As I come up on my one-year anniversary with NYFS at the start of June, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to lead such an incredible agency and team, and overflowing with excitement for our future. We have invested deeply in the organization over the last 10 months: in our staff salaries, benefits, and wellbeing; in deepening our intentional, trauma and culturally -responsive client care; and in revitalizing our organization’s role and identity in the community. Our offices have also gotten a boost with some much-needed infrastructure improvements as well as ensuring the spaces are warm, welcoming, and follow best practices for trauma-responsive care.
- We are especially proud to share:
- We have hired 10 clinical providers in the last three months, even during the mental health workforce crisis!
- We no longer have a waitlist for therapy services in our clinics.
- We have just completed rebranding and have powerful new mission, vision, and values statements as we prepare for strategic planning this summer.
- We have expanded our services in art and trauma therapy and recently launched a Child Centered Play Therapy Program
- We launched Community Connections, now in its fourth round, which provides youth with a 7-week group to perceive a brighter future through community, education, and career exploration– with 100% attendance!
- Our Youth Diversion services continue to boast a 95% success rate for youth that complete the program (no new offenses at six months completion).
- We expanded our capacity to serve youth in our middle and high school day treatment programs by 50% and are also serving families with parent groups, family therapy, and soon art therapy once again.
We hope that you, our supporters and community, will hold the energy of possibility and the bright future of NYFS with us as we invite you back into the space on May 4 for our Spring Open House and Tour, and this summer when we hold an event to launch our new strategic plan – setting our goals and priorities for the next three years.
We are thankful for a community so invested in our growth and revitalization. Thank you for your commitment to our clients and mission!
Angela Lewis-Dmello
NYFS President & CEO
