by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jun 20, 2015 | Anton Media
By Andrew Malekoff
As parents, we naturally want to keep our children safe. But it’s important to remember that, while it’s a parent’s job to protect, it’s a child’s job to explore. But for mothers and fathers who came to the United States from countries in Central and South America that are rife with war, gang violence and poverty, allowing their children—and especially their daughters—to explore the world around them can be terrifying.
Regardless of their origins, it’s natural for all teens to want to be accepted by their peers and feel like they are part of American culture, but it’s understandable that the parents of first-generation Latinas are extremely overprotective. Many immigrated to America because they wanted their families to be safe, which results in a tendency to continually hover over their daughters. Many of them won’t let the girls participate in typical teen activities, such as sleepovers, dating or trips to the mall, which makes the girls feel trapped and isolated.
Even if the teens are allowed to go out with friends, they are required to have a chaperone, such as a parent or brother. In addition, they are often relegated to gender-biased roles, required to cook, clean and take care of their siblings, while their brothers are treated, as one girl said, “like princes.”
The result of these conflicts: An increasingly large number of teenage Latinas were coming to North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center with depression, self-harming behaviors and suicidal thoughts. Some had even attempted suicide.
Determined to help these girls and their families, Associate Executive Director Regina Barros-Rivera gathered a team of bilingual, multicultural counselors from the Guidance Center and created the Latina Girls Project, an innovative program that employs counseling, monthly outings and other activities designed to tackle issues such as hopelessness, poor self-esteem and school refusal (a disorder of a child who refuses to attend school or has problems staying in school).
Individual, group and family therapy are integral pieces of the program. Through therapy, the girls develop trust, learn healthy ways to deal with stress and depression and find better ways to communicate with their parents.
But the monthly outings are also a very important element of the Latina Girls Project. During one trip to Manhattan, the girls took part in a workshop led by female artists, dancers and poets, all accomplished and confident Latina women. This was a huge adventure for the teens, because they were so often stuck in their home communities—and also stuck in feelings of low self-esteem, shame and self-consciousness.
At first, the girls couldn’t say anything positive about themselves; they had no access to such self-affirming feelings. But they gradually spread their wings, bit by bit, and took part in art, dance and writing. The teens were uplifted by witnessing the confidence and compassion of these powerful role models, who told the girls to look in the mirror and see their own strength and beauty.
This workshop, along with other trips to historical sites, artistic venues and nature settings, help the girls shift from feelings of helplessness to hopefulness. Over time, they find their voices and discover the inner strengths that had eluded them.
By participating in family therapy and also witnessing the transformation their daughters experience, the girls’ parents become more compassionate and understand that they need to let their teens separate in healthy, age-appropriate ways. As one girl put it, “My parents learned that I just wanted them to be there for me and listen. They learned that it doesn’t help to question why I feel the way I do but to accept it and support me.”
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 ww.northshorechildguidance.org.
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by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | May 4, 2015 | Press Releases
On April 23, the Guidance Center hosted a fun exciting new event – a luncheon featuring games (mahjong and canasta), vendor boutiques and a powerful engaging keynote speaker.
With more than 175 guests in attendance, the event raised over $50,000 to support the programs and services of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center.
The keynote speaker was award-winning journalist, Edie Magnus. Ms. Magnus is the Executive Producer of the PBS documentary, Cry for Help, and is currently the Executive Director of Media & Innovation at Mercy College.
Janice Ashley of Signature Bank, Amy Cantor, and Alexis Siegel, all members of the Baord of Directors, co-chaired the luncheon. Sponsors included Nancy Lane, Baker Tilly, RFC Fine, Alexis Siegel, Nanci Roth, Jill Berman, Amy Cantor, Fara Copell, Ruth Ann Drucker, Joan Grant, Andrea Leeds, Nawrocki Smith LLP, North Shore LIJ Health Systems, Raich, Ende and Malter Co. LLP.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is the pre-eminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, leading the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy.
The Guidance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) who are troubled, in trouble or causing trouble. Our highly qualified team of caring psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors, mental health counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors and family advocates work with children and their families to address issues such as depression and anxiety; developmental delays; school refusal; bullying; sexual abuse; teen pregnancy; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. We offer outpatient mental health counseling and teen drug abuse and prevention services.
For more than 60 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all who enter our doors, regardless of their ability to pay.
To learn more, please visit: www.northshorechildguidance.org/events.html or call 516 626 1971 ext. 310.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Apr 21, 2015 | Press Releases
On June 15, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center will host its annual Jonathan Krevat Memorial Golf & Tennis Classic at The Creek in Locust Valley. This year’s co-chairs are Jack Bransfield (Bethpage Federal Credit Union), Michael Mondiello (Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC) and Michael Schnepper (Rivkin Radler LLP).
The honorees are Steven Dubb, The Beechwood Organization and Michael Duffy, Duffy & Duffy PLLC.
The outing will offer morning and afternoon tennis round robins, golf on the incomparable Creek course, and a steak & lobster dinner reception on Long Island Sound.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is the pre-eminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, leading the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy.
The Guidance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) who are troubled, in trouble or causing trouble. Our highly qualified team of caring psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors, mental health counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors and family advocates work with children and their families to address issues such as depression and anxiety; developmental delays; school refusal; bullying; sexual abuse; teen pregnancy; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. We offer outpatient mental health counseling and teen drug abuse and prevention services.
For more than 60 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all who enter our doors, regardless of their ability to pay.
For more information about the Golf & Tennis Classic, please visit: www.northshorechildguidance.org/events.html or call 516 626 1971 ext. 337.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Mar 3, 2015 | Press Releases
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is hosting a brand new event this spring: a Luncheon featuring games (mahjong, bridge and canasta), vendor boutiques and a powerful, engaging keynote speaker.
The Luncheon will take place on April 23 at the Glen Head Country Club. Boutiques will open at 10 a.m.; game playing will begin at 10:45; and the luncheon and program will start at 12:30.
The keynote speaker is award-winning journalist Edie Magnus. Ms. Magnus is the Executive Producer of the PBS documentary Cry for Help, an intimate look at the efforts of two high schools to identify adolescents at risk of depression and suicide. She is currently the Executive Director of Media & Innovation at Mercy College.
Co-chairs for the event are Guidance Center board members Janice Ashley of Signature Bank, Amy Cantor and Alexis Siegel. Sponsors to date include Amy Cantor, RFC Fine, Nancy & Lew Lane, Nanci Roth and Alexis & Howard Siegel.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is the pre-eminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, leading the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy. The Guidance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) who are troubled, in trouble or causing trouble.
Our highly qualified team of caring psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors, mental health counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors and family advocates work with children and their families to address issues such as depression and anxiety; developmental delays; school refusal; bullying; sexual abuse; teen pregnancy; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. We offer outpatient mental health counseling and teen drug abuse and prevention services. For more than 60 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all who enter our doors, regardless of their ability to pay.
To register for the Spring Luncheon, please visit: www.northshorechildguidance.org/events.html or call (516) 626 1971 ext. 310.
by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Mar 3, 2015 | Press Releases
On February 25, the Business Advisory Council of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center hosted Winter Wind-Up, an after-hours networking event at the Revel Restaurant and Bar in Garden City. The evening of winetasting and networking attracted over 60 attendees and raised $1,700 for the Guidance Center’s Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court. Blank Slate Media, Driven Local and Farrell Fritz, P.C. sponsored the event.
The mission of the Business Advisory Council is to increase awareness of the Guidance Center across corporate Long Island. The Council is chaired by Janice Ashley of Signature Bank and Jacqueline Bushwack of Rivkin Radler LLP.
The Children’s Center, a Guidance Center program, provides a safe and enriching environment for children ages 6 months to 12 years on-site at the Nassau County Family Court while parents are involved in court business.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is the pre-eminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island, leading the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy.
The Guidance Center is dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children (from birth – age 24) who are troubled, in trouble or causing trouble. Our highly qualified team of caring psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors, mental health counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors and family advocates work with children and their families to address issues such as depression and anxiety; developmental delays; school refusal; bullying; sexual abuse; teen pregnancy; and family crises stemming from illness, death, trauma and divorce. We offer outpatient mental health counseling and teen drug abuse and prevention services.
For more than 60 years, the Guidance Center has been a place of hope and healing, providing innovative and compassionate treatment to all who enter our doors, regardless of their ability to pay.
To learn more about the Guidance Center, please visit www.northshorechildguidance.org or call 516 626 1971 ext. 310.
