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AUGUST 2019 Latina Girls Share Guidelines an Art-Filled Day t North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, we not only A provide counseling, but we also offer some very innovative programs targeted at specific needs and sectors of our local communities. One of those is the Latina Girls Project, which was created in response to the alarming rate of depression, school refusal, self-harm, sexual abuse and attempted suicides by Hispanic girls, ages 12-17. In addition to bilingual individual, family and group therapy, the program incorporates monthly supervised outings to places such as The Latina Girls with Regina Barros-Rivera (far left) and Molly Crabapple (in red coat). theaters and museums. All of the trips are sponsored by our “The girls bonded with her “The girls were very interested in the very generous donors, John and Janet immediately, and she with exhibit, and we couldn’t have had a Kornreich. better companion and tour guide than them,” says Barros-Rivera. Molly,” says Barros-Rivera. “It was very In March, more than 20 girls had the moving to see how she felt so close with experience of a lifetime as they toured Crabapple talked about how she had idolized Frida Kahlo, because Kahlo the girls. She spoke so easily with them; the Brooklyn Museum’s Frida Kahlo it was a real soul connection!” exhibit with Molly Crabapple, an award- was a native of Mexico and was a non- winning artist and writer who learned conformist. Crabapple showed the girls “The girls felt like this was someone just of the Guidance Center’s Latina Girls some of Kahlo’s work, and as she did so, like them,” adds Barros-Rivera, “and Project from Executive Director Andrew she began sketching. Several of the girls look how successful she has become. It Malekoff. also started to draw. gave them such a feeling of hope and possibility.” “When Molly heard about the outings taken by the teens in the Latina Girls For her part, Crabapple says, “I had a Project, she suggested the trip to the wonderful time! I met quite a few smart, Frida Kahlo exhibit and offered to be talented and artistic young women the tour guide,” says Malekoff, who whom I had a lot of fun talking to and connected with Crabapple when he ‘dorking out’ with over Frida. Teenagers bought one of her artworks. “It was are for me the most intimidating such a generous offer, and we were audience to speak to because they have thrilled to have such a prominent and excellent BS detectors and total honesty, accomplished artist accompany the teens so I’m very happy to hear they had a on the trip. We’re also so grateful to good time!” the Kornreiches for making these trips We’re pleased to report that Crabapple possible.” has taken such an interest in the Latina Regina Barros-Rivera, Associate Girls Project that she has offered to Executive Director of the Guidance collaborate on future cultural activities. Center and founder of the Latina Girls Thank you to Molly Crabapple for Project, said the trip was one of the most making this such a special day! successful ever. Crabapple told the girls To learn more about the Latina Girls how she is also Latina (her father is Project, contact Regina Barros-Rivera from Puerto Rico), and that as a young at (516) 626-1971, ext. 330, or email girl she was challenged by the pressures [email protected]. to conform to the rigidity of the school Brooklyn Museum’s Katherine Kusiak Carey (left) system. and Molly Crabapple (right). NORTHSHORECHILDGUIDANCE.ORG GUIDELINES | AUGUST 2019 | 1 A Message From The Executive Director /CEO I was pleased to represent North Shore The challenge ahead will be to hold the Child & Family Guidance Center as part DFS accountable, ensuring that they are of a significant advocacy effort, along taking adequate steps to verify the data with a broad array of mental health and and information that will be provided to substance use providers and consumers them by health insurers. across New York State, that led to the Verification is essential to determining, December 2018 enactment of the Mental for example, if the networks of providers Health and Substance Use Disorder on a health insurer’s plan are in fact real Parity Report Act. as opposed to deceased, retired or no The new law will require commercial longer accepting insurance. They must health insurers to submit key also verify and report when waiting lists information to the NYS Department of of valid providers are so long that access Financial Services (DFS) for analysis and is delayed beyond a reasonable time with evaluation of compliance with federal respect to the urgency of the need. and state parity laws. The intent of this Before a recent client of ours found the provision of the new law is to advance Guidance Center, she told us a provider This decision fires a powerful warning the need for greater accountability and that was part of a large hospital system shot at all insurance carriers who cut transparency. told her that the wait for an appointment corners in determining medical necessity for her teen was six months—and this without regard for quality of care, and Insurers Ignore the Law was a girl in urgent need of care. I’m whose sole aim is enriching themselves Until now, existing parity laws—which proud that, at the Guidance Center, we at the expense of their beneficiaries demand that coverage and treatment see emergency cases within 24 to 48 living with mental health and substance for mental health and substance use hours, and no one is turned away for use disorders. disorders are on par with the coverage inability to pay. and treatment of physical illnesses—have Now, according to leading mental health One reason for the paucity of mental been widely ignored, putting lives at advocate and former congressman health and drug treatment providers is risk. The failure to enforce parity laws Patrick Kennedy, a federal court the substandard rates of reimbursement was made clear in January 2018, when is making it clear that there will that health insurers pay such providers, the Guidance Center released Project be consequences for disregarding as compared to what they pay physical Access, a Long Island-wide study on established standards of quality care in health care providers. This must be the difficulty or ease in which families favor of a financial bottom line. exposed and corrected if found to be the were able to access health care for case when access to care is denied. With your help, we are making progress. mental illness and addiction. (You can access the full report on our website, northshorechildguidance.org; click on There Will Be Consequences the Project Access tab.) In addition to this promising Andrew Malekoff advancement in New York State, this This new legislation, which was passed past April a federal court in the Northern Executive Director / CEO one year after the release of Project District of California found that the giant Access, is a shared success and would health insurer United Behavioral Health not have been possible without strong had been using flawed criteria, contrary grassroots support that included the to generally accepted standards, to generation of an enormous volume of determine medical necessity for the care letters, calls and social media posts from and treatment of patients with mental advocates. health and substance use disorders. Please Support the Guidance Online at: www.northshorechildguidance.org Center Through Our Annual Fund By mail: Make checks payable to NSCFGC and mail to NSC&FGC The Annual Fund is our “lifeline,” composed of 480 Old Westbury Road unrestricted funds that can be used when and where Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 they are needed most. By phone: Call (516) 626-1971, ext. 337 It’s easy to give. You may make your donation in one of three ways: Thank you for your support! 2 | GUIDELINES | AUGUST 2019 NORTH SHORE CHILD & FAMILY GUIDANCE CENTER Donor Profile: Jane Schwartz “You’ve Got a Friend.” That song, Though stigma still exists today, written by Carole King, is perhaps the Schwartz says, more people are willing most beloved hit from singer/songwriter to seek out help from mental health James Taylor. For Jane Schwartz—a true professionals, and the Guidance Center friend to North Shore Child & Family “provides a wonderful service to the Guidance Center—seeing Taylor’s Long Island community, with caring, concert at Tanglewood in Massachusetts dedicated staff members and a Board of is a tradition she enjoys every summer, Directors that are so devoted to helping when she and her husband Marty stay all children and families, including those at their home in the beautiful Berkshires who cannot afford to pay for services.” area. She cites the incredible work done by Indeed, Schwartz has been a dedicated Marion Levine, retired Executive Director friend and supporter of the Guidance of the Guidance Center, and current Center for more than five decades, when Executive Director Andrew Malekoff. her friend Joan Saltzman told her about “Marion and Andy are phenomenal the organization’s mission to provide leaders,” says Schwartz. “They make all emotional healing to children and of us who support the Guidance Center families who were struggling with mental very proud.” health and substance use challenges. Taking the Lead Jane Schwartz A Natural Fit Schwartz’s involvement with the for which her husband Marty is on the During her years as a career woman, Guidance Center over these 50-plus years board. Schwartz was a teacher, which made her has included being a Board President involvement with the Guidance Center (from 1979-1981), along with numerous Today, Schwartz lives most of the year in a “natural fit,” she says.

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