Trauma Archives - Westchester Jewish Community Services

Superhero Therapy: An Innovative Way to Get Kids to Open Up
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Superhero Therapy: An Innovative Way to Get Kids to Open Up

Miriam Arond2026-04-24T17:06:33-04:00April 24th, 2026|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: superhero therapy, mental health clinic, geovany martinez, yonkers, child development, Trauma, Mental Health|

Most children have favorite superheroes. For Geovany Martinez, Clinic Director for the Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Clinic in Yonkers, those superheroes are the doorway into the thoughts and feelings of his young clients. In individual therapy as well as in the Superhero Play Therapy Groups he conducts, Martinez uses characters from pop culture to help young clients, usually between the ages of five to nine, talk about their distress, symptoms, and stories.  Martinez’s office is filled with superhero stickers on the wall and superhero figurines. It’s an environment which invites discussion about beloved superheroes and TV characters. "Hearing someone ...

It’s not too late to Give for Good!
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It’s not too late to Give for Good!

Miriam Arond2026-04-23T14:57:00-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: client stories, give for good, margaret's place, POINT, Holocaust survivors, volunteering, Gala, Trauma, Mental Health|

What a thrill it was to gather at last week's Gala to celebrate the life-changing work of WJCS! We're so grateful to our courageous clients who shared their powerful stories of struggle and resilience and to our attendees who gave so generously at our Give for Good Auction. If you missed our spectacular Gala, not to worry! You can hear the personal and inspiring stories shared by WJCS clients at the event by watching their videos below. At our Gala, we heard from people whose lives are immeasurably better because of WJCS. Meet Sonjaia, who has triumphed over mental ...

March is National Social Work Month!
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March is National Social Work Month!

Miriam Arond2026-04-16T06:49:22-04:00March 23rd, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: national social work month, social work appreciation, world social work day, clinicians, social workers, Trauma, Mental Health|

March is National Social Work Month, a time to express our deep gratitude to the social workers across WJCS for all they do to help our clients find the tools and strength they need to overcome significant life challenges. Social workers are an essential part of the fabric of Westchester Jewish Community Services. Many of them serve in our mental health and trauma clinics, offering direct therapeutic support to individuals and families. Others work in schools, residences, community-based programs, care management, and in leadership and administrative roles throughout the agency. While their responsibilities may look different, what unites their ...

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Katy Wong2024-10-10T13:14:37-04:00October 8th, 2024|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: Domestic Violence, Trauma, Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Westchester|

October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Relationship violence affects millions of people, both children and adults, and can leave long-lasting physical, emotional, and psychological scars. WJCS is proud to partner with the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation in our Margaret's Place program, which provides safe spaces within Westchester public schools where middle school and high school students can share their experience with relationship violence, get counseling, and find hope and healing. Margaret Place educates youth and school communities about violence prevention and engages peer leaders in public awareness programs. While most people recognize how dangerous domestic violence is, both ...

Post-October 7th: Supporting the Jewish Community
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Post-October 7th: Supporting the Jewish Community

Miriam Arond2024-04-08T17:24:40-04:00April 8th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage|Tags: october 7, synagogue, jcc, jewish community, response to hamas attacks, Jewish Programs, Trauma, Support, Bereavement, Westchester|

The October 7th massacre committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel has stung all those in the Jewish community as well as many people who are just plainly appalled at the barbaric savagery and kidnapping that took place. The Jewish Programs division at WJCS has been actively supporting youth, adults, and the elderly during this frightening and devastating period in numerous ways. Our focus has been on addressing mental health and building resilience, which includes offering education about trauma and building coping skills. WJCS partners with over 25 synagogues, Jewish nursery and day schools, JCCs, and assisted living facilities. We have ...

Mental Health & Substance Use: Overcoming the Challenges
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Mental Health & Substance Use: Overcoming the Challenges

Miriam Arond2024-11-26T11:59:56-05:00February 13th, 2024|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: co-occurring disorder, therapy, Trauma, Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Substance Use|

The number of people suffering from mental health and substance use problems are skyrocketing. More than 20% of Americans, including youth, teens, and adults of different socioeconomic groups, are living with a mental illness. Only about half of adults receive treatment. More than 20 million Americans 12 years and older are affected by substance use disorder. These conditions don’t discriminate. They affect people in all socioeconomic groups. "I came to WJCS for therapy at a time of serious distress in my 20’s. I couldn’t afford much, and was able to pay just a very modest amount thanks to financial ...

Building Trust in Community
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Building Trust in Community

Miriam Arond2024-02-22T09:54:26-05:00February 7th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: nonprofit westchester, charity, newsletter, aging, philanthropy, education, Community, Disability, Trauma, Mental Health, Westchester|

To quote Mr. Rogers, “All of us, at some time or other need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.” WJCS helps people in our community of all ages and backgrounds who face difficult challenges in life and need additional support to build a strong foundation of well-being to strengthen their ability to weather life’s storms. Whether people are experiencing mental health, trauma, disability, aging, educational, or often systemic challenges, we all know that accessing support can be very difficult. Being a champion of WJCS means you ...

Response to Trauma in the Face of Attacks Against Israel
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Response to Trauma in the Face of Attacks Against Israel

Miriam Arond2025-02-03T17:35:27-05:00October 20th, 2023|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal|Tags: trauma response, sadness, hamas, israel, strength, Grief, Community, Trauma, Anxiety|

Trauma has been described as an overwhelming physiological response in which an individual experiences a loss of control, vulnerability, and immobilization. This week, 75 WJCS employees and board members came together online to share and process their sadness, grief, and anxiety about Hamas attacks against Israel, including the kidnapping of over 200 people. In gathering together as a community and in hope, members of our WJCS staff focused on what experts say about responses to trauma and opened up about their own reactions to recent horrific news reports. We are sharing these insights in the hope that they may help ...

WJCS Domestic Violence Resources
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WJCS Domestic Violence Resources

Miriam Arond2025-02-03T17:36:46-05:00October 18th, 2023|Categories: Gala, Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: support services, hartsdale, mount vernon, peekskill, joe torre safe at home foundation, violence prevention, domestic violence awareness month, advocacy, crime victims, yonkers, Domestic Violence, Trauma, Westchester|

October is designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you or someone you know who lives in Westchester is a victim or survivor of domestic violence, please consider contacting WJCS. Our WJCS Trager Lemp Center for Trauma and Resilience provides comprehensive outpatient, evidence-based treatment programs to help adult and child survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault and harassment, and domestic violence. We also have programs for youth who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence as well as programs to help high school students cultivate the skills to build healthy relationships. Founded in 1982, our WJCS trauma center has been at the ...

Domestic Violence: Myths vs. Realities
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Domestic Violence: Myths vs. Realities

Rose Herschman2023-10-19T13:36:28-04:00September 4th, 2023|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, General|Tags: domestic violence awareness month, joe torre safe at home, domestic violence awareness, healthy relationships, myths and realities, Domestic Violence, domestic abuse, suffer, abusive, abuse, Trauma, Westchester|

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While most of us recognize how devastatingly dangerous domestic violence is, both physically and emotionally, few of us are as knowledgeable as we should be about this vitally important social problem. Here are some common misconceptions about domestic violence...and the reality: 1. Myth: Most people report instances of domestic violence to the police. Reality: Half of abused women do not tell the police, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2. Myth: Acts of domestic violence are generally physical or sexual. Reality: Any pattern of coercive behavior—whether it's physical, ...

WJCS Chief Psychologist & Director, Liane Nelson, Ph.D., Presents at NatCon23
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WJCS Chief Psychologist & Director, Liane Nelson, Ph.D., Presents at NatCon23

Miriam Arond2023-06-08T13:51:17-04:00June 8th, 2023|Categories: Mental Health, Feature, Featured Homepage, Featured Internal, General|Tags: natcon, racial trauma, The National Council for Behavioral Health Conference, first responders, trauma survivors, vicarious trauma, mental health workers, trauma-informed supervision, Trauma, Mental Health, Covid-19|

WJCS Chief Psychologist & Director Presents at National Conference About Importance of Trauma-Informed Supervision to Respond to the Collective Traumas of COVID-19 and Racism The National Council for Behavioral Health Conference, typically referred to as NatCon, is the largest mental health and substance use conference in the world. Dr. Liane Nelson, Ph.D, Chief Psychologist at Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) and Director of the WJCS Trager Lemp Center for Treating Trauma and Promoting Resilience, and Reverend Daphne Swinton, LMHC, MPA, gave a presentation on Implementing Trauma-Informed Supervision to Respond to the Collective Trauma of COVID-19 and Racism at ...

10 Reasons to Support the WJCS Gala!
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10 Reasons to Support the WJCS Gala!

Miriam Arond2023-04-03T12:41:16-04:00January 22nd, 2023|Categories: Gala, General|Tags: fundraiser, human services, early childhood, volunteer, Gala, Trauma, Nonprofit, Mental Health, Westchester|

Support the WJCS Gala!

WJCS 2022 Gala: A Huge Success!
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WJCS 2022 Gala: A Huge Success!

Rose Herschman2022-06-08T11:58:26-04:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Gala, General|Tags: WJCS 2022 Gala, Pam Eisinger Zaslav, 2022 WJCS Gala, Mariquita, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, NYS Senate Majority, Community, Disability, Family, early learning, Seniors, Geriatric Care, Children, Youth, Group Homes, Gala, Trauma, Donate, Nonprofit, Give, Autism, Mental Health, Westchester|

WJCS-Westchester Jewish Community Services hosted our annual Gala on April 5th, 2022 at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York. Attended by more than 200 philanthropic, community, and political leaders from throughout Westchester County, the evening marked a triumphant return to in-person events after two years of virtual galas. The money raised will provide much-needed funds for our agency's 80+ programs that serve 20,000 Westchester residents every year. "It was wonderful to have so many members of our community together to celebrate this year's honorees—New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and WJCS Board President ...

Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
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Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Rose Herschman2022-02-10T16:16:29-05:00December 4th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage, General|Tags: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., MLK, Martin Luther King, Pride, Pandemic, leadership, digital equity, College, volunteering, Community, LGBTQ, Trauma, Nonprofit, College Students, Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Westchester|

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. devoted his life to seeking equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged, and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was the driving force behind watershed events, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Dr. King's message is as vitally important now as it was when he lived. While we remember him on Martin Luther King Jr. Day—this year ...

Remarkable Summer Accomplishments
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Remarkable Summer Accomplishments

Rose Herschman2021-09-10T15:02:38-04:00September 10th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage, General|Tags: Pride, Holocaust, volunteers, Pandemic, leadership, digital equity, College, volunteering, Community, LGBTQ, Trauma, Nonprofit, College Students, Mental Health, Behavioral Health, COVID, Westchester|

As we head into fall, we'd like to look back at some of WJCS's many achievements during the summer. Despite the stresses from the pandemic, we're proud of our clients’ resilience and the dedication of our staff, as they have continued to deliver programs and services for thousands of Westchester residents who have a critical need for our help. Here are just a few of our many accomplishments this summer. Thirty-five girls from Yonkers enjoyed fun, social, and enriching activities, including a visit from Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins at our Wiener Academy for Young Girls Summer Camp. WJCS ...

WJCS Awarded College Wellness Grant from Westchester Community Foundation
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WJCS Awarded College Wellness Grant from Westchester Community Foundation

Grace Oshin2021-04-28T15:36:31-04:00April 28th, 2021|Categories: Featured Homepage|Tags: College, College Wellness, Community, Youth, Trauma, Nonprofit, College Students, Mental Health, Westchester|

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 ...

Welcome to our new website!
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Welcome to our new website!

Grace Oshin2021-08-02T14:42:15-04:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: General|Tags: Community, Disability, Family, early learning, Seniors, Geriatric Care, Children, Youth, Group Homes, Gala, Trauma, Donate, Nonprofit, Give, Autism, Mental Health, Westchester|

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 ...