by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Apr 19, 2018 | Blog
The birth of a new baby is a joyous event, but for some mothers, the situation is far more complex.
While many women experience some mild mood changes during or after the birth of a child, 15% to 20% of women experience more significant symptoms of postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, according to Vanessa McMullan, LCSW, Supervisor at The Marks Family Right From The Start 0-3+ Center, one of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s three locations.
McMullan and the other therapists who are part of the Guidance Center’s Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program work with clients whose symptoms may include feelings of anger, sadness, irritability, guilt, lack of interest in the baby, changes in eating and sleeping habits, trouble concentrating, thoughts of hopelessness and sometimes even thoughts of harming the baby or herself. These symptoms can also begin during pregnancy, not just after they have the baby.
“A lot of times when a woman is experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety, their partners don’t always know how to help, which can create a lot of stress on the relationship,” says McMullan. If it’s their first baby, many women felt unprepared for the possibility of depression and feel devastated when they experience these symptoms. “Nobody talks about this until it happens, which makes it harder to come to terms with,” says McMullan. “They can feel that they weren’t meant to be a mother.”
Maternal depression also has a negative impact on infant and child development, with research citing the potential of speech and language delays, behavioral difficulties, lower performance in school, and an inability to form trusting relationships as part of the spectrum of outcomes.
But there’s good news. Through our Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, the Guidance Center provides rapid response and diagnosis for mothers suffering from postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Our services include:
- Screening and assessments
- Individual, couple and family therapy
- Crisis intervention consultation
- Psychiatric evaluations and medication management, where needed
- Support groups
- Back-to-work family support
- Help with self-care
“One of our most important roles is to validate that, while motherhood can be wonderful in many ways, it’s OK to admit it can be really hard, especially in the beginning,” says McMullan. “With our programs, mothers can meet others like them and get a lot of support and encouragement. And the babies can play together, too. It provides a lot of opportunities for mothers to get out of the house and not feel so isolated.”
If you are a new mom—or know someone who is—and are worried about how you or she is feeling, please give us a call at (516) 626-1971. We can help.
Sources:
https://www.health.ny.gov/community/pregnancy/health_care/perinatal/maternal_factsheet.htm
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Maternal-Depression-Can-Undermine-Development.pdf
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Aug 3, 2017 | Blog
Every parent has the intentions of raising their child in the best way possible. However, not every parent has the same ideologies for what the best way really is. Parents’ differences in opinions can lead to bickering and competitive tension. This is commonly referred to as “mommy wars”, but for the sake of progressive times, we will refer to it as “mommy/daddy wars.”
Whether you are about to have your first child, or you have had multiple children, every parent can say that they have experienced this in one way or another. Some instances of mommy/daddy wars include the debates between the following:
- Birthing preference
- Breast feeding vs. bottle feeding
- Organic food vs. non-organic food
- The varying ways to approach food allergies
- Vaccinate vs. don’t vaccinate
- Giving a crying child attention vs. no attention
- Stay at home moms vs. working moms
- Helicopter parenting vs. free-range parenting
- Spanking vs. no spanking
- Attachment parenting vs. non-attachment parenting
- Co-sleeping: allow your child/children in your bed vs. not allowing them in your bed
The list could go on and on for forever. However, it is important to note that parenting is an individualized experience in which each parent has both the right and the capacity to make the choices that they feel are best for their family.
Though it can be hard to let others’ comments and opinions roll off your shoulders, it’s an important skill to master as a parent because these stresses and pressures will continue throughout the child’s life. Facing these difficulties offers parents a great opportunity to model flexibility for their kids, despite the challenge is also presents.
At the Guidance Center, we are familiar with the challenges of parenting and can help through the Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program, which provides rapid response and diagnosis for mothers suffering from maternal post-partum depression and other perinatal mood disorders. Vanessa McMullan, LCSW, Supervisor, The Marks Family Right From The Start 0-3+ Center, stated that, “There are so many external pressures in a mother’s life that come from family, friends, peers, and social media that it creates a negative impact on their mood. Every mom wants to do what they think is right, but when they are told that they are wrong, it causes them to feel disappointed, confused, lost, and even inadequate. These feelings sometimes result in a lack of communication about their stress.”
If you’re in need of support, contact the Guidance Center at 516-626-1971. Our trained clinicians can help you navigate any parenting struggles you may be experiencing, and our Parent Advocates can impart their wisdom for future parenting success.
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by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | May 3, 2017 | In The Media
Long Island Business News, April 28, 2017
As the preeminent not-for-profit chil- dren’s mental health agency on Long Is- land, North Shore Child & Family Guid- ance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) and their families. The highly trained staff of psy- chiatrists, clinical social workers, psycholo- gists, mental health counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors and family advo- cates lead the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy.
The Guidance Center helps children and families address issues such as de- pression and anxiety; developmental de- lays; bullying; teen pregnancy; sexual abuse; teen drug and alcohol abuse; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. For 64 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all who enter its doors. Unlike many organizations, the Guidance Center never turns anyone away for inability to pay.
What distinguishes the Guidance Center from similar organizations is its focus on innovative programs that address specific community needs. At its three main sites, the headquarters in Roslyn Heights, The Marks Family Right From the Start 0-3+ Center in Manhasset, and the Leeds Place in Westbury, the Guidance Center offers a variety of programs. They include the
Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Pro- gram, which helps mothers experiencing post-partum depression as well as moth- ers of young children suffering from mood and anxiety disorders; C-GRASP (Care- givers Grandparent Respite and Support Program), which provides peer support ac- tivities, counseling, housing assistance and school advocacy; Changing Families, for children experiencing the divorce of their parents; Good Beginnings for Babies, which works with pregnant and parenting teens to promote healthier pregnancies, healthier babies and happier relationships between parent and child; and The Latina Girls Project, a multicultural and bilingual pro- gram that helps address the epidemic of de- pression and anxiety among young Latinas.
The Guidance Center also runs several programs outside the walls of its three main buildings. In partnership with Nas- sau B.O.C.E.S., the Guidance Center oper- ates the Intensive Support Program (ISP) in three Nassau County Schools, serving children from ages 5 to 21 years of age from all 56 Nassau districts.
“This program provides students who are experiencing serious emotional prob- lems an alternative to institutional or more restrictive settings,” explains An- drew Malekoff, Executive Director and CEO of the Guidance Center. “At the ISP, students receive mental health counseling, psychiatric care and special academic help to ensure they have successful school ca-
reers and graduate with their peers.”
The Guidance Center also operates a program called The Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court. There, chil- dren from 6 weeks to 12 years are engaged in reading and other literacy programs in a safe, enriching and beautifully equipped en- vironment while their parents are conduct- ing court business. More than just a child care center, it is serves as an early learning
center and as a community resource. Finally, recognizing the value of out-
door experiences in nature, the Guidance Center operates two organic gardens, a Nature Nursery and a Wilderness Respite Program, which provides a unique oppor- tunity for at-risk adolescents to participate in nature activities that foster individu- al growth, leadership skills, mindfulness, self-esteem and friendships while also pro- moting environmental stewardship.
Whenever a child or family is in need, the Guidance Center is there to provide dedicated, expert and innovative care.
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by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Aug 20, 2015
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Mental Health Services
Each of the Guidance Center’s three sites (Roslyn Heights, Manhasset and Westbury) offers mental health services for children from birth through 24 and their families. The first step is a comprehensive evaluation, followed by an individually tailored treatment plan that may include any combination of individual, family and group therapy; and, when indicated, medication management with a psychiatrist. All treatment plans require family consent.
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Chemical Dependency Services
Drug and alcohol treatment and prevention services are provided for children, teenagers and their families at the Guidance Center’s Leeds Place – Serving Young People in Westbury. Substance abuse services include counseling youths who are alcohol and drug abusers, children who live in families with a parent who is suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction and youths who have co-occurring chemical dependency and mental health problems. Prevention services are offered to local school districts.
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Diagnostic Services / Learning to Learn
The Guidance Center offers families comprehensive diagnostic assessments by highly qualified teams of caring psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors and drug and alcohol counselors with special expertise in diagnosing and treating children. Our Learning to Learn Center offers specialized screening, diagnosis and tutoring for children suspected of having learning, attention deficit problems and developmental disorders.
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Triage and Emergency Services
The Fay J. Lindner Foundation Triage and Emergency Services offer a rapid response to psychiatric emergencies—a sudden set of circumstances in which there is an impending risk of danger to the child or adolescent such as risk of suicide, risk of physical harm to others, a state of seriously impaired judgment in which the child is endangered, and situations of risk to a defenseless victim involving abuse, neglect, or exposure to domestic violence. Our goal is to strengthen, stabilize and support.
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Bereavement and Trauma Services
The Schnurmacher Bereavement & Trauma Program offers assistance to children, youths and their families during times of grief and trauma, including family members of suicide victims and parents of murdered children at our Lucille and Martin E. Kantor Bereavement and Trauma Center in Roslyn Heights and at our other sites. Support groups and therapy are offered for children who are abuse victims through the Renée and Robert Rimsky Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program.
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Early Childhood Services
The Marks Family Right from the Start 0-3 + Center (RFTS) in Manhasset offers parent education, as well as therapeutic and support services for young children. Rapid response and diagnosis for mothers suffering from maternal post-partum depression and other perinatal mood disorders is provided through the Diane Goldberg Maternal Depression Program. The Center also offers pre-school evaluations for children ages 3-5.
Following is a list of some of the programs offered under our Early Childhood Services umbrella:
- CAREGIVER GRANDPARENT RESPITE & SUPPORT PROGRAM (C-GRASP) – Offers support to grandparent caregivers.
- CHANGING FAMILIES – Help for young children witnessing the often painful and acrimonious dynamics of divorce.
- CHILDREN’S CENTER AT NASSAU FAMILY COURT – Offers a safe and enriching environment for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years while their parents are involved in court business.
- DIANE GOLDBERG MATERNAL DEPRESSION PROGRAM – Provides rapid response and diagnosis for mothers suffering from maternal post-partum depression and other perinatal mood disorders.
- GOOD BEGINNINGS FOR BABIES – Provides support, counseling, advocacy and education for pregnant and parenting teens at the Leeds Place – Serving Young People, our Westbury office.
- GRANDPARENT ADVOCATES SUPPORTING AUTISTIC KIDS (GASAK) – Monthly meeting of grandparents to support, inform and advocate for families with autistic children.
- FRIENDS OF NANCY MARKS NATURE NURSERY – A thoughtfully designed garden for young children to experience nature through their senses and through play.
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Intensive Child and Family Services
This cluster of services is aimed at children and teens with serious emotional disturbances and their families, offering care coordination, crisis intervention in the home, case management and skills-in-living training. Teams of social workers, psychiatrists and parent advocates work collaboratively to preserve families and prevent institutionalization through an intensive response, often in the home and/or school environment.
- CLINICAL CARE COORDINATION TEAM (CCCT) – Provides home-based clinical services for troubled children and teens.
- COORDINATED CHILDREN’S SERVICES INITIATIVE (CCSI) – Coordinates services among multiple systems to prevent children from falling through the cracks.
- FAMILY ADVOCATES – Provides parent-to-parent support both individually and/or in groups to families who have children experiencing social, emotional and/or behavioral challenges in their home, school or community.
- INTENSIVE SUPPORT PROGRAM (ISP) – Offers intensive mental health services on-site at three Nassau B.O.C.E.S. schools for children, ages 5-21, and their families from all 56 Nassau County school districts.
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Special Programs
- LATINA GIRLS PROJECT – Offers bilingual and bicultural individual and family mental health counseling, along with group meetings and outings for adolescent girls suffering from depression.
- ORGANIC GARDEN PROGRAM – Consists of two organic gardens, one at our Roslyn Heights headquarters and one at The Marks Family Right From the Start 0-3+ Center in Manhasset. Provides opportunity for technology-engrossed children and teens to unplug and appreciate nature.
- WILDERNESS RESPITE PROGRAM – Offers groups for youth at risk that emphasize outdoor activities as a gateway to mastery of social skills and youth empowerment.
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Training and Consultation
The Guidance Center provides community workshops, forums and trainings for parents on a broad range of topics dealing with children and families.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Dec 20, 2014 | Press Releases
The Dammann Fund, Inc. has awarded North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center with a grant of $10,000 to support its Good Beginnings for Babies (GBB) program, a service that operates out of the Guidance Center’s Leeds Place in Westbury and offers support for pregnant and parenting teens.
According to Guidance Center CEO Andrew Malekoff, “GBB promotes the healthy development of children by ensuring access to prenatal care and promoting preventive care for parents and their children. We aim to help the moms reach full-term pregnancies, deliver healthy birth weight babies and build strong attachments with their newborns. Good attachments are the cornerstone of healthy emotional development.”
GBB Program Director, Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust added, “In GBB we work with families to develop and promote a community of support. The goal is to reduce isolation of young parents in the early years of their child’s development and increase the community’s sense of responsibility for young families, by building a community of young parents who support one other.” Dr. Taylor-Walthrust added, “We also carefully screen for maternal depression and other perinatal mood disorders and provide treatment or referrals for mental health care, as indicated.”
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is the pre-eminent children’s mental health agency on Long Island. The Guidance Center is dedicated to strengthening the emotional well-being of children and families, and leads the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, and advocacy.
The Guidance Center helps families to raise healthy children and works with kids (ages 0-24) who are troubled, in trouble, or causing trouble and parents who need help in these stressful times. Difficulties range from depression and anxiety, developmental delays and school failure, from substance abuse to family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma, and divorce. We offer outpatient mental health counseling and teen drug abuse and prevention services.
Our highly-qualified multi-cultural and bi-lingual staff consists of teams of caring psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, drug & alcohol counselors, mental health counselors, and family advocates, with expertise in working with children.
To learn more about the Guidance Center, visit our website: www.northshorechildguidance.org or call 516 626 1971.
