Peninsula Counseling Center is open to serve the community at 380 Nassau Road in Roosevelt for individual psychotherapy, family therapy, group therapy, crisis services, post-psychiatric hospital services, psychiatric evaluations, psychotropic medication management, socialization groups, as well as consultation to schools, social agencies, and healthcare institutions. For more information call 516-442-5325.

Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System and Arthur Cusack, PhD, executive director of the NuHealth Federally Qualified Health Centers (NuHealthFQHC), announce the addition of mental health services now being offered at the Roosevelt Federally Qualified Health Center (Roosevelt FQHC), as a result of the co-location of the Peninsula Counseling Center (PCC) at the Roosevelt Health Center.

"We are delighted to offer patients accessing services at the Roosevelt Health Center, a combination of primary care as well as mental health services. As a result of the innovative collaboration between the Roosevelt FQHC and the PCC, we will be able to fulfill our mission of improved health and well being for the Roosevelt community through comprehensive care in one location," said Gianelli.  “For clients of the Roosevelt FQHC, the co-location of the PCC provides easy access and seamless integration of medical and mental health care.”

The PCC provides psychiatric and mental health assessment and treatment for the full range of psychiatric disorders and emotional problems for children and adolescents, adults and older adults.   Services are available to all individuals and most insurance is accepted.  A sliding scale is available for the uninsured.

"It is becoming more and more evident that the interplay of primary medical care and behavioral health services are crucial in addressing the needs of many individuals with chronic conditions and in reducing avoidable emergency room use and re-hospitalizations.  This collaboration is in keeping with the strategic directions of New York State and the federal government to achieve improved health outcomes and reduced cost in our healthcare system," said John Kastan, PhD, executive director of the PCC.

Steven J. Walerstein, MD, FACP, executive vice president for medical affairs and medical director for the NuHealth System, stressed the benefits to the vulnerable populations served at the Roosevelt FQHC: “It is a win/win situation for our patients as the co-location of the PCC at the Roosevelt FQHC will allow our health center patients to have easier access at the site of their primary care delivery to receive counseling and behavioral health services. Conversely, patients seen by the PCC will have easier access to primary care services offered at the Roosevelt Health Center.”

Cusack underscored the important commitment of the collaboration with the PCC for the benefit of our patients: “In an effort to meet the needs of the community, we collaborated with the PCC to further the goals of primary and mental health services, all in Roosevelt. New York State and Nassau County Office of Mental Health officials supported the collaboration as a new model of providing both mental, medical and support services, all at the same site.”
To schedule an appointment, please call 516-486-NUMC (6862).

ABOUT PENINSULA COUNSELING CENTER:
The Peninsula Counseling Center has been a recognized leader in the mental health field for 100 years, bringing hope and healing to more than 5,000 individuals annually. The center is a licensed non-profit community mental health and chemical dependency treatment center. It is a member agency of the 5 Towns Community Chest, United Way of Long Island, and is affiliated with North Shore/LIJ Health System and PSCH.

Its objective is to enhance the growth and development of individuals of all ages, to strengthen family life and contribute to the social-psychological well-being of the community.  It accomplishes these purposes through the provision of therapeutic, rehabilitative, educational, and preventive, outreach and mutual support services.

Known for its innovative programming and full range of services, PCC continues to grow, providing individual, group and family counseling as well as specifically focused programs: The Lindner Center for Older Adults; Chemical Dependency Services; The Adam Cohen & Jonah Richman Adolescent Center; ADHD and Learning Disabilities Program; Child Abuse Prevention Program; Phobia & Anxiety Clinic; Social Day Program for Older Adults with Cognitive, Physical, Emotional Frailty and more.

For more information visit www.pccli.org or call: (516)569-6600.

ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.

For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The horrific events in Boston remind all of us of both our vulnerability and our capacity for resilience and personal heroism.   Our hearts go out to those injured in the blasts and the loved ones of those who died.  In addition, we applaud the courage of those civilians and professionals who responded selflessly in the moments after the blast in an attempt to help others.

As we know, mass violence of the sort witnessed in Boston, Newtown, Colorado, and, of course, in New York on 9/11 generates profound emotional impacts, which, for some people, can be long-lasting.   Fortunately, most people are able to work through their emotional responses on their own, especially with the support of friends and loved ones.    However, some people – fortunately a relatively small number -  due to a variety of individual factors, including past trauma and other risk factors, may find that over time the impact of exposure to violent traumatic events does not dissipate, and this affects their ability to function optimally.  This may include problems with sleep, irritability and anxiety, startle responses, and other issues.   If you or a friend or loved one is in distress, please encourage them to seek professional help.  It can make all the difference.

Thank you for your support over the years.  Peninsula Counseling Center is proud to be part of this community.

Sincerely,

Steve Bernstein, President, Board of Directors

John Kastan, Ph.D., Executive Director

The Five Town Herald has published an article about Peninsula Counseling Center's 100th anniversary.

You can read it here.

PCC is proud to announce new members to serve on the Board of Directors

Peninsula Counseling Center is celebrating 100 years of service to the community and is proud to welcome four new members for its Board of Directors. According to Steve Bernstein, President, Board of Directors, "each new member brings experience that will strengthen the Board in support of the mission of PCC, and help the agency grow to meet the needs of families in the community."

Marissa Allaben, MBA, Associate Director, Rolling River Day Camp, East Rockaway, Glenore M. Anderson, Vice President, TD Bank, Valley Stream, Rev. Kymberley Clemons-Jones, Pastor, Valley Stream Presbyterian Church, Ken Feifer, MBA, Associate Dean for Queens Affiliations, Icahn School of Medicine, At Mount Sinai

"Yeah, We’re Depressed. So What?"

Celebs like Olivia Munn and Emma Stone are opening up about their mental health issues. Here’s what that means for the rest of us.

Whitney Joiner

"Every time I run out of the house, I have to stop and pick up a whole set of fake, eyelashes," actress Olivia Munn recently said.  No, she wasn’t talking about a beauty routine – she was confessing her struggle with anxiety, which leads her to pluck out her eyelashes, a hair-pulling disorder known as trichotillomania.

Munn’s not the only celeb to go public with a mental health issue lately.  Emma Stone told a reporter about her panic attacks; Demi Lovato discussed her bipolar and eating disorders, and cutting; and Amanda Seyfried spoke about taking antidepressants in Glamour. Kristin Dunst, who talked to the press about her own struggles, put it this way: “I think most human beings go through some sort of depression in their life.  If they don’t, I think that’s weird.”

Most experts are delighted – they’ve been hoping for this kind of stigma-free talk for years.  “Depression used to mean you were doomed to a life of gloom,” says Colleen Long, Psy.D., a psychologist in L.A. “Now it’s often looked at as a simple chemical imbalance.  Seeing that you can still be successful while dealing with depression or an addiction could help every woman with a mental illness.”

There’s just one caveat: When a health issue makes headlines, research shows people are more likely to seek advice and treatment for it.  That can be a good thing, but it may also lead to a side effect experts call “social contagion.”  As more celebs discuss mental health disorders, we’ve seen women question their own state of mind,” says Long. “They’ll talk about it with friends, and then I see them come in with borrowed perscriptions of Xanax and Ativan they don’t need. The bottom line…don’t self-diagnose; see a doctor…it’s important to get treatment that’s designed just for you.”

By John Kastan, Ph.D., Executive Director

Peninsula Counseling Center is celebrating its one hundredth birthday in 2013. That’s a century of service to our community. Beginning as the Relief Society of Lawrence, PCC has helped tens of thousands of families – providing counseling, psychiatric care, addiction treatment, and social supports for people of all ages.

Peninsula Counseling Center has been a haven to children struggling with family breakup and divorce, as well as those coping with learning disabilities and ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and depression. Our adult services help adults experiencing the traumatic emotional effects of cancer, the loss of loved ones, depression and anxiety, as well as bipolar and psychotic disorders. We also provide compassionate care to individuals and families enduring the pain of drug and alcoholism addiction.

Our Meeting Place for persons with serious and persistent mental illness has given hope and opportunity to many. The Club has provided respite and relief for family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s, while giving recreational and social opportunities to many members of our community.

We are proud of our excellent staff that, day in and day out, provides expert and compassionate care to all who reach out to us in time of need. During a time of tremendous changes in healthcare, we are committed to sustaining the tradition of excellence which has been the hallmark of PCC all these years, and we look forward to another century of service.

If you are in need of our services, please call 516 569 6600. We are here to help you. And if you are able to make a donation, however large or small, it will be appreciated, and used to help support life-saving and life-sustaining services.

Thank you.

This article focuses on the issues that might be facing the families who took their displaced relatives into their home.  A second article will discuss the challenges facing the displaced family members.

Coping with the stress of having family members live with you in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

By Dr. Lois Goldsmith, Associate Director

Being displaced brings tremendous upheaval and stress.  A temporary stay of a few days might be very tolerable and result in a change of pace for all involved.  Beyond that, however, things get much more complicated.  Aunt Clara’s quirky behavior, while amusing at a short holiday dinner, is now annoying on a 24/7 basis. Empty nesters suddenly have a house filled with adults and children.  One of the most challenging situations might be living with displaced in-laws.

While new living situations always bring their own set of adjustments, this situation has its own unique challenges.  Unlike the scenario where two people fell in love and want to move in together, this arrangement occurred because there was a sudden need to take in displaced family members.  The urgency of the situation resulted in bypassing all of the discussions that often take place when people decide to live together i.e. financial arrangements, space, daily living routines, etc.   Many of the families who brought their displaced relatives to their home were also impacted by the storm and emotionally drained from it.  Although this situation us no one’s fault, there are challenges facing these new “temporary” living arrangements.  The following are some strategies that might be helpful:

1. Try to make your guests comfortable right from the start. Be clear about as many living arrangements as possible. Discuss where they will sleep, which bathrooms are designated for them or which will be shared, where they will park, etc. Provide them with blankets, pillows, etc. The clearer you are, the more comfortable everyone will be.

2. Have open, honest discussions about what is ok in these new living conditions and what is absolutely intolerable in your home e.g. smoking, etc.

3. Discuss financial arrangements. Will you assume all reasonable short term expenses? Let your guests know this from the start. They can always reciprocate later in some appropriate manner. For long term situations specific financial arrangements need to be addressed, including cost of food and other consumables, internet, etc.

4. Negotiate schedules about living arrangements to best meet everyone’s needs.  Be gracious and hospitable, but even if you have the tendency to want to please, set boundaries and protect the rights of your family members, i.e. keep young children’s bedtime and other routines the same, if possible.  Try to keep your former schedule.  Assess you (and your family’s) needs and meet as many of them as possible under the current conditions, like watching your favorite programs, going to the gym, etc.  You don’t have to be together 24/7.  Discuss the point that you can all live under the same roof, but still have some privacy as well.

5. Look at the positive possibilities of having family members in the house when they normally wouldn’t be there. (Share childcare responsibilities; shopping responsibilities, food preparation, cleanup, etc.) Tap into everyone’s personal skills to accomplish things you wouldn’t normally be able to do without the assistance of your guests.

6. Try to understand your guest’s feelings.  They are going through a very difficult time.

7. Find an activity the family had fun with in the past, games, cards, cooking certain foods, etc.

8. Bury the hatchet (even if temporarily).  Even if your anger is justified, you will just be more stressed if you are continuously angry – don’t worry; you can recapture these angry feelings after this situation is over.

9. Remember you are being a role model to your children by taking in your displaced relatives - showing a capacity to give to others in time of need.

10. Pay attention to your own feelings, and act appropriately. Maintain your sense of humor.  Find a friend to laugh and have fun with.

11. Reward yourself – do something, an extra Yoga class, for your efforts with your displaced family members.

Most of all - keep remembering this situation was no one’s fault - so try to make the best of it.

Peninsula Counseling Center is grateful for the community support of local restaurants, bake shops, chocolatiers, vintners, merchants, and over 300 guests who were part of "A Tasteful Evening 2012." Guests tasted signature dishes, fine wines and desserts-to-die-for, bid for Chinese Auction items, and purchased sports memorabilia and jewelry from Charity Sports Auctions and Jill's Gems – all in the spirit of giving back to the community while benefiting services and programs provided by PCC. The Humanitarian Award was given to Jay Greenbaum, past President PCC Board of Directors; the Philanthropy Award was given to Steven Spiro (President), Bob Block (Executive Director), Eric Kesslowitz (Chairman), and the Five Towns Community Chest Board; Leadership Award was given to Debbi Gyulay, President, Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to a gala "Tasteful Evening 2013" to celebrate PCC’s 100th birthday next Fall.

By Audrey Goodman and John Kastan, Ph.D.

John Kastan, PCC Executive Director

As a parent, you want to do what’s best for your child, and no one knows your child better than you. With that in mind, you are usually the first to recognize when your child is experiencing an emotional difficulty. Is your child eating less or sleeping poorly? Maybe your child is not keeping up in school or your youngster is in a bad mood all of the time. What’s your child’s social situation like? Is he or she not getting along with friends or family? Speaking with a professional can be the first step in helping you decide how to help your child.

Since 1913, people have turned to Long Island nonprofit Peninsula Counseling Center (PCC), 50 W. Hawthorne Ave., Valley Stream, for guidance in coping with troubling life issues. We help parents to raise emotionally healthy children and to understand how stress affects family life.

Children’s mental health problems are real, common and treatable. Did you know that more than 15 million children and teens have mental health or substance abuse issues? Only one in five of those children receives professional guidance.

Peninsula Counseling Center’s outpatient services provide individual and group services for children and teens experiencing depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, eating disorders, learning disabilities, obsessive compulsive disorders, suicidal thoughts, as well as issues related to alcohol and drug abuse. We recommend that parents consult with a professional PCC staff member to see how counseling will benefit their child if there may be a problem. Even if you’re not sure what the problem is or what it might be called, someone at PCC is ready and willing to assist your family. We have specially trained and fully qualified professionals to help you and your child follow an effective personal program to meet your needs.

Peninsula Counseling Center also has a Child and Family Clinic Plus Program. This program provides a free emotional check-up for children in select school districts. Parents may request confidential, free screenings for their children through their school or pediatrician, or by directly contacting PCC. Through Clinic Plus, PCC hopes to identify and help youth at risk in Nassau County, enabling those in need to receive individualized treatment to address their specific needs and ultimately better the direction of their lives.

Some parents deal with the added pressures of being in the “sandwich generation,” coping with the growing pains of their children and the aging problems of their parents. Twenty-two million Americans are caring for parents or older relatives according to AARP. The multiple pressures of fulfilling both roles can become overwhelming. Individual therapy or support groups may aid parents in dealing with this emotional distress. Adult children and caretakers say they find counseling services extremely beneficial while caring for an older adult. PCC services for older adults include home-bound counseling services, a bereavement program, a social model day program for people with Alzherimer’s disease or dementia and a day program for the frail elderly. Individual and group therapy and psychiatric evaluations and services are also available.

Every family is a priority at Peninsula Counseling Center, and any emotional issue of concern that you might have is worth talking about. The expert, caring staff at PCC is committed to your well-being. If you think there’s an emotional or psychological issue that we can help you or a loved one with, please let us know. Improving the lives of individuals and families is what we’ve been doing for almost a century.

Peninsula Counseling Center (PCC) is licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. To speak directly to intake staff, dial (516)569-6600. PCC accepts most insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, and it offers a sliding fee scale for people without insurance.

Audrey Goodman is the community relations coordinator for Peninsula Counseling Center. John Kastan, Ph.D., is the executive director.

May 12, 2012 was National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.  The purpose of the week was to increase public awareness of both the contributions of mental health treatments and services to child and family well-being and the continued challenge to assure that these treatments and services are accessible to all who need them, and that the delivery of these services is guided by the values and principles of quality, choice, equity, and the promotion of child and family empowerment.

Currently, more than 15 million children in the United States have a psychiatric or learning disorder, and less than half of them will ever get the help they need, under current circumstances.  However, through the partnership of families, schools, community agencies, professional organizations, mental health professionals and government, this can change. Advocacy to our public officials to assure adequate insurance coverage and access to services can go a long way toward addressing the problem.  Public education to encourage early assessment and identification for children exhibiting troubling behaviors, emotions, or barriers to learning can avert more serious problems.  And changes in societal attitudes so that families are not fearful that they will experience stigma and discrimination if they ask for help can hasten children receiving the treatments they require.

At Peninsula Counseling Center we are proud to acknowledge our partners in the community – school, community organizations, elected and appointed government officials – as well as the Five Towns Community Chest and the United Way, among other funders – who help to bring increased knowledge, awareness, and access to services.  We also honor our supportive Board and expert clinicians, who make it all possible.  As PCC celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2013 next year, please join us in celebrating National Children’s Mental health concerns are real and treatable.

Thank you,

John Kastan, PhD

Executive Director