by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Apr 4, 2022 | Anton Media, Blog, In The Media
At North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, our mission is to bring hope and healing to children and families experiencing depression, anxiety and other challenges. Although we are a children’s mental health organization, we know that emotional well-being and physical health are inexorably tied, each deeply impacting the other.
The Guidance Center has several programs that promote the health of mothers and children. One is our Good Beginnings for Babies program, which aims to promote healthier pregnancies that will result in healthier babies and to nurture relationships between parent and child. Good Beginnings for Babies supports teen and young adult mothers prior to the birth of their child and throughout the first year of the child’s life with support, counseling and advocacy.
Through our Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, we provide a rapid response and diagnosis for mothers suffering from postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, which are estimated to impact one in seven women.
As part of our educational and advocacy work, the Guidance Center partnered with Hofstra University’s Public Health Program, School of Health Science and Human Services to create Birth Justice Warriors, an initiative born out of the crippling bias and injustice faced by Black 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.
Birth Justice Warriors are volunteer advocates from many professions and backgrounds, working with community members, pediatricians, nurses, health care professionals, elected officials, members of faith-based institutions and others to bring education and awareness to this inequality. Ultimately, one of Birth Justice Warriors’ goals is to have legislation written that guarantees that this crucial information is delivered to all women of child-bearing age.
In late January, I joined with Dr. Martine Hackett, my Birth Justice Warrior co-founder and an associate professor in the public health and community health programs at Hofstra, at a press conference held by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The senator, along with Representative Alma Adams of North Carolina, are the sponsors of the Maternal CARE Act, which would provide funding for evidence-based training programs to reduce bias in maternal health and establish programs to bring health care services to pregnant women and new mothers in an effort to reduce the disproportionate rate of maternal death and other poor health outcomes among Black women and their babies.
In her statement, Gillibrand said the following: “Health equity for Black women can only happen if we recognize and address persistent biases in our health system and do more to ensure women have access to culturally competent, holistic care to reduce preventable maternal mortality.”
Both North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center and Birth Justice Warriors support this important legislation, and we hope that you will join us in spreading the word so that allwomen receive the care they need and deserve.
Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust is the Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Leeds Place and is a co-founder of Birth Justice Warriors, a collaboration of the Guidance Center and Hofstra University. To learn more about Birth Justice Warriors, contact Dr. Walthrust-Taylor at (516) 997-2926, ext. 229, or email NTaylorWalthrust@northshorechildguidance.org.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jan 11, 2022 | Blog
As we settle into the new year, a look back at 2021 brings up mixed emotions.
What a rollercoaster it was! The biggest news story remained the same as in 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic. While the vaccine brought hopes for a return to more familiar times, the pandemic had other plans, and today, we are in the midst of a surge that brings with it more uncertainty.
Like all of us, kids and teens are emotionally drained from all the ups and downs, but they’ve faced upheaval at a crucial time in their development. The result: In the past 22 months, rates of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues among youth have skyrocketed, and our services have been needed more than ever before.
Despite the unprecedented challenges, the two words that jump to my mind when reflecting on 2021 are these: Gratitude and hope.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is blessed to have an abundance of dedicated supporters like you who answered the call when we requested donations to support our life-saving work. Your generosity made all of us at the Guidance Center grateful.
And knowing we could count on you—and can continue to count on you—filled us with hope as we bring healing to families across Long Island who are struggling to find their way.
Here is just a small sample of what your donations have meant for the children and families of your community:
- We gave much-needed bereavement therapy and comfort to children as young as three years old who lost a parent or other loved one to the coronavirus.
- Through our Douglas S. Feldman Suicide Prevention Project, we treated young people at high risk for suicidal thinking through multiple weekly sessions of individual, group and family therapy, along with a culturally sensitive treatment plan focused on safety strategies, healthy coping skills and relapse prevention.
- As part of our Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, we provided treatment and support for moms experiencing postpartum depression during a time when hospitals prohibited partners from being present at births, and other birth plans were being interrupted by COVID.
These successes are directly attributable to your care and concern for your community. Because of you, the entire staff at the Guidance Center enters 2022 feeling hopeful and deeply grateful.
Wishing you and yours good health,
Kathy Rivera
Executive Director/CEO, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Nov 22, 2021 | Blog
What fills you with an attitude of gratitude?
Kathy Rivera, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Executive Director/CEO, shares what she is grateful for:
“We traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering with our loved ones, ushering in the warmth and cheer of the holiday season. This year continues to bring unique challenges as no one has been spared the impact of COVID-19. Therefore, giving thanks means so much more these days.
As the Guidance Center’s new Executive Director and CEO, I am grateful for the dedication and devotion from our donors, board members and staff. Our dedicated therapists and entire team continue to perform acrobatic feats to make the holiday bright for the vulnerable families, young people, each other and the communities we serve. My family and I are grateful to celebrate another Thanksgiving holiday with one another filled with hope and laughter. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
The Guidance Center staff is always grateful to hear from children and families that the services we provide have made a real difference in their lives. That’s especially true now, when the pandemic has created such challenging mental health issues for kids and adults alike. Here are a few comments that we’ve received from parents:
“I am writing this letter to let you know how much we have appreciated the help provided by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center during this very difficult time. Our son was a sixth grader and was settling in very nicely until the coronavirus struck. Our therapist has been very generous with her time and has helped us navigate our way with the added anxiety created by this virus. We feel lucky to have had her guidance. Thank you for providing such a great service, and stay well.” – Mom of Middle Schooler
“I wanted to take a moment to communicate how absolutely amazing the Pandemic Parent Support Group has been. What started out as a wonderful opportunity with parents of similar-age kids turned into such a magical bonding and loving environment. My isolation and anxiety were calmed, and it gave me strength during very challenging moments. I am forever grateful!” – Pandemic Parent
“North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center can be summed up in a few words: professional, warm, committed and dedicated. I had an absolutely wonderful experience with the staff, therapist and psychiatrist as they gently bring you into the Guidance Center and nurture you all the way to the end. I really appreciate that they welcome women in all stages of motherhood from prenatal to postpartum as I had so much need for assistance during these times. In particular, my therapist was an extremely great listener; she provided invaluable insight and always had practical tools that I could use day-to-day to help deal with stressors. I can’t say enough about how amazing my experience was at the Guidance Center! Thanks so much to you all for picking me back up and helping me to thrive again.” – Maternal Depression Program Client
While Thanksgiving provides a wonderful opportunity to speak with your children and teens about the importance of being grateful, cultivating a strong sense of appreciation is something that can add value to their lives year-round. For some tips, visit our blog by clicking here.
All of us at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Sep 3, 2021 | Blog
With the continuing challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, more children and teens than ever before are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which has been serving the community for nearly seven decades, is responding to the need – but to accommodate the increase, we are seeking dedicated, talented people to join our team, both in clinical roles and in office staff.
Kathy Rivera, who took on the role of Guidance Center Executive Director/CEO in June 2021 and has worked in the mental health field for more than two decades, says that the agency has “a stellar reputation” throughout the area.
“The Guidance Center is regarded as one of the premier children’s mental health organizations not only on Long Island but in the entire Tri-State/metro region,” says Rivera. “The agency is known for its highly experienced therapists who are specially trained to work with children, adolescents and their families, and also for its cutting-edge programs that have served as a model for programs across the nation.”
The Guidance Center puts values such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the forefront, both in its therapeutic model as well as its employee culture. The staff includes bilingual, bicultural therapists and outreach workers who serve the needs of the diverse Long Island community.
Specialty programs such as the Latina Girls Project, Wilderness Respite Program, Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, Good Beginnings for Babies, C-GRASP (Caregiver Grandparent Respite and Support Program) and school-based Intensive Services Program (ISP) have earned the Guidance Center its reputation for innovation, making it a great place for mental health professionals to expand their skillset.
In addition, the organization offers extensive benefits, including health insurance, generous paid vacation time and more.
So, if you are seeking a career in a warm, welcoming environment that encourages employee growth, please contact Kiera Cohen, Director of Human Resources, at executiveoffice@northshorechildguidance.org, or view contact information for specific positions on our careers page.
Open Positions at the Guidance Center
Here is a sampling of current job openings, both for mental health professionals and general office staff.
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
- Substance Use Counselor
- Social Work Supervisor
- Clinical Social Worker
- Bilingual Social Worker of Mental Health Counselor
- Intake Coordinator
- Front Desk/Support Services Agent
- Youth Employment Counselor
- Social Media Intern
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Aug 13, 2021 | In The Media
Since 1953, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center has been the leading community-based not-for- profit specialty children’s mental health organization on Long Island. Their staff is specially trained in working with children and teens (from birth to age 24) and their families. The Guidance Center provides bilingual mental health and chemical dependency services, behavior management, parent education, maternal depression services, suicide prevention, medication management and psychological and psychiatric evaluations, as well as advocacy and care coordination services. They also provide a rapid and thorough response to emergencies through their triage, emergency and high-risk teams composed of their most experienced staff members. The Guidance Center brings hope and healing to the Long Island community and never turns anyone away for inability to pay.
Marissa Pullano, a partner in Jaspan Schlesinger’s’ matrimonial and family law practice group, has been a supporter of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center as a result of her practice in Nassau Family Court. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center ran a day-care center for children and families interacting with the Family Court System. Marissa and the Firm are happy to support North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center in their mission to support the mental health needs of our community’s children and teens and their families.
Pictured: Marissa Pullano, Jaspan Schlesinger LLP (left) Kathy Rivera, Executive Director (right)
