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So far Grace Oshin has created 31 blog entries.

A Note from Our CEO Seth Diamond for 9/11

2021-09-27T16:35:26-04:00June 10th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , |

Twenty years ago I was heading for my job at the city's social services headquarters in lower Manhattan. A typical morning. As I got closer to the office I started to hear sirens and listening to the radio heard about a small plane having hit the World Trade Center. At that point it sounded more strange than tragic.  I got my usual spot on Pearl Street and got out of my car at 9:03. How can I be so sure of the precise time? Because at that instant I heard a huge explosion and even more memorably, felt a ...

WJCS Appoints New Board Members

2021-07-30T19:12:38-04:00July 30th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , |

WJCS, one of the largest human service organizations in Westchester, is proud to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors: Joel Beckman, Steven Beckman, and Julian Gomez. Joel Beckman co-founded Greenbriar Equity Group, L.P. and, before that, was a Managing Director and Partner at Goldman Sachs. Now retired, he has been actively involved in numerous philanthropic causes, including UJA-Federation of New York, the University of Rochester, Yale Law School, the JCC of Budapest, Stepping Stone Day School for handicapped children, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, and the Chordoma Foundation. He lives with his wife Shari in Scarsdale ...

What We Stand For

2022-06-08T12:03:04-04:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Featured Internal, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Founded in 1943, Westchester Jewish Community Services has grown to be one of the largest nonprofit human service organizations in Westchester and the largest provider of licensed outpatient community mental health services in the county. Our values guide our work—the state-of-the-art programs and services we offer with compassion to more than 20,000 people of all ages and backgrounds throughout Westchester County. WJCS is driven by the spirit of “tikkun olam”–repairing the world. By providing care and support, we work to help Westchester residents of all ages and backgrounds who are struggling to heal, develop skills, build resilience, and lead ...

Teen Mental Health First Aid

2022-02-18T15:27:16-05:00December 6th, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The statistics are staggering. One in five teens has had a serious mental health disorder at some point in their young lives. Fifty percent of all mental illnesses begin by age 14. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15-24year-olds. WJCS is proud to offer training in Teen Mental Health First Aid, a nationally certified course which teaches high school students how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among their friends and peers. It gives students the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and get a responsible and ...

Preventing Summer Learning Loss

2021-07-19T16:57:02-04:00July 19th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The average student loses 17–34% of the prior year’s learning during the summer break, according to a study published in the American Educational Research Journal, We're several weeks into the summer, a perfect time to make sure that you are making the most of your children's free time. Fortunately, there is an abundance of entertaining and enriching library programs throughout Westchester which children and teens will enjoy and benefit from as well. Eastchester Public Library: Reading challenges, a coding club, trivia challenges, and a creative writing workshop are just a few of the children's and youth activities the Eastchester ...

WJCS Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

2022-07-20T11:44:59-04:00June 15th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

WJCS Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in Peekskill and Mount Vernon Clinic provide integrative services to clients who are living with a variety of behavioral health conditions, including but not limited to serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and serious emotional disturbance. The CCBHC Services include the following: • Screening, assessment, and diagnosis, including risk assessment • Patient-centered treatment planning, including crisis planning • Comprehensive outpatient mental health and substance use services • Case management • Community-based recovery supports, including peer support, counselor services, and family supports • Crisis mental health services, including 24-hour mobile crisis team emergency ...

WJCS Addresses Disparities in Digital Access

2021-08-06T13:41:43-04:00June 2nd, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The inequity that individuals in financial need experience in regard to digital access became glaringly apparent once the Covid pandemic hit. Lack of access to the internet was clearly an obstacle that would have long-lasting ramifications for youth now required to log on the internet in order to learn remotely from home. WJCS could not ignore the problem. At WJCS, we are committed to ensuring that all children have the information technology needed for school participation and learning, an essential ingredient to their academic and future success.  Thanks to our partnership with the STEM Alliance and funding from the ...

Welcome to our new website!

2021-08-02T14:42:15-04:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As one of the largest, state-of-the-art human service organizations in the New York metropolitan area, it is important to us to make information regarding our services, impact, thought leadership, community trainings, professional development classes, and other events easily accessible for current clients, potential clients, donors, volunteers, government officials, community and corporate partners, media, and staff. Our goal with this new website is to provide you with an easy, user-friendly way to learn about WJCS's programs and to browse information based on your own choice. Among the new features to explore are: Videos that share client stories about how WJCS has changed their ...

WJCS Awarded College Wellness Grant from Westchester Community Foundation

2021-04-28T15:36:31-04:00April 28th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

WJCS has received a grant from Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) for its College Wellness Initiative. This grant will allow WJCS to continue to deliver critical mental health services to Westchester County’s college students. WJCS and the Westchester County Department of Community of Mental Health (DCMH) created the College Wellness Initiative in 2020 to address the growing mental health needs of college students in Westchester County. The program was initially funded with Cares Act funding. The new funding from WCF will allow the program to continue to support college students beyond the initial pilot phase. The College Initiative supports Westchester County ...

It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week!

2021-04-30T18:35:44-04:00April 16th, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , |

It's Volunteer Appreciation Week, a perfect time to celebrate the 250+ active volunteers who assist WJCS staff in many of our 80+ programs. We are so grateful to all of our volunteers, who range in age from young students to seniors, for the dedication and skills they bring to their work at our agency. While our volunteer opportunities are currently primarily virtual because of the coronavirus, they still provide plenty of opportunities to help others and make a difference. Our volunteers tell us they feel that helping others helps them. It provides purpose to their lives. As Rabbi Hillel ...

It’s the Week of the Young Child!

2021-04-30T19:00:50-04:00April 16th, 2021|Categories: General|

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration that takes place each April and is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the largest organization of early childhood professionals.  First established in 1971, the Week of the Young Child recognizes that childhood is a unique and valuable stage of life. It's a time to grow, to learn, and to build the foundation for the future. This year, the Week of the Young Child is being celebrated April 12-18. It  highlights the importance of families, early childhood professionals, and communities working together to support every ...

What the CDC Wants You to Know About Covid Vaccines

2021-04-16T16:57:41-04:00April 16th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Age requirements have been lowered for the Covid vaccine in New York State and there are an increasing number of vaccination sites. Many people still have questions, though, about the vaccines. Here is what the Centers for Disease Control wants you to know: Covid vaccination is an important tool to help stop the Covid pandemic. COVID vaccination helps protect people from getting sick or severely ill with COVID-19 and might also help protect people around them. To receive the most protection, people should receive all recommended doses of a Covid vaccine. It typically takes two weeks after you are ...

Resources to Fight Racism

2024-02-01T11:55:01-05:00January 15th, 2024|Categories: Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It's never been more important to combat the damaging effects of racism. There are many ways for all of us to educate ourselves to ensure that we increase our awareness about structural racism and implicit biases. Books: White Fragility: Why White People Find it So Difficult to Talk About Racism by Robin D’Angelo Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Deep Denial: The Persistence of White Supremacy in U.S. History and Life by David Billings The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander Between the ...

Juneteenth—Celebrate Freedom

2023-06-20T11:37:45-04:00June 15th, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , |

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is an American holiday honoring and celebrating African-American ancestry, history, achievements, and struggles. In particular, this celebration honors the day in 1865 when enslaved peoples in Texas and Louisiana finally heard they’d been freed, more than two and a half years after the date of January 1, 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation had become official. Juneteenth is now recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in various U.S. states, with New York officially declaring it a state holiday in 2020. However, Juneteenth celebrations and events having been taking ...

WJCS AWARDED $4 MILLION SAMHSA GRANT

2021-02-12T15:06:29-05:00February 12th, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , |

WJCS was awarded a $4 million Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grant—$2 million a year for two years—from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The funding will be used to broaden and deepen WJCS substance abuse and mental health services in Peekskill and Mt.Vernon, two of Westchester's most under resourced communities. "The SAMHSA grant will provide integrated care, combining behavioral health, physical health, and substance use services, to low-income individuals who face major emotional and social challenges, including lack of employment, inadequate housing conditions, poor access to health services and substance use and opioid use prevention, ...

Family Activities During COVID-19

2020-12-17T20:42:31-05:00December 2nd, 2020|Categories: General|

We're all looking forward to the holidays! Our amazing WJCS volunteers and donors have shared their favorite videos and free online resources for wellness, storytelling, art and science projects, and more to get you and your family through the holiday season during these difficult times! Stay Zen with Yoga Cosmic Kids Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga  Do Yoga with Me: https://www.doyogawithme.com  Yoga for Everyone: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/beginner-yoga  Family Friendly Yoga with Michele Frank: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohGTh7yfKYtNd9XdCwQi2Q?view_as=subscriber&fbclid=IwAR2z feVXcT0DGCraxYNQl2KF5fIaU9MBYIoJbSyGLOXqjjFtUUGMw-XuueU  Food, Fitness, Health & Wellness  Let’s get Cooking! ChopChop Kids Club: https://www.chopchopfamily.org/recipes/  Meditation with WJCS OnTrackNY Program Director & Team Leader, Valerie Rosen: FOCUS ON BREATH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBQ8L2PVZSg&feature=youtu.be   Midday Move with WJCS OnTrackNY Program Director & ...

COMPEER: Promoting Mental Health through Meaningful Friendships

2022-05-09T14:01:44-04:00November 25th, 2020|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|

Too often people who experience mental health challenges feel isolated and alone, without a community of peers or friends. WJCS’ Compeer program addresses this issue by bringing together volunteers and those challenged by mental health issues in a supportive, one-to-one friendship and mentoring relationship.Ben Blumberg, Executive Vice President of Stark Office Suites, is a longtime Compeer volunteer. “What started out as a one-year commitment has led to a close friendship,” said Blumberg. His Compeer "match" is a man who has Asperger’s Syndrome, schizophrenia, and compulsive disorder.   “I support him and encourage him. This is something that is very meaningful to ...

Now What? 6 Steps After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

2023-11-15T13:09:18-05:00November 5th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Has your loved one been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia? If so, all of a sudden, you probably have a lot on your plate…. Maybe you have been putting off making financial and legal plans for the future. Perhaps you are rethinking your living situation. Here are first steps you may want to take after a diagnosis: Contact an elder care attorney to discuss your financial planning and need for a power of attorney, will, and advanced directives. Connect your loved one to proper medical care, including a gerontologist and a neurological team. Evaluate your home environment to ensure ...

Caring For Caregivers

2023-11-02T11:54:07-04:00September 5th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Donna*, an only child in her late fifties, suspected that her mother’s Alzheimer’s was progressing. Her mom, a widow living alone in Bronxville, seemed increasingly confused when they spoke on the phone, plus Donna, who lived and worked in Las Vegas, was starting to receive phone calls from concerned neighbors. She decided to come east for a brief visit to get a handle on the situation. Once Donna saw her mom’s declining state, she felt increasingly anxious about leaving her. She decided to quit her job and move permanently back to New York to be her mother’s caregiver and advocate. ...

Inclusion: Enabling all Jews to Have Meaningful Experiences

2020-12-17T20:46:18-05:00November 25th, 2020|Categories: General|

Everyone wants to feel accepted for who they are and what they believe, feel and value. Most people look to belong, to be part of something larger than themselves, where there is a sense of community and “home”. Our synagogues and religious schools can and have provided a spiritual home for its members, a center where families can worship together and celebrate Shabbat and Jewish holidays. However, for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, this can be particularly challenging. As is the experience of children with disabilities in school, differences become more apparent as the child grows and ...

Is Your Child Misbehaving at School? Here’s How You Can Help

2020-12-17T21:07:52-05:00November 24th, 2020|Categories: General|

When a child has behavioral difficulties at school, parents wonder how they can best support their child and if they should get involved with school staff or leave things to the experts at school to handle the situation. It’s important to remember that you, as parents, are also experts when it comes to your child. In fact, you know your child better than anyone else does, and therefore can work alongside your child’s teachers to provide a consistent response that bridges home and school. That consistency between home and school gives children a clear message that there are limits ...

9 Steps to Successful Job Seeking

2020-12-17T21:18:59-05:00November 24th, 2020|Categories: General|

The start of the year can be a great time to look for a new job. Here are nine steps to take now to position yourself for job-seeking success: 1. Update and refine your resume. Even if you think your resume is up to date, it is always a good idea to take a fresh look. Perhaps you’ve added to your skill set, received additional certifications or awards, or published an article since you last wrote your resume. As you send out your resume, you may need to tailor it so it better fits the position to which you’re applying. ...

4 Steps to Cultivating Strong Parent-Child Bonds in the Digital Age

2023-08-31T14:04:05-04:00September 4th, 2023|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Electronic addiction is increasingly becoming an area of concern. A recent study conducted by the Center for Humane Technology found that people check their phones more than 150 times per day. Digital devices and distractions consume our time, influence our communication, affect our sleeping patterns, and impact our relationships and mood. The “ping” on our smartphone, alerting us to incoming texts, news flashes, and “likes” on our social media feeds, have become the background music of our lives. The effect on children who are growing up in such tech-focused environments is a matter worthy of attention by all parents. ...

Early Learning Tips for School Success

2024-07-11T14:25:45-04:00September 4th, 2023|Categories: General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By Tally Aliphas Palefski, LMSW The early years of a child’s life are an essential foundation for later success—in school, career, and in life. During the early years and beyond, we believe that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is committed to providing parents and young children with the tools they need to develop a healthy bond, early literacy and language skills, and social-emotional capabilities. Our Parent-Child Programs recently introduced a new initiative, “Strategy of the Month." Its goal is to help parents hone in on one attainable approach each month to ...

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