WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?
They will learn important information on how to help children and teens who are struggling with issues such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, and other challenges, all of which have been greatly exacerbated by the pandemic. They will learn that they are not alone and that there is compassionate, expert help available for their families.
EPISODE SUMMARY:
About North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center: is the preeminent not-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island. Dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children and families, the Guidance Center leads the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy.
About Kathy Rivera: She is the Executive Director and CEO of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. Ms.Rivera took on the leadership role at the Guidance Center in June 2021 and has been successfully managing the operations of the renowned agency during the unprecedented mental health crisis brought on by the pandemic, which has created an epidemic of anxiety, depression, and fear among our children and teens. Ms. Rivera has 22 years of experience as a social worker, along with management expertise. Her deep knowledge of clinical treatment, mental health policy, and agency operations provides profound insights and perspective on the ever-changing landscape of mental health.
About Jennifer Rush: Associative Executive Director, has a diverse operations background in medical, educational, and community-based services, including hospital and substance abuse settings at Northern Berkshire Health care and the Brattleboro Retreat. Most recently, Ms. Rush was the Vice President of Residential and Clinical Services at Berkshire County Arc in Pittsfield, Mass., where she oversaw all residential services, including the autism outreach services program and the brain injury services program.
Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
00:00:16.219 --> 00:00:23.339 Tommy DiMisa: And now for the live shows professionals survey community. Your boy, the nonprofit sector
00:00:23.350 --> 00:00:53.320 Tommy DiMisa: connector, coming at you from the top of my house a couple of flights up from the kitchen. The show is philanthropy, and focus your boys, Tommy D. I'm extra fired up. I don't know what it is, i'm more fired up than I was an hour ago. Maybe I just saw my kid in a little play at school that got me fired up the guess on the show. They got me fired up. I got a really cool week in a recap of what it's like to be. Tommy. D. What a funny thing to even say, Yeah, the cool it is being Tommy d like, I say that I say that a lot. I say, it's pretty cool. Me and Tommy D. I get to meet cool
00:00:53.330 --> 00:01:06.409 Tommy DiMisa: people, and I say that like sort of ingest sort of as a wink at myself a little bit, because I think we're all in creation mode. We're on manifestation mode. We're all trying to build something here, and we're just
00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:26.020 Tommy DiMisa: making this thing happen. And I will tell you what I want to share about making some things happen is I have two special guests here from North Shore, child and Family guiding center. I'm going to say hello to them, and then i'm going to say a bunch of other words. So Jennifer Rush is here. Kathy Rivera is here. Good morning. How are you leaders?
00:01:26.030 --> 00:01:54.259 Tommy DiMisa: Good morning, Happy Friday to you! I just, I think i'm feeding off of some of your energy. So keep it going. I need to wake up just getting warmed up, man. I'm just getting warmed up. Jennifer. What's going on? I'm: i'm feeling that you guys, I don't know what it is. I am channeling energy and juice from the universe. I feel very fired up today. We're going to have some fun, but we're going to really, because, look, there is a serious part of this program. There's a serious part of this episode, but you know what
00:01:54.570 --> 00:02:17.089 Tommy DiMisa: in life we have to smile. There has to be joy, and somebody I ran into this week was just talking about making sure you find that joy and and listen. Let me just start with this this particular week, shout out to my team, my friends, over the nonprofit resource, Hub, the nonprofit resource. Hub is an organization that my my business partner. Red Probes and I were part of the founding team with a nonprofit resource. Hub! Um!
00:02:17.140 --> 00:02:37.420 Tommy DiMisa: Really, really special organizations, Specifically, I want to give! Shout out to Kellyanne, serene from serene and associates, who does all our marketing for the nonprofit resource of Allison law for Lita, who is our executive director of the nonprofit resource Hub and also um Christina from serene and associates who did a lot of the behind the scenes, marketing work as well with Kelly,
00:02:37.430 --> 00:02:49.540 Tommy DiMisa: so many others that we could thank the committee, et cetera. But let me just say I say this as a joke sometimes, but when there's something in a name where it actually explains what the thing is. I think it's better. Let me give an example. Oh, I don't know
00:02:49.550 --> 00:03:19.540 Tommy DiMisa: the nonprofit sector connector. Well, that means That's a guy who likes to get in the midst of the sector and help connections, so that everybody's better for meeting each other, or one like the nonprofit resource Hub, which is just that it's an organization that we founded. It's a Trade association that is focused on bringing resources, connections, relationships, uh information, education to the sector. Specifically, we are out here on Long Island, but our event was really embraced. Our folks in New York City
00:03:19.550 --> 00:03:28.920 Tommy DiMisa: as well, and I know because it was a virtual event. We had a lot of people checking in from different parts of the country. So if you want to check that out nonprofit resource.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:36.039 Tommy DiMisa: If you want more information, just email me, Tommy D: at philanthropy and focus phos. That's how you still focus.
00:03:36.050 --> 00:04:05.689 Tommy DiMisa: Well, I have to be in focus dot com, or get me on a couple of things i'm on. I'm on the social media, and Tommy Dwy, that's in uh. That's on Instagram, and that's also on tik tok. Believe it or not. That's a whole Another story. I don't even know what i'm doing on there, but we'll figure it out last thing I want to mention almost lasting two more things. One thing I want to just give a shout out: Peter Furtig is a friend of mine. We know each other over twenty years. We used to work together at Adp he founded an organization called the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award
00:04:05.700 --> 00:04:35.519 Tommy DiMisa: and I spent two days down in Washington, Dc. Because he had a special awards event at them, using the Museum of the Navy, which was a cool place. My Buddy, Mick Colin shout out to Mick, I'm sure you're listening. But Mick Collins, my buddy, met me down there because he lives not too far outside of Dc: So we get that event together. So you know what? If you have a really special organization and you want to invite people and get them out to to to connect you. Don't have to just go in your own backyard folks. If you want to connect with organizations around the country or organizations. If you want to connect with people anywhere.
00:04:35.650 --> 00:04:58.219 Tommy DiMisa: Let's reach out. Get on my show. I had a couple of meetings this morning already, and one gentleman and I were talking, and he's like, Yeah, I'd love to get a couple of my organizations out of involved with connected with you. And I said, You know the best part is, It's my show man. I can do whatever I want. So what? So this show goes on only for the rest of my life, and then maybe we'll have somebody pick it up. After that. The last story before we get into today's conversation is this:
00:04:58.630 --> 00:05:01.890 Tommy DiMisa: Shout out to my friend, Shi, Shore I haven't talked to you in
00:05:01.900 --> 00:05:28.490 Tommy DiMisa: probably a year. But you made a really special connection for me, Karen. You know who you are up there in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Karen and I spoke about forty-five minutes. Karen is very involved in nonprofits up in her neck of the woods, and I don't know maybe there's an opportunity. Yad, Dude, Maybe we bring some of those Boston organizations on my show, you know. Maybe New York. Tommy comes up to Boston and we play around. We do some cool, special things. But I feel like, you know, this thing that I thought about
00:05:28.500 --> 00:05:45.159 Tommy DiMisa: for like two years philanthropy and focused before it ever was a real thing is now approaching. By the end of the year we'll hit ninety-nine episodes of a thing right isn't that cool, And that was just an idea, and that's why and and that's the inspiration. What I want to bring out to people is
00:05:45.180 --> 00:05:50.780 Tommy DiMisa: just do the thing like, if you have an idea. Just do it. Just fig it out, and you know what
00:05:50.790 --> 00:06:09.580 Tommy DiMisa: there's a good chance. It'll go really well, and there's a good chance. It won't go really well, and guess what. Now you just learn another way not to do it. So figure it out. Try something, just activate, do something, So maybe that's what the universe is trying to share with me for me to share today, and maybe that's why i'm extra juice. But let's get into this conversation. I have,
00:06:09.590 --> 00:06:11.330 I will say this: The first
00:06:11.420 --> 00:06:40.610 Tommy DiMisa: first ever episode of the show was my friend, Katie Mcgowan from horse ability. Love this Hoodie. By the way, shout out. We're We're actually working with Isn't a great hoodie. Absolutely great organization. I'm on the board of Horse Ability super special organization had a meeting this week out to my buddy, Fred T. For a lot of shout outs. Probably the Fred Taffer does um promotional items and apparel, and a lot of my nonprofits are starting to partner up with Fred. But we're going to work on getting a whole bunch of these hoodies, because these hockey hoodies, which, if you listen and you can. Here
00:06:40.850 --> 00:06:53.450 Tommy DiMisa: I I got a lot of hoodie. This is my favorite hoodie in Hoodie history, like the best cody and hoodie history. I think this one right here. So I just got a bunch of compliments at the school. But uh, second show ever was Larry Grubler
00:06:53.500 --> 00:07:01.859 Tommy DiMisa: transitional services for New York. Okay, That organization serves four thousand individuals in the five brows of New York City with with mental health challenges.
00:07:02.570 --> 00:07:15.710 Tommy DiMisa: And you know what Larry said to me, Larry, said Tommy. You know what it is. We all need support at different times, and we all need to help each other, and I go. Larry, i'm with you, man, one hundred percent, because i'm on the side of this thing, and you know
00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:38.329 Tommy DiMisa: I won't, say i'm not going to pass judgment on anybody else. But I don't believe that one in four people or one in five people will experience mental health issue in their lifetime. I believe it's one in one or six out of six for people that I know, or you know, or one hundred out of one hundred. We don't have to argue the statistics because I have no clinical background to make the statement I just made. I'm just the guy with a microphone who gets to say words,
00:07:38.340 --> 00:07:47.629 Tommy DiMisa: but I know people, and I believe that we all go through different things, and I would say it's somewhat of a spectrum, if you will, of people who have different mental health challenges.
00:07:47.810 --> 00:07:52.779 Tommy DiMisa: Last thing i'll say for a while is Robin Williams has his very special quote that I talk about.
00:07:53.110 --> 00:07:56.160 Tommy DiMisa: Everyone you meet is fighting a battle
00:07:56.190 --> 00:07:58.310 Tommy DiMisa: you know nothing about.
00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:00.030 Tommy DiMisa: Be kind
00:08:00.130 --> 00:08:01.390 Tommy DiMisa: always,
00:08:01.400 --> 00:08:31.119 Tommy DiMisa: and that's special. And I try to remember that because we don't know what people are dealing with with that set up with a nine-minute introduction like that. We're probably gonna have to go to a break before I even have my new friends make a word other than Hello Jennifer Rush, associate, Executive director, Kathy Rivera, Executive director of the North Shore Child and Family Guiding Center, which also has another name, though right it's kind of like two names the guidance center for sure, the guiding center for short sort of like Tommy Day for like a short time
00:08:31.250 --> 00:08:47.339 Tommy DiMisa: mental health. Let's talk about. You know there's this terrible stigma around mental health. Let's just start the conversation with, you know. Maybe, Kathy, your experience, Jennifer, your experience in your background in in the in the sector, so to speak, in this world, mental health related, and i'll just ask questions as we get into it.
00:08:47.780 --> 00:09:14.459 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Yeah. So I appreciate. First of all, Tommy, Tommy d thank you for having us on this show. Um! I think there's a variety of uh reasons we were invited, and our hope just to sort of, you know. Put the invisible agenda out. There is that we raise awareness. We um impress upon the community that this is a true call to action. Putting the pandemic aside, this was a problem prior to the pandemic. It was just exposed
00:09:14.470 --> 00:09:31.439 Tommy DiMisa: more and enhanced by the it's almost like I'm going to be silly candy, but it's almost like I want to say thank you. Card to Covid nineteen, because it seems like an issue before, but exacerbated might be the right word. But I like your word exposed like, Hey, look, look at this. This is a real thing, right
00:09:31.470 --> 00:09:53.640 Kathy Rivera (she/her): right? And and if you, if we're giving thanks to Covid nineteen, I will say it gave us permission to talk about it. Um, regardless of who you were, What your zip code was, and what your income was right, because you know, unfortunately, um mental health issues do not discriminate right. It's an equal opportunity. Um, uh challenge. So. Um,
00:09:53.650 --> 00:10:22.769 Kathy Rivera (she/her): I do. You know I I do want to say, you know we we want the um for anyone who's listening, or anyone who watches this later. Our takeaway is to one know that we are here. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to meet the community's needs, and don't be fools. Right? We are the guidance center, the North Shore piece of it. We serve all of Nasa County. So we are um an independent nonprofit organization here for the last seventy years. To meet the the needs of the community which
00:10:22.780 --> 00:10:52.749 Kathy Rivera (she/her): we will go into the segment learn is really crucial, and also to to let folks know not only that, or we. We. We're here to help, but we also can get help right, meaning support donations talking about how you can help volunteering time. We'll get to all of that good stuff later. But that's really our agenda um for today. Uh, now, do you? I? I'd love to if I can steal a couple of minutes. Um, and just sort of i'm a navigator. Kathy, i'm just here to navigate You Take it away, and i'll ask questions
00:10:52.760 --> 00:11:21.539 Kathy Rivera (she/her): as appropriate. Tell me your story. Yeah. So I just, you know, for those who are listening because we we talked about how Covid gave you permission to talk about it. Um. So you know, I think being vulnerable is a really difficult thing, especially when people are at their worst to talk about. What they are going through is even a greater challenge. Um! So I always think that it's important, not only as an executive director of an organization to share what? My Why? Is in terms of Why, I'm here.
00:11:21.550 --> 00:11:50.450 Kathy Rivera (she/her): So let people know that it's okay, not to be okay and to share your story. Uh, I, You know, I i'm here basically because um, I have a personal connection to this uh, my now twenty year old son, at the age of fifteen, for for the first time shared uh his um desire to take his own life, and that, uh was hard and painful. I am a social worker by profession. Um, so not only was it, um, you know, a personal struggle.
00:11:50.460 --> 00:12:15.609 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um, you know, as a parent, because we're as as parents, we're human beings first, and whatever our title is, second um, you know, dealt with the shame. Um! And uh, you know, feeling like, what did I miss? I screwed up here with my own kid, Right? Um! And so I uh, you know, ensure that I was going to use that personal experience, and it's a struggle every day. Right him him waking up and wanting to live
00:12:15.620 --> 00:12:44.899 Kathy Rivera (she/her): is a good day, right? These little milestones are a great day, and so I think that, you know, with mental health issues, please remember it is humanized and cannot be demonized. Uh, you know, my personal story has just been fuel to just go out there promote, do what we do. Um, and ensure that. Listen. We fight this because this is a a real battle. Um! And i'll talk a little bit more. Um, you know, as we go along, in terms of you know my own personal.
00:12:44.910 --> 00:12:56.960 Tommy DiMisa: I'm experience with this and and and my contribution shout out out real quick. First of all, thank you for everything you said, and thank you for your candor and sharing your personal story, and I think many of us have that those types of stories to share, whether they be our own
00:12:56.970 --> 00:13:07.920 Tommy DiMisa: things are going on our own head, in our own mind, in our own brain. For those of us who who have family members. Life is challenging. Life is difficult. You know it. It it's like
00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:27.119 Tommy DiMisa: what you just said about humanizing versus demonizing God, man! If we could just be more compassionate for each other and stop the nonsense. Let's work this out. Be like I I remember I know we'll go to Commercial Break, but I remember being a kid twenty-one years old, twenty-one years old, something like that going to school at Peru in Manhattan um,
00:13:27.180 --> 00:13:33.659 Tommy DiMisa: and I was a bartender at the time, and I was pretty low. One day I was on the on the F train, heading into the city,
00:13:33.700 --> 00:13:41.459 Tommy DiMisa: and this person, who i'll never see ever again. A little girl looked at me, smiled, and literally
00:13:41.470 --> 00:13:58.100 Tommy DiMisa: change the change. The trajectory of my day, which probably my week, which probably, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So what Just think in terms, Gang. Listen to me. What is the ripple effect of saying the nice thing, or grabbing somebody and helping them and looking out. Hey, how you doing?
00:13:58.110 --> 00:14:10.019 Tommy DiMisa: How's everything? Can I help you with stuff? Just everybody in your life, your spouse, the people you don't know strangers, whatever i'm right now. I'm prompted to think of this group that I listen to called revolution, and you know
00:14:10.150 --> 00:14:16.350 Tommy DiMisa: a lot of their music is just like we got to look out for each other, man. We got to help each other. We got to connect with each other. So before we go to quick break,
00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:34.740 Tommy DiMisa: Kathy, How if somebody's gotten to this point in the show and could use a hand, could use some help. Could you some some connection? How do they call the guidance center? How do they get to the guidance center? And if the guidance center is not the answer. Obviously the guidance sensor has other resources. So can you shout out if somebody is at this point in the show and needs a little bit of help,
00:14:34.990 --> 00:15:04.980 Kathy Rivera (she/her): please uh reach out to us immediately. We are open five days a week. Um, five, one, six, six, two, six, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-one. I'm physically, which is a good year, by the way. So i'm literally in our Rodlin office if you want come by, say, Hi, Jen and I are here, General V. And our man has an office later. Um, our uh website is Www. Dot North Shore child Guidance org reach out to us. You get a live person you will get um uh coordinated with
00:15:04.990 --> 00:15:34.209 Tommy DiMisa: in terms of help. Um questions ask we. And if we're not the ones to your point, Tommy, we will be the pathway to where you need to get We don't just say, Oh, sorry we're not here to help you. We're hanging up. That's not how we do business here, and that's not how we work with the communities That's awesome. Thank you for that. We'll be shouting that out throughout the show, Jennifer, we come back. We're going to get really, really into kind of your perspective on this work. I just got a shout out a bunch of people checking in on Facebook. Peter Ferti again. Great, great great show the other night. So blessed I've been there, Kemp: Good morning,
00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:35.989 Tommy DiMisa: my Buddy Paul Reuben's kind of
00:15:36.000 --> 00:16:05.069 Tommy DiMisa: you know. Paul Paul's got an event a couple of weeks ago. It's so good. So he he's saying that he's looking forward to working with your organization. So camp. Good morning. If you don't know Dylan, we're not going to break yet, baby. So Camp Good morning. If you don't know, is a very special bereavement camp for young people who have lost a sibling or a parent. They actually have an event. Tomorrow, if you want to check that, I go to camp. Good morning, Org Paul. Correct me if i'm wrong. Um. But Google Camp. Good morning, Mou. R n ing.
00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:25.640 Tommy DiMisa: Uh there's a event at the Hicksville, Vfw: If i'm not mistaken, it's a Bingo event. I will be there. You are, boy. The nonprofit sector connect, and my wife is doing some volunteer work with Paul, obviously Mick College, checking in, always checking and love you, brother. And uh, Peter, first let's go to break. We come back, Peter, for take again. I see you saying, Hey, Hey! Believe it! All right. Let's go to a break. We'll be right back
00:16:25.750 --> 00:16:28.890 Tommy DiMisa: This Just go to a breakdown, because i'm out of my mind.
00:16:32.130 --> 00:16:51.840 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Are you a business owner? Do you want to be a business owner? Do you work with business owners? I I'm. Steven Pry. You're small and medium sized business or Smb Guy and I'm, the host of the new Show always Friday. While I love to have fun on my show, we take those Friday feelings of freedom and clarity to discuss popular topics and the minds of Sms today.
00:16:51.850 --> 00:16:58.129 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Please join me at my various special guests on Friday at eleven. Am on Talk radio, Dot Nyc.
00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:07.020 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Are you a conscious co-creator? Are you on a quest to raise your vibration? And your consciousness?
00:17:07.030 --> 00:17:30.940 www.TalkRadio.nyc: I'm. Sam Leblitch, your conscious consultant, and on my show, the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity, we will touch upon all these topics and more. Listen. Live at our new time on Thursdays at twelve noon. Eastern time. That's the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. Thursday's twelve noon on talk Radio Nyc:
00:17:35.980 --> 00:18:04.809 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Are you on edge? Hey? We live in challenging edgy time. So let's lean in. I'm. Sandra Bgeman, the host of the edge of every day, which airs each Monday at seven P. M. Eastern time on talk radio, dot nyc tune in Live with me and my friends and colleagues. As we share stories of perspectives about pushing boundaries and exploring our rough edges. That's the edge of every day on Mondays. At seven P. M. Eastern time on top Radio Nyc:
00:18:07.590 --> 00:18:13.099 www.TalkRadio.nyc: You're listening to talk radio, Nyc: uplift, educate, empower
00:18:17.580 --> 00:18:18.660 you,
00:18:19.930 --> 00:18:21.090 you
00:18:22.620 --> 00:18:23.470 you!
00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:53.289 Tommy DiMisa: I used to make these threats. I used to say, you're gonna have to sing this on with me, but I just asked in the chat, and Jennifer and Kathy might want to sing this on. So the the lyrics are Nonprofits need connections to moving right directions. So cut through all the static
00:18:53.300 --> 00:19:02.729 Tommy DiMisa: joined. Tommy's at it. Yeah, we got a singer on our hands, Jennifer, aside from being an incredible singer.
00:19:02.740 --> 00:19:32.290 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, yes, tell us about your so. I'm gonna read. I'll read a little bit. Jennifer Rosh is the Associate executive director has a diverse operations background in in medical educational community based services including hospital and substance abuse settings Uh: recently at the Northern Berkshire Healthcare and Bradal Borough Retreat. That's in Pittsfield, Mass. Right? I used to have uh is There another organization in Berkshire County, Arc, actually in Pittsfield. I need somebody from Pitchfield along like in my child a long, uh
00:19:32.310 --> 00:19:33.980 Tommy DiMisa: long, long time ago
00:19:33.990 --> 00:20:00.940 Tommy DiMisa: they might be, ken it was like a It was this funny thing. It was like a younger sister of a one I used to work in a bar business with, and you know her, you know. Well, I mean, maybe you do. You probably do. I don't know how big Pitchfield is. All right. Let's get back into this conversation because I said we'd be a little silly. But we got to be serious, too, because this is a topic right. But I I have to keep from crying to be honest with you. So let's let's get into that.
00:20:01.780 --> 00:20:13.579 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Well, you know, I I think happy, happy. Uh really said it all super Well, um for me. I'm a mom, a former professional, and just like happy, and so many others.
00:20:13.590 --> 00:20:33.350 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Uh, you know I have my own story. I my family barge in a whole history of substance abuse, and I also have a daughter, We said, mental health challenges for many years, and you know the universality of it is really, you know It's you. You said it best, Kathy. I can't. I can't do it better. And and Tommy the work that you do to sort of support.
00:20:33.360 --> 00:20:43.800 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Um, our mission. Um, I've been in nonprofits my entire career and always mission driven organizations, and you set up this. You know this a spectrum of different organizations, but
00:20:43.810 --> 00:21:12.339 Jennifer Rush (she/her): you know, not having the resources in the in the um, the capital, to have these kind of forms to build those um to build that social capital to build the connections, you know. Camp. Good morning. I was actually in a possibility of them. I went to when I first came here we got partnered with book ferries, who now delivers books to one of our programs. I got chills. I literally got chill shout out to Eileen and Ali Minogue, Executive Director Amy's as Lansky founder,
00:21:12.350 --> 00:21:23.990 Tommy DiMisa: I mean those are my people like I was. I had Ken Srini on the show last week. So, reading an associate to imagine awards the whole thing, my body, my pal, and I said, um dude. We could have chose to work in the hedge fund world,
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:42.040 Tommy DiMisa: and he's like No, we couldn't if that wouldn't be our world, and I was like exactly like what you just did for me, Jennifer, that fires me up with those that you're playing with all of our right putting the pieces together. You, you all who are listening on radio, Jennifer Mon: as Hello, I got you text message. I know you're listening on radio, but um
00:21:42.050 --> 00:22:02.130 Tommy DiMisa: like we're moving our fingers around, pointing around, because that that's it like that's how my mind sees the world. It's sort of like a spider-man web of like putting all these people together and without collaboration. We can't live in silos. That's more, you know. That's about the sector specific to the mental health stuff, right? The challenges. This is like,
00:22:02.140 --> 00:22:18.550 Tommy DiMisa: I I want to ask you both the question, and I don't want to go in the wrong direction here. But these things i'm showing my phone. Everybody. Oh, my goodness, I'll just say that. Have you seen the movie on? Um? It's on Netflix. It's uh the social dilemma.
00:22:19.220 --> 00:22:26.139 Tommy DiMisa: I think everybody, if you haven't seen that you you all should see the social dilemma. It basically talks about how
00:22:27.310 --> 00:22:28.910 Tommy DiMisa: strategically
00:22:29.590 --> 00:22:49.090 Tommy DiMisa: on purpose these companies are. And maybe it's obvious now. But our are are building these apps and things just to get that dopamine fix Hit us with the dopamine right? I. My addiction is more to my inbooks and outlook than it is to the apps, although I am starting to get addicted to some of these apps, and I know, know a little bit about addiction.
00:22:49.420 --> 00:23:08.620 Tommy DiMisa: But in the case of the social media. I watch our little ones specifically who your organization is serving children from? Really from? Is it from birth to age? Twenty-four I mean it, I I that it, and in utero right with our, you know. You don't explain that to me for sure. But um
00:23:08.690 --> 00:23:10.079 Tommy DiMisa: these this
00:23:10.710 --> 00:23:22.899 Tommy DiMisa: so i'm i'm. Gen. X. So I remember the little man with Aol running across my screen. It was like making all those noises. We remember that the three of us, so we remember before. That is my point.
00:23:22.910 --> 00:23:39.350 Tommy DiMisa: These young people don't remember before that our millennials and our New Z Z. Millennials or Webex gang is certainly my children are digital native. I mean, you know that this is all they know. I remember my oldest swiping, you know she knew how to swipe the ipad when she was a year old what
00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:43.170 Tommy DiMisa: I was gonna say for better or for worse, honestly, probably for worse. But
00:23:43.510 --> 00:23:53.109 Tommy DiMisa: what have you both seen professionally as this social media, and and certainly tragically, I know it hits our young girls even worse,
00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:54.990 Tommy DiMisa: you know. At least
00:23:55.160 --> 00:24:05.300 Tommy DiMisa: I don't want to say in my own world yet. But anecdotally from what I've seen in my friends who have older daughters, can we talk a little bit about social media and that experience, and how that's affecting mental health.
00:24:05.890 --> 00:24:21.829 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Yeah, i'll start if that's okay. Jen: Um, You know we have it. It's interesting, right? Because we have seen similar um items that you've raised. In fact, it was the catalyst for us to create what's called the Latina Girls Project.
00:24:21.840 --> 00:24:30.410 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um uh several years ago, because we saw the impact it was having on um the Latino population.
00:24:30.420 --> 00:24:48.430 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um, you know these are especially young ladies who are first immigration uh first generation immigrants. Um! Who are navigating both their sort of Nat. Uh, you know it. Cultural world, right? The American culture and and and the culture of uh their family. And um,
00:24:48.440 --> 00:25:07.919 Kathy Rivera (she/her): you know, social media creates this world. Um that as young people's minds are developing not to get to scientific for a moment, right um becomes desirable, becomes addictive. Right becomes um a platform to really uh sort of
00:25:07.930 --> 00:25:22.680 Kathy Rivera (she/her): have them Second: guess themselves. Um uh lower their self-esteem. Not um create confidence um rather destroy it um it also, you know, it really also changes the the sort of the it alters their brain Right?
00:25:22.690 --> 00:25:37.160 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Because the to your point, the swiping, the instinct, gratification, right, the sustainability of attention for just minutes on, and then and then That's not good enough onto the next one. That was a funny real onto the next one that's not how life works.
00:25:37.170 --> 00:25:52.739 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um. And when you do that often enough, right you, you create this sort of pattern in your mind that life should be that way, right? So it's that you know that phone. If you're missing out. If i'm not in what's happening now, I am missing something, and then what's wrong with me?
00:25:52.750 --> 00:26:09.439 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um! So I think what you know what you're raising. We've seen. It is getting younger and younger. Um the dependency the addiction. Um, you know not to go a little all over the place. You know the an online gambling addiction that we're seeing
00:26:09.510 --> 00:26:12.890 Tommy DiMisa: with young people. You're seeing the gambling.
00:26:12.970 --> 00:26:41.940 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Uh, no, no, I wouldn't say you'll when I say, Well, let's define y'all right? Yeah, I will say, Well, you can to connect to your um the social media piece and the phones it's, you know we are. See, you know the the low level which we don't even think of as gambling. But the games that you play where you're betting. You know you're buying, and you're getting online. Um. So so that has become a whole burgeoning field of gambling. And in that gambling addiction connected to substance, abuse. And And
00:26:46.150 --> 00:27:02.360 Tommy DiMisa: yeah, I want to know about that clinical. We We gotta make sure we hit on that because I want. I have a million questions about that. But I want to just say, you know what what's interesting to me, so i'm going to share something. I share a lot on this show. I I try not to go to do too deep into the personal stuff, but I think people who plug in here or know me.
00:27:02.370 --> 00:27:32.359 Tommy DiMisa: No, I I gave up, but I think I said it earlier today. I gave up drinking about twelve years ago. Um! And I certainly have that addictive personality, and I recently i'm working with a coach. Now, because I tell you these things, folks not for your pity. I tell you these things to say. We're all we all are in this together. So I recently got a diagnosis with Adhd and a lot of what you're talking about. These dopamine hits that brain, my my coach calls it. You know the beautiful brain that we have when we have this Adhd is we're looking for like little things like a fix like we're looking for this.
00:27:32.370 --> 00:27:42.940 Tommy DiMisa: That right? So I know this growing up, working in the bar business. There was gambling around. Gambling is. And now you know what makes as a forty-four going to be forty-five year old man,
00:27:43.630 --> 00:27:59.820 Tommy DiMisa: having lived through a lot of these things, having seen them in working in bars and and restaurants at that point in my life, when I was super impressed by one thousand seven hundred and eighteen one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one all those years doing really dumb things and still making it out. Okay, what scares the hell out of me with the gambling, especially
00:27:59.910 --> 00:28:04.280 Tommy DiMisa: having seen it in my family and and seen it personally. Is
00:28:04.370 --> 00:28:25.640 Tommy DiMisa: It's freaking everywhere now like I can't get my kids through a ball game without draft kings advertising. I can't listen to sports, talk radio without these advertising going on. So I have one of my sons asking me, hey? You know, like who's who is not even twelve. Who's asking me, hey? Why don't we do what they say? We can get money if we bet on this game,
00:28:25.650 --> 00:28:34.140 Tommy DiMisa: and i'm like, Oh, we are in so much trouble. We are in so much trouble if we don't do something about this, because gambling, especially
00:28:34.150 --> 00:29:02.249 Kathy Rivera (she/her): to the drink to the drugs, but the gambling ruins destroys lives, destroys families. Kathy, You're going to say something. Yeah, no to that. They time. I, you know I really appreciate you sharing that because um, I think again what you're saying echoes and actually supports what we're seeing with the families that walk through our door by compared to what you touched upon. You know, whatever the pathway is to the initial issue to your point, it's spirals. So we, if we touch upon the gambling,
00:29:02.260 --> 00:29:31.470 Kathy Rivera (she/her): it leads to very often addiction issues um of substances more specifically and mental health issues. Um. And so with an end, if you know by made such upon it to um some of the suicidal thinking right, because then there's no way out right. I'm in this spot. I lost this money. Maybe I drink now to make it feel bad, so it's feel better from the badness. So it goes away. But I actually my my relationship with my entire support system.
00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:50.820 Tommy DiMisa: What am I doing right? So The only way out is is that it which that is never the way out. That is a permanent problem to a temporary issue. I'm really pissed right Now, that is a temporary problem. Excuse me a permanent problem to a temporary issue or challenge. We're working to please. If you have it
00:29:50.870 --> 00:29:59.009 Tommy DiMisa: Make a call if they need some help. Right now. Again shout out the guidance center real quick, Jennifer, How do they get in touch with Kathy. Just so we do it before we go to break.
00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:29.390 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Uh five, one six. Pick up the phone five, one, six, six, two six one thousand nine hundred and seventy-one. Remember, that's a good year, Easiest way to remember. We have a triage emergency uh you a program We have a the Douglas Felman suicide program. We have experts here to help. You are not doing this alone, and you don't have to do this alone. Call us. Thank you, and and thank you so much for being here today. Um! Couple of things that are coming up for me, and then we'll go to break, I promise uh girls in the Long Island. Do you know that?
00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:48.099 Tommy DiMisa: Um, you need to know the Rene Daniel Flaggler? She's my friend, she's my buddy. In fact, this particular network talk radio that Nyc decided to support girls in of Long Island over the last year, or all of this year two thousand and twenty-two. If you don't know, Rene. We gotta make that happen, because specifically, you talked about that Latina girls program. I forgot what the program was called. But
00:30:48.110 --> 00:31:18.100 Tommy DiMisa: so let's make the connection there ironically, as i'm talking about Renee, I see my friend Nikki, a white checking in our Facebook What's off, kid? She is with Girl Scouts of Suffolk county. I know her, and she just won an award shadow. She's congratulations There, you guys saw you saw your pictures on the the old Facebook there. Congrats very special. You know what I mean, Long Island. You can go out to an award ceremony pretty much every night if you want to. There's a lot of stuff going on here. But when we recognize our leaders in
00:31:18.110 --> 00:31:27.580 Tommy DiMisa: a non-profit that's the ones I want to be at those are the special ones. So shout out, And i<unk> love you, miss. You see you soon. I want to also say that if you don't know
00:31:27.990 --> 00:31:35.339 Tommy DiMisa: Jennifer and Kathy, if you do not know Joe Salamone from Long Island coalition against bullying. We must fix that.
00:31:35.350 --> 00:31:49.599 Tommy DiMisa: We must fix that. We must make that connection. So, Joe, if you're listening, let's get you connected to the team over at the guiding center. We do have to take a break. This is one of those shows we're gonna run out of time. We're never going to run out of words. We'll be right back.
00:31:51.000 --> 00:32:18.030 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Are you passionate about the conversation around racism? Hi! I'm Reverend Dr. Tlc. Host of the dismantling racism show which airs every Thursday at eleven Am. Eastern on top radio dive in vice. Be join me and my amazing guest as we discuss ways to uncover, dismantle and eradicate racism. That's Thursday at eleven o'clock. Am. On talk radio, Dot: Nyc:
00:32:18.330 --> 00:32:19.310 Okay,
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00:32:52.870 --> 00:33:16.949 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Everybody. It's Tommy de the nonprofit sector connected coming at you by my adding each week here on talk radio that Nyc: I hosted program. Philanthropy focused nonprofits impact us each and every day, and it's my focus to help them amplify their message and tell their story. Listen: each week at ten Am. Eastern Standard time until eleven Am. It's from standard time right here on talk radio, Dot Nyc:
00:33:18.020 --> 00:33:27.510 www.TalkRadio.nyc: You're listening to talk radio and yc at Ww: talk radio, dot and live C. Now broadcasting on twenty-four hours a day.
00:33:45.460 --> 00:34:14.640 Tommy DiMisa: I saw you Singing Katy. I think you started this thing, too. Jen: Welcome back to the show. This is philanthropy in focus. I'm going to be a crooner, I decided. I'm taking singing lessons. I'm going to be a crooner because I like to wear hats, and I like to sing, and I think it'd be better for the rest of the world if I could sing Well, you know it would be better if, like, just for the listener, you know, for the listener. So they wouldn't be so so difficult to listen to me, Katie Mcgowan. Thanks for the text. Kaden ground. Check it out. If you're watching us on Facebook. Look at the hoodie. We gotta talk. We need more hoodies.
00:34:14.650 --> 00:34:26.849 Tommy DiMisa: Um, Jennifer Monas, I agree there. The the gambling destroys lives, you know, and and you know what really, the before we get off this gambling topic, the thing about it with with um
00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:35.680 Tommy DiMisa: and seventeen eighteen years old. These kids are getting into uh Fantasy football, Fantasy Base. I I watch my own son who's not doing the fantasy stuff.
00:34:35.690 --> 00:35:03.150 Tommy DiMisa: Listen, gang, if you're not up for it. That's a gateway into gambling. That's a gateway to go into the track That's a gateway to sports betting. That's a gateway to the whole thing. I mean It's all wound up. Um last shout. I don't want to make is my buddy, Robert Rosner, I love you, Robert, my friend, for life. Thank you for checking into the show and thanks for the text. All right, let's get back into it. I want to talk about programs. I let's say, for example, my family, we're we're experiencing with one of our children a mental health challenge.
00:35:03.160 --> 00:35:07.560 Tommy DiMisa: Maybe it's depression. Maybe it's substance abuse. Maybe it's
00:35:07.710 --> 00:35:09.960 Tommy DiMisa: what looks like sadness
00:35:09.970 --> 00:35:39.950 Jennifer Rush (she/her): talk. Take us down this road. I think we're from our notes. Jen. You want to start a little bit. Oh, yeah, I mean, I think you know, coming off of the gambling and the addiction. I I was thinking programmatically, You know just we clearly, you know, Service um families and children with mental health issues. But we do have a special specialized program in West Barrier Leeds program which is designed and specialized in treatment of uh families, children with substance, issues, chemical dependency. Um, children, coas! What are children of alcoholics?
00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:48.239 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Families that have substance abuse in their family environment and uh co-occurring disorders, which is really substance, abuse, and mental health.
00:35:48.250 --> 00:36:02.859 Jennifer Rush (she/her): So um the leads places expertise in that where they'll provide individual support group counseling education to families and and coas and children of uh alcoholics. Um to deal with those issues as well. Um,
00:36:03.320 --> 00:36:32.859 Kathy Rivera (she/her): yeah. And I do want to say, Tommy, because, you know, I I think you've been saying this throughout the whole segment. It's. You know we are one strong and mighty organization, but we can't do it alone, right? Not only do we need support from the public, but we also need to partner with those um that can. Um, you know, help us with families that may not be able to be served by us; for for whatever reason and vice versa, right, we we become sort of the the fill in the gaps right for other organizations.
00:36:32.870 --> 00:36:51.219 Kathy Rivera (she/her): So we work very closely with the community. Um, you know a big shout out to Pamela Brennan Davis, who did a fantastic training for our entire staff from the Long Island. Um uh uh gambling uh association.
00:36:51.230 --> 00:36:54.819 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Her a Pamela Brenner Davis.
00:36:54.970 --> 00:37:13.699 Kathy Rivera (she/her): So she they work very closely with us, with, uh the children and families that come into come through our doors uh where we're treating them for um, perhaps sometimes multiple addictions. Um. And if there's something more intense uh, we definitely work with her and her resources. Um! To definitely help the family.
00:37:13.710 --> 00:37:22.249 Tommy DiMisa: Let me just call out that organization real quick. I The website is ny problem gambling, help, dot org um That's
00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:43.330 Jennifer Rush (she/her): I just want to make sure that's it there. And you know, just circling back to the whole social media piece. You know we have a a very small respite program, but I just want to bring it up because we were talking about, sort of that addiction and the the media high intensity impact and the wilderness respite program is is an outside
00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:53.589 Jennifer Rush (she/her): um sort of therapeutic like a millieu nature mill. You experience where you are put you. You don't have your phone and you're going on a hike with counselors, and you are,
00:37:53.600 --> 00:38:21.940 Jennifer Rush (she/her): you know, experiencing in your life? Not through media, no device, no device, Jennifer, I can't do it. How can I get through a day without my device? I mean. Come on, you're getting. You're getting empowerment. You're getting support You're getting um. Your your learning skills outside that you wouldn't learn inside, and it's a phenomenal program. There's not a requisite prerequisite to be. You don't have to be in our services to be part of that. Tell me about that. Where How could somebody.
00:38:21.950 --> 00:38:31.880 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Is that a family thing? Is it A. It's for you? You know you have to be able to be relative help relatively healthy, and take the height. Um
00:38:31.890 --> 00:39:01.269 Jennifer Rush (she/her): like like you said, Take a hike you don't want like. Take a hike, Tommy, d you didn't mean it that way, right? Not at all. No, they do. Long as they go up to Bare Mountain, you know it's a every other sat. It's a you know, weekend rescue program for for you to adolescents that go is that through the year, like we'll winter time as well like, if you okay, all you're wrong. What do we call? I know you have something, Kathy. Hang one second. Who who do? We call at the same number and ask for the wilderness program a little.
00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:07.899 Tommy DiMisa: Listen to all of these programs. It's incredibly special. I tell you. This folks nonprofits change our world only
00:39:08.140 --> 00:39:27.010 Tommy DiMisa: every single day, and they're addressing the issues that Don't get addressed. If they're not there. Ken was on the show, Kennedy. I had a sign up here. I ripped it off the wall to show him that it was there. Can you imagine a world without nonprofits? You cannot, because it doesn't make any sense. So we, which one other thing I got to say before Kathy gets in. Here, again is
00:39:27.060 --> 00:39:48.590 Tommy DiMisa: the Long Island. Imagine awards. Applications are live right now, and we only have, like nine or ten days for those applications. So go to imagine awards Li Org or dot com, or just text me imagine awards i'll share it on Facebook, and i'll look Google it really quick, Kathy, while i'm Googling that it's. Imagine awards, li Icom, I found it, Kathy, please.
00:39:48.600 --> 00:40:18.559 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Yeah, I just you know I wanted to echo what you know. Jen was saying, you know um, I I mean the the wilderness program. You know it's day trip, so I I just want to clarify that, too. But um, you know if it's for kids twelve and up um, you know it. Offer. It also offers that pause right. Family stress can really be challenging when a child is in crisis, and or a child has a mental health need. And so you need that pause where parents need to take a break from the kids and the kids need to take a break from the
00:40:18.630 --> 00:40:24.520 Tommy DiMisa: like. Get out of it right, like. I even know that personally, sometimes. And and you know, this is just because
00:40:24.530 --> 00:40:54.429 Tommy DiMisa: I'm evolving as an adult. I know I need to leave this situation right now, but I can do that as a forty-four year, old man. But a nine-year-old can always do that. Can't just get out of the house. They don't have that same freedom or liberty. But what you're saying is in this wilderness program. They're there. They're there, and the family is home. So they're out of that element to do whatever it is kind of they need to work through with counselors. Correct
00:40:54.440 --> 00:41:24.420 Kathy Rivera (she/her): um where they're you know they're building team, right? They're really going to It's a rigorous height, right? So they're really challenging themselves and feeling good about their success. And then they're reconnecting with their their family, and they're in a different place. Um! Not to mention the physical benefits of it too right, You know you you you you know you. You get some different kind of error in your lungs. Um! But I wanted to kind of like also just clarify, not clarify, but really talk about. You know the nonprofit sector is really unique, And one thing I want the audience directly
00:41:24.430 --> 00:41:54.380 Kathy Rivera (she/her): recognize to Don't for donors to recognize. You know we have an incredibly generous board. We're always looking for board new board members, you know. If you can't donate money. Donate your time, donate your network, donate your knowledge, donate You know what you know who you know. There's always ways to help, but when you see one nonprofit. You've not seen them all. So I really want to really impress that upon the listeners. You know what I think we're what's great about us?
00:41:54.390 --> 00:41:58.740 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um uh, amongst what we've been talking about. So, boss,
00:41:58.760 --> 00:42:08.529 Kathy Rivera (she/her): is that we have a specialty of really focusing just on not just focusing on children. Um, And I know other organizations, you know, do a wide array,
00:42:08.540 --> 00:42:38.529 Kathy Rivera (she/her): a wide array of services, but you know we are. Niche is really like, you know, children and families. Um, and we do treat the family ecosystem right? So you know what? At one point we'll talk more about our programming from sou to nuts, you know in utero right with our perinatal mood, disorder and our maternal health and wellness program um to our grandparents respite program. And uh, where we provide you know, support as well, and everything that that falls in between. So I want to just really um reiterate that, you know we we are, we We
00:42:38.540 --> 00:42:57.070 Kathy Rivera (she/her): It's like the family ecosystem, and I I am really proud of that. Um, I our talented team. Um, we're here, you know again. Five, one, six, six, two, six, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-one. Pick up that phone. Call us if you need us. We are here.
00:42:57.080 --> 00:43:11.159 Tommy DiMisa: Our talk about specialization, a lot. You know. There's generalists in this specialist That sounds like you're in your lane, you know, when you're really specialized. But what it really leads me to is well, that means you need to collaborate with other orgs you need to color out.
00:43:11.170 --> 00:43:22.430 Tommy DiMisa: Come on, Tommy. It's an easy word you work with. Let's go. Just try it that way, like my buddy, you along the Rabbano grows from options, for community living like that would be a great connection for you. If you don't already know you'll on it. So
00:43:22.490 --> 00:43:44.779 Tommy DiMisa: it's funny what you just said there to Kathy. It like we'll get into that. We'll guess what we're going to. One break. We come back we do the lightning round, which is something I just made up a couple of weeks ago, because I feel like, How do we now get another hour into the next nine minutes, but that's so. I made that up as the lighting round. But I want to leave it all on the field, like I said to you before we were prepping before. I just want to. We're going to come back. I want to know about
00:43:44.790 --> 00:43:53.549 Tommy DiMisa: who can we connect you with? Is there a gala? Is there a fundraiser? What's coming up? What do you need? You mentioned? Obviously the need for board members?
00:43:53.560 --> 00:44:05.279 Tommy DiMisa: So let's leave it all on the field when we come back, and then, you know we'll just have to have you on the show again. You know what it's my show. I get to do whatever I want, so we can get back again all right for the P. Folks. Your boy, the nonprofit sector, wait for it
00:44:05.400 --> 00:44:07.289 Tommy DiMisa: connector. We'll be right back.
00:44:10.320 --> 00:44:34.400 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Everybody. It's Tommy Dean and nonprofit sector connected coming at you from my attic each week here on top radio. That Ny: Z. I hosted program at focus. Nonprofits impact us each and every day, and it's my focus to help them amplify their message and tell their story. Listen. Each week at ten Am. Eastern stand in time until eleven Am. Is from standard time. Right here on talk radio, Dot: Nyc:
00:44:36.330 --> 00:45:03.280 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Yeah. Thanksgiving Boy. You may have many unanswered questions regarding your health. Are you looking to live a healthier lifestyle? Do you have a desire to learn more about mental health and enhance your quality of life, or do you just want to participate in self understanding and awareness? I'm. Frank R. Harrison, host of Frank about health, and each Thursday I will tackle these questions and work to enlighten you. Tune in everyday Five P. M. On talk radio. Nyc. And I will be frank about help to advocate for all of us.
00:45:06.550 --> 00:45:13.209 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Are you a conscious Co-creator? Are you on a quest to raise your vibration and your consciousness,
00:45:13.220 --> 00:45:37.039 www.TalkRadio.nyc: I'm, Sam Leibowitz, your conscious consultant, and on my show, the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity, we will touch upon all these topics and more. Listen. Live at our new time on Thursdays, at twelve noon, Eastern time. That's the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. Thursday's twelve noon on talk radio, Nyc:
00:45:41.200 --> 00:45:51.309 You're listening to talk radio and Yc: at Ww: talk radio and Yc. Now broadcasting twenty four hours a day,
00:46:04.660 --> 00:46:29.479 Tommy DiMisa: this time almost on. No, you it was perfect. What a trio we are! We should take it on, we should take it on. Now you know what they might tell us to take a hike if we showed up and started singing back to the other thing we're talking about before. Listen. So many people are fired up about this episode today, and and i'm getting a lot of text message, and I get a lot of uh
00:46:29.490 --> 00:46:48.870 Tommy DiMisa: of notes here on Facebook as well, and I think it's because this is a conversation that is absolutely mandatory. We need to address it if I broke my arm this afternoon, and I hope I don't want to leave the attic, but if I did, nobody's going to pick on me, or nobody's going to give me a hard time, or judge me because I went and got a brace on my arm, or I got my arm set. But for some reason on this planet
00:46:48.950 --> 00:47:04.439 Tommy DiMisa: we've treated mental health challenges incorrectly. We're fixing that, hey? Where's my mug? Shout out to Dow, Rosenberg, What do we do on the show. No big deal just change in the world. One of the ways is looking. If my legacy is nothing other than
00:47:05.320 --> 00:47:07.210 Tommy DiMisa: that we've had a conversation
00:47:07.310 --> 00:47:11.819 Tommy DiMisa: more consistently and appropriately around mental health. Well, then, it's a life-
00:47:11.950 --> 00:47:16.849 Tommy DiMisa: Jennifer start us off because this is the lightning round This is the lightning round.
00:47:16.860 --> 00:47:42.620 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Kathy is going to start us off right. I I totally mixed up my notes. Now it's okay. I just want to. I want. I don't want to lose this thought because I love what you you know you said. You know the analogy about how we treat medical health for mental health, I mean, and and the reference that you made earlier about. You know Robin Williams emotional backpacks are invisible, and they get heavier and heavier every day. And if you don't, and you can't see it,
00:47:42.630 --> 00:47:45.169 Kathy Rivera (she/her): and if you don't have your spidey senses up
00:47:45.180 --> 00:48:04.659 Kathy Rivera (she/her): what you do do, or what you don't do can save or lose a life. So I mean while that sounds very dramatic. It's the truth right, You know the human spirit is fragile as is the human body. It's real. It's it's It's incredibly real. And thank you for saying it, because you know what Kathy to your point. I'm tired of dancing around anything anymore.
00:48:04.670 --> 00:48:23.620 Tommy DiMisa: This is like this is a serious thing. People are taking their own lives. Young people are terribly depressed, and they're not getting the services they need unless enough. Let's fix the problem and stop dancing around this, you know. I'm not, you know. Anyway, I could. If you want to listen to me, complain for an hour. That's a different show. But but I'm paced off for greatness. That's the point,
00:48:23.630 --> 00:48:25.609 Tommy DiMisa: you know. Try to make it a better place.
00:48:26.480 --> 00:48:28.849 Tommy DiMisa: So, Kathy, you had more before we go to Jen:
00:48:29.100 --> 00:48:59.090 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Yeah. So I just you know, I I want to just quickly, if I can. Just, you know, go a little bit more into our programming because we we're really really big. Um, you know, in terms of our our breath of services. Um, but you know, if if it wasn't clear, just making it very clear. All three of our locations in Rosalind, Manhattan and Westbury Uh provides outpatient mental health services. Uh, we also have a drug and uh alcohol program. In our Westbury location we have the triage and emergency unit,
00:48:59.100 --> 00:49:02.279 Kathy Rivera (she/her): and uh, the Douglas has felman program
00:49:02.290 --> 00:49:32.270 Kathy Rivera (she/her): uh that, you know, treat very urgent cases. We respond within twenty, four to forty, eight hours. There are no waiting lists. I want to make that very clear. So even more reason to pick up that phone and call us. We have a good beginnings for babies program for um Pregnant young mothers uh teenage mothers who may be pregnant or first time mothers who need that support. Uh the uh, we have a grandparent respite and support program. We have a We have a lot of community based programs. So there are
00:49:32.280 --> 00:50:01.430 Kathy Rivera (she/her): that Don't do. Well coming to us. We're gonna bring it to them right. That is not an excuse uh we turn no one away for their inability to pay. We've been around for seventy years, and we have kept that um at the heart of who we are. Um! We were a grassroots organization, started by Moms, who saw the need in the community and said, You know what we're going to become a policy making board and and ensure that the community does not have a tragedy, and gets the support that they need,
00:50:01.440 --> 00:50:05.290 Kathy Rivera (she/her): and emerge over the last seventy years into a fundraising board.
00:50:05.300 --> 00:50:34.790 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Um, We also have um school based uh mental health services. Our Latino girls project uh the wilderness program. We have, uh you, not an outdoors person, not a problem. We have a respite program where we will take you to a a Broadway show. We will take you to, you know, indoor activities, right that are equally therapeutic, and we have I Just this is cute, too. We have a a wonderful organic guard. Um garden program. Um where we don't. You know we. We take you beyond the walls, and you have, you know, therapy
00:50:34.800 --> 00:51:03.489 Tommy DiMisa: through nurturing an organic garden, and if I tell you I've never seen children fight over tomatoes, which is a good problem to have. Um. I have seen it, and I can attest to it, and it's It's a beautiful thing to see right nutrition and mental well-being. I I I I shout out all that work, and I want to come. See the garden one day. I want to work in the garden. It's a guard like I want to come to a day service, and i'd like to make some of my kids because I do these days of service, sixty days of service as a project that i'm on.
00:51:03.500 --> 00:51:32.570 Tommy DiMisa: I'm going to come down. I just wrote down big brothers, big sisters, uh I don't know if you're hooked in with Mark Cox. But my Buddy Burt lurch is the board is on the board of directors. You're my brother. I love you. Um. Burke does great work with that organization. Mark certainly does. Uh Mark Cox, the executive director, Ceo over there. Are you connected to them? If not, let's take it offline. We'll make sure you are connected with them, because just some of the think my Riki is going to join me on that day of service. Only if we both wear overalls like farmers. That's the deal
00:51:32.580 --> 00:51:37.800 Tommy DiMisa: we're going to both Dress up like farmers. I don't know if you're into it. I'm doing it overalls. Um.
00:51:37.810 --> 00:52:07.799 Tommy DiMisa: When I was a kid we're overall and like open one thing. Let it hang down like that was the style. I don't know if you guys, anyway, totally getting off topic. Um, But we're going to come to the farm. Let's make sure we get. You can see. Here's what I want to do. I want to just have, like a forum of what I should do is let's do a lunch one day where we just bring a whole bunch of people together. We'll probably do it. You're in all right, Nairkia overall. As it is, so we're uh we're going to do that. We're going to do something. I just decided we're going to do it at a horse, Billy. Katie, I know you're listening, and I want to do a day out at horse ability.
00:52:07.810 --> 00:52:29.970 Tommy DiMisa: We'll bring together a bunch of organizations focused on mental health specifically with our young people. Not necessarily an education thing more of a Let's get together and network, and Tommy brings some penetrator sandwiches. Jennifer: I just want to. Yeah, I just want to add one other program Um, and it's in the in the category of you know, less traditional services. But we have at the Family Courthouse and Children's Center,
00:52:29.980 --> 00:52:49.270 Jennifer Rush (she/her): which is an educational day space for families that have to do go to court and bring their children, and don't want to have their children, and the stress of being in a court environment um can drop their children off for free in an educational setting with a teacher. And that was the connection. The book fairies program brought the book. So every kid that comes gets a book.
00:52:49.280 --> 00:52:55.040 Jennifer Rush (she/her): Um, that ends up in that program. So that was just. That's just one other non traditional um program.
00:52:55.050 --> 00:53:24.809 Kathy Rivera (she/her): And I want to say, I'm: Sorry, Jen, like I thank you. I completely miss that one. So this is. This is why we're a perfect pair, right, you know. Yeah, but I just want to say, You know, we're always looking for volunteers, You know. There's always ways to help again. I I started this, you know, saying that with this is a call to action. It's all of our responsibility to take care of one another, because I assure everyone who's listening. Um! You either have someone in your family.
00:53:24.820 --> 00:53:43.320 Kathy Rivera (she/her): You know someone, or you know someone who knows someone that may be struggling, and life is not, You know, a straight line at any given point you may find yourself um in need of help and support. I will say, you know we've seen more and more cases of kids coming in. Um, you know,
00:53:43.330 --> 00:54:02.879 Kathy Rivera (she/her): who never had a history of this? Was it pandemic related? Possibly right, you know, sort of hard to say. But if you, you know. Please. All the monsters come to our uh Nancy marks right from the start location. That's him in half it. Uh we are happy to open up that garden and and and have you, you know, pluck away, and
00:54:02.890 --> 00:54:17.389 Jennifer Rush (she/her): and I think we'd be. I think we'd be remiss. We talk about sort of emotional well being, if we didn't acknowledge the staff here, you know, Kathy and I are tasked with not only, you know, making sure this agency is sustainable, but creating a healthy environment that allows
00:54:17.400 --> 00:54:45.049 Jennifer Rush (she/her): the staff to do the really hard work that they do. Um, that that is so critical to to the entire community. So I just I want to put that out there, and and I also, I think one of the things we need to keep paying attention to is responding to the current pulse of what the community needs. So that's going to change the focus periodically. But you know our goal is to hear from you what what your needs are and respond: Yeah, responding. So is it a response to what the needs are? Go ahead, Kevin.
00:54:45.060 --> 00:55:14.500 Kathy Rivera (she/her): Yeah, I was just gonna say, because I know I know we're We're getting close to time. And I you know you're right. I think we need to make this an extra ninety minutes. That's I'll challenge you with this. I think we should do a show live from the guiding center with, you know, with us going on a tour and talking, and cameras and all kinds of stuff. But you know, for those who are listening or spread the word, you know you mentioned. What do we have um. You know we have our end of year giving campaign That is coming up. So if you want to get your you know
00:55:14.510 --> 00:55:43.840 Kathy Rivera (she/her): uh twenty twenty-two tax um deduction in. Do it. Now you call us. You reach out to us. You can direct mail us. You can send it individually. You can stop by. You can go on our website and donate. Nothing is too big or too small. Um, and you know every bit of support helps You can think about stock gifts. There's There's a plan giving gifts, requests um, and just know that. Uh stay, Tuned be on the lookout to visit our website subscribe. You know. Uh we will um be looking at a movie night in February,
00:55:44.110 --> 00:56:13.129 Kathy Rivera (she/her): and we have our spring luncheon Um april twenty seventh, two thousand and twenty-three. We have our um Kvat kerbat golf uh outing in June date to be determined, and our annual gala in uh September. So um we've we've got to talk about I I mean, here's it. Here's the offer you mentioned February. I don't know if it's even anybody's interest. But my dad's got Ralph's Tally nice is in Huntington. I will donate Isis for the movie night if you want him. It's going to be chilly, probably is February. Who knows global warming? I don't know.
00:56:13.140 --> 00:56:30.020 Tommy DiMisa: All right. I got a chance for charity coming up first of September,
00:56:30.050 --> 00:56:49.359 Tommy DiMisa: December third through the third. Oh, it's like a thing. I go spend money in America. Okay, cool. I will share that on Facebook after we got to leave it here. Uh I I You know nothing I like to do. But there's I never like to end a good conversation. But you know what there are parameters. There are walls, and and that's sometimes you got to play with inside these parameters,
00:56:49.800 --> 00:57:19.789 Tommy DiMisa: Jennifer, Rush, Kathy Rivera. Thank you for being friends of mine. Thank you for the work you do. Thank you. All the people I Don't have time to thank you all for checking in on Facebook and text. This is, I think this has been. This is my Emmy award winning performance. This is the one This is the winner. This is it. I've never had this much support and feedback during the show, as I have had with you both today and all the people checking in a lot of hearts on Facebook. Thank you for having us Thank you so much for the work you do, Tommy, you work. I appreciate your gratitude, and I got to remember to accept gratitude. Better
00:57:19.800 --> 00:57:25.700 Tommy DiMisa: so thank you for thanking me. I leave you with this. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle
00:57:25.770 --> 00:57:28.009 Tommy DiMisa: you know nothing about.
00:57:28.040 --> 00:57:34.839 Tommy DiMisa: Be kind always. That's Robin really. Just make it a great day, everybody. Thank you again. Bye,
00:57:34.890 --> 00:57:36.240 Kathy Rivera (she/her): take care, everyone
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