Behavioral Health&nbsp;&amp; Primary Care

School-Based Mental Health & In-School Counseling

Our in-school counseling programs overcome common barriers to mental health treatment by offering services to young people in the convenient space of their schools. Our presence in the schools gives us the ability to observe students where they are and have direct access to the people in their everyday lives, like teachers and guidance counselors. When families are juggling multiple jobs and kids on a low income, having a child receive services ar school instead of at an outside clinic can make all the difference. It also counteracts some of the stigma.

We offer counseling in school-based mental health wellness centers at 11 public NYC schools, including Community Schools at which The Child Center of NY serves as the lead CBO (community-based organization). The New York State Department of Education funds these wellness centers.

The Child Center’s SBMH programs provide services on three levels: mental health educational services to the entire school community, selective services with children who might be at risk, and targeted services in the form of therapy.

We also offer Individual & Family Counseling at J.H.S 185 in Flushing. This is a satellite of our Macari Family Wellness Center, serving J.H.S. 185 students right where they are every day.

Asian Outreach Program

With highly trained bilingual and bicultural therapists, The Child Center of NY’s Asian Outreach Program breaks down language barriers and stigma to reach Asian children and families with mental health and substance abuse services. The AOP’s approach is culturally nuanced and based on education and outreach that eases the stigma still surrounding mental health and substance use treatment in traditional Asian cultures. All of our therapists have experienced the trauma of immigration themselves and are steeped in the culture and language of their clients.

Positive word of mouth has spread in Queens’ Asian communities. We worked with adults and children from more than a dozen countries. Since 1993, the program has brought education and healing to many thousands of new immigrants stressed by the need to adjust to new customs, language, and economic circumstances, as well as families suffering from isolation. They also bring understanding to culture clashes between Asian-born parents and American-born children. For all of our clients, we help ease the sense that problems have to be kept hidden from “outsiders” and that treatment will have an adverse impact on a family’s reputation.

The services that AOP provides include:

Treatment of mental illness utilizing many approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychopharmacology, substance use treatment, and play therapy
Child abuse and neglect prevention
Domestic violence counseling
Parent education workshops and outreach
Family-oriented academic enrichment
Counseling at many public schools

For more information about the Asian Outreach Program, check out our locations in Flushing & Woodside.

CLENT INTEREST FORM

Bridge to Hope Program

An Alternative to Residential Treatment (ART) program for adolescents

Bridge to Hope (BTH) is a 3-6-month program for adolescents who cannot attend an intensive program like the Youth IOP but still need skilled and compassionate care for mental health challenges such as serious emotional disturbance (SED) and suicidal behaviors. Through BTH, young people get support and guidance to handle their challenges now and in the future while remaining at home with their families. At The Child Center of NY, we never consider it too early or late to start young people on the path toward healthy and fulfilling lives they are proud to live.

Treatment includes:

Therapy by licensed mental health professionals, including individual, family, and group therapy
Education/vocational support to help clients envision and plan for a bright future based on their individual strengths
Care coordination and peer services to prevent psychiatric hospitalization or out-of-home placement
Access to medication services by a dedicated psychiatric nurse practitioner
Special events designed to help youth develop skills to improve their overall well-being. This includes creative arts therapy and mindfulness activities.

Ready to learn more about the Bridge to Hope program? Check out information about Outcomes, Eligibility, our Evidence-Based Approach to Treatment, Program Costs, or Languages, Locations, & Contact Information.

The Bridge to Hope Program is made possible through the funding and support of Queens Community Board 2, New York State Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas (34th Assembly District), and the following entities. We extend our deepest thanks.

Substance Use Treatment for Children, Adolescents, & Adults

Wellness centers are open six days a week for in-person and remote services. Please see below for site-specific information (additional office hours can be scheduled as needed). Our main wellness center number is 718-358-8288.  You can call this number for information about any of our wellness centers. We stand ready to help!

Our three newly renovated wellness centers, Cohen Family Wellness Center, Jamaica Family Wellness Center, and Macari Family Wellness Center, offer services for the whole family so that you and your loved ones can get the help you need in one convenient place, right in your neighborhood, in the language you speak, with staff who understand the challenges you face.

We treat mental health, physical health, and substance use issues for all ages under one roof. We also offer other programs, such as early childhood education and guidance on entitlements and benefits. Our goal is to improve the overall quality of care by treating the person — and family — as a whole. Our beautiful new spaces feature state-of-the-art equipment and a modern, welcoming look and feel. Our clients deserve the best experience when they come to us for care, and we are committed to providing it.

You can reach any of our wellness centers by calling 718-358-8288. Our fax number is 718-358-5265. We have staff who collectively speak two dozen languages and are ready to assist you in the language you speak. When you call our main clinic number, you can listen to our options in English, Bengali, Chinese, or Spanish for assistance in reaching the services you need; you may leave a message in any language, and we will assist you in that language.

In addition to these treatment services, you may be interested in the Asian Outreach Program.

0-5 Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative

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The Child Center of NY is pleased to serve as the Queens borough-wide provider of the Early Childhood Mental Health Network, a Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health initiative designed to provide mental health services and support for families who have young children, ages 0–5, with mental health needs. Our bilingual and bicultural therapists utilize evidence-based, trauma-focused models of treatment, including play therapy and Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), that have been proven to make a difference for this age group and give them the promising start we want for all our children.

Just as we need to ensure that children begin school academically ready to learn, we also need to ensure they begin life socially and emotionally ready to thrive. The Child Center can help with that piece of the puzzle.

Many people wonder what mental health counseling for such young children entails. It mostly involves strengthening the parent-child bond in ways that make the child feel safe and secure and support their development. We work with pregnant people and children 0-5 years old, including newborns, with their parents or other primary caregivers. The goal is building secure and healthy relationships between parent and baby and prevent insecure attachment relationships that tend to result in mental health issues down the road. We help every family in our care to establish a mentally and emotionally healthy start.

Here are some things that we provide children, parents, caregivers, and families who enter counseling with us:

parent groups and individual therapy
individual parent and child screenings
caregiver depression screening
guidance in increasing positive interactions and communication between parent and child
assistance in developing social-emotional skills, building resiliency, improving self-esteem, and encouraging self-regulation
the tools to help families handle the inevitable setbacks and challenges of life safely and constructively, now and in the future

We also offer perinatal, infant, and ECMH consultation, an intervention program that pairs a mental health professional with schools, hospitals or other agencies that service perinatal to preschool populations. The consultant works with agencies to find ways to promote the social and emotional development of young children and works with families to improve relational health.

Want to learn more about the Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative? Click here for Program Details or information about our Perinatal Mental Health Pilot. Also check out our services at Cohen Family Wellness Center, Jamaica Family Wellness Center, and Macari Family Wellness Center.

Military Services

Outpatient Mental Health Services

The Child Center of NY is dedicated to ensuring that current and former members (regardless of discharge) of the military and their families receive the high-quality care they deserve so they can overcome challenges and achieve their vision of what they want their lives to be. We offer therapy and other support to both the service members themselves and to their children and other family members. Serving the whole family is a cornerstone of our approach. Our goal is to provide military service members and their loved ones a safe and therapeutic place where they can optimize their mental health, including successful recovery from substance use, and their overall wellness in a military-focused environment.

If you are a current or former (regardless of discharge) member of the military, we stand ready to help you build the future you see for yourself. Here you will find other people who understand the challenges you and your family face, including compassionate and skilled staff members you and your loved ones can count on every step of the way.

Services We Provide:

Individual and family group counseling for all ages, from children to adults.
Trauma-informed care with a team trained in military culture
Counseling or treatment for co-occurring disorders
Specialized group therapy
Evidence-based groups
Gender-specific recovery groups
Psychiatric evaluations
Psychoeducation
Medication-assisted treatment
Vocational counseling and referral

Ready to learn more about our Military Services program? Check out information about our Whole-Family Approach & Staffing Information, Program Costs, and locations & list of languages spoken by staff at the Cohen Family Wellness Center, Jamaica Family Wellness Center, or Macari Family Wellness Center.

For general information on our Wellness Centers, contact us:

Phone: 718-358-8288
Fax: 718-358-5265
Email: ChildCenterNYintake@childcenterny.org

Military Services are made possible through the funding and support of the following entities. We extend our deepest thanks.

OnTrackNY

OnTrackNY is an innovative treatment program for adolescents and young adults who recently have had unusual thoughts and behaviors or who have started hearing or seeing things that others don’t. At The Child Center, we know that experiencing these symptoms can be scary. We also know that the young people who come to us with these symptoms are capable of achieving their goals for school, work, and relationships. We are committed to helping them reach their full potential and lead a healthy, fulfilling life.

OnTrackNY utilizes a “shared decision-making” model. We provide comprehensive care using evidence-based practices delivered by an integrated clinical team specializing in early psychosis. Our multilingual, multicultural staff includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner, primary clinician, registered nurse, supported education and employment specialist, and a peer specialist who has experienced their own challenges and has met them with success. Together, they will help you learn new skills to cope with what you are experiencing, make informed medical decisions, reach your personal goals, and support your overall health and wellness. You and your loved ones are the most important members of this team. You will work closely with the primary clinician and other staff to identify goals that are important to you and services that can help you to accomplish these goals.

Admission Criteria:

The program is for adolescents and young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 who have recently begun experiencing psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, unusual thoughts or beliefs, or disorganized thinking, for more than a week but less than two years. We provide services to all referred individuals meeting clinical admission criteria, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

For contact information, languages, hours, and location, check out Macari Family Wellness Center.

Find out more about in-person visits here!

Pediatric & Family Primary Health Care

In-Person & Tele-health Services

The Child Center of NY is proud to partner with Strong Children Wellness to provide high-quality pediatric and family (adult) primary health services, by board-certified physicians, to our clients and the broader community. You can contact us for any health-related concerns you have about yourself or your child. This includes both well and sick visits, in addition to chronic conditions like asthma. We serve all families, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status.

With video visits, you can visit a doctor in the privacy of your own home, using your phone, laptop, or tablet. Strong Children Wellness also offers in-person office visits at our Macari Family Wellness Center and our Jamaica Family Wellness Center. Both video and in-person visits are available in English and Spanish, and services can be delivered in any language through the use of an interpretation service. Text 718-450-9242 for help scheduling your virtual appointment.

We know that there are many obstacles to regular care. We hope this service, offered both via video visits and at our conveniently located Flushing and Jamaica family wellness centers, will help you make regular doctor visits for yourself and your child a reality.

Services Provided:

Video and/or in-person primary health care services for both sick and well visits.
The flu vaccine is available at both locations.

Admission criteria:

Any family in need of primary care services.
Medicaid and most private insurance plans are accepted, and we also serve the uninsured.
Sliding scale and self-pay options are available. We ensure services are affordable for all and provide care for anyone who needs our help.

Macari Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program

The Child Center of NY’s Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program, an initiative by the New York State Office of Mental Health, provides intensive mental health services and support to people who are pregnant or recently gave birth and were newly diagnosed with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, more commonly known as postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression can have long-term effects on mental health, especially if compounded by pre-existing trauma. Our bilingual and bicultural therapists utilize evidence-based, trauma-focused models of treatment to stabilize depression, work on the parent-infant relationship, and support the extended family so they can support their baby’s development and establish a healthy, loving bond.

We know that new parents often face what may seem like debilitating challenges as they seek to care for and bond with their baby, and that so many biological and environmental factors play a role. We also know that the love they have for their babies is deep and enduring. With the right skills and support, they can become the confident, healthy, and loving parents they can be and their babies deserve.

The program is five hours a day, for two days a week, depending on need. An on-site nursery staffed by experienced caregivers helps participants focus on their recovery and involve their babies in their healing. Extended family members and fathers are welcome too!

Services Provided:

Screening and assessment
Individual and family therapy
Dyadic mother-baby interaction therapy
Therapeutic parenting and psychoeducation groups
Peer support
Psychiatric evaluation
Medication management
On-site pediatric services
On-site therapeutic nursery
Case management through the Health Homes program

Admission Criteria:

To be eligible for this program, you must be pregnant or have recently given birth and have been newly diagnosed with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, more commonly known as Postpartum Depression.
A clinical/medical referral is helpful, but clients may self-refer. Those who self-refer will be assessed to determine eligibility.

Hours:

In-person: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m., based on client need.
Virtual appointments are available five days a week; please contact us for more information.

Ages:

Children ages newborn to 18 months
Parents of any age

For more information, check out Macari Family Wellness Center.

Youth Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

An Alternative to Residential Treatment (ART) Program providing intensive outpatient programming for adolescents

At The Child Center of NY, we believe that all young people deserve the chance to get the help they need while remaining with their families. The Youth Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed to help youth experiencing the most serious mental health challenges while remaining in their family environment—rather than at a residential treatment facility. It’s an Alternatives to Residential Treatment (ART) program for adolescents, ages 12-17, who need a higher level of care than once-a-week sessions.

Youth attend the program two to three days a week for eight weeks in the afterschool hours. Our skilled and compassionate team works with young people and their families to keep youth at risk of residential and/or psychiatric treatment safely at home with the support they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Treatment Includes:

Therapy by licensed mental health professionals, including individual, family, and group therapy
Peer support services
Education/vocational support to help clients envision and plan for a bright future based on their individual strengths
Activity groups, including yoga, nutrition, art therapy, creative movement, and mindfulness activities. These activities build strength and coping skills that support clients’ overall well-being and are part of a strengths-based approach.
Medication management as needed
Home visits for safety and support
Care management through the Child Center of NY Health Homes program

Ready to learn more about the Youth Intensive Outreach program? Check out information about Outcomes, Eligibility, our Evidence-Based Approach to Treatment, Program Costs, or our Contact & Languages Spoken by Staff.

Youth Intensive Outreach Program is offered at Cohen Family Wellness Center and Macari Family Wellness Center.