselves, the importance of putting a pause between impulse and action. Perhaps it is somewhere inside of that sacred space that we can find our way back to a civil society.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center Holds Benefit to Raise Funds for the Children’s Center at Nassau Family Court
Roslyn Heights, NY, September 12, 2017 — On Tuesday evening September 19th, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center will host a fundraiser for its Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court. The event will be held at Tesoro’s Ristorante, located at 967 Old Country Road in Westbury, and will feature entertainment by Paul Lauren, musician and soul crooner. The event, which will feature cocktails and a buffet, will run from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. For registration info, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org/events, or email dmartin@northshorechildguidance.org or call 516-626-1971, ext. 309. Tickets are $125 each.
The Children’s Center provides care and early learning to almost 2,000 children annually, ages 6 weeks – 12 years, while their parents or guardians are conducting court business. Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, Director of The Leeds Place (under which the Children’s Center operates), says that the Center focuses on early childhood education.
“The Children Center is not a babysitting service,” explains Dr. Taylor-Walthrust. “It is an early learning center. Often this is a child’s first exposure to an early learning environment. Every aspect of the Center promotes learning by which the children can explore new things in a safe, structured and professionally supervised setting.”
The fundraiser is co-chaired by Robert C. Mangi, Esq. and John M. Zenir, Esq., P.C. and is sponsored by an array of local law firms and other businesses, including Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone, LLP, DiMascio & Associates, LLP, Gassman Baiamonte Gruner, P.C., Mangi & Graham, LLP, the Pessala Family, and In Memory of Hon. Burton S. Joseph.