Team Stories

Staff Spotlight: Q&A with Social Worker Diego Martinez

March 8, 2018 | Leave a reply

Diego Martinez

A Note from Child Center CEO Traci Donnelly:

I am honored to mark Social Work Month this year by introducing you to one of The Child Center of NY’s many dedicated social workers, Diego Martinez. Diego works in our Jamaica Family Center, guiding clients who struggle with addiction in developing the skills and confidence to find lasting recovery. As you’ll see from this Q&A, Diego represents what is true of just about all the social workers I’ve known (and I’ve known many!): that social work, despite the heavy toll it can sometimes take, is a labor of love. Continue reading →

I Was Kevin’s Therapist

November 28, 2017 | Leave a reply

By Jennifer Triana, LCSW
School-Based Clinical Supervisor, Long Island City High School

School-based mental health services: I was Kevin's Therapist

Kevin is a shy, kind, and very intelligent 17-year-old from Queens. On a gorgeous, sunny day this spring, he dons a shiny blue cap and gown with a white stole that reads LIC HS 2017. We make eye contact as he walks down the aisle in Queens College auditorium, knowing how far he has come to achieve this moment.

I began working with Kevin in April 2016, when The Child Center of NY’s school-based mental health clinic at Long Island City High School opened. He was 16 years old but had only enough credits for freshman standing. We met when he was referred by his school guidance counselor for chronic absenteeism and depressed mood.

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Sound Bite: Delia Azcona on Working Across Barriers

July 18, 2017 | Leave a reply

As a case planner with the Family Treatment and Rehabilitation Program at the Elmhurst Family Center for the past year, Delia Azcona has been putting her master’s degree in social work and her past experience working in a domestic violence shelter to good use. Continue reading →

Diane Menzel: Through Groups, Individuals Thrive

July 13, 2017 | Leave a reply

Diane Menzel, in over 15 years with The Child Center, has often utilized her teaching background to better serve clients. At the South Jamaica Clinic, she recognized two challenges: 1) many children facing behavioral health problems have difficulty making friends, and 2) when they are out of school, kids may not otherwise have opportunities to engage with peers. Continue reading →

Staff Spotlight: Controller Cheryl Moody

June 21, 2017 | Leave a reply

Cheryl Moody is The Child Center’s new Vice President, Controller.

What brought you to The Child Center of NY?

This agency particularly impressed me with the level of service it provides its clients, and especially with its leadership team. In my 20-plus years in the nonprofit sector, I have come to the realization that my heart and passion is here, rather than in the for-profit world. During my initial meeting with Steve and Jaime, I learned that the organization not only had an excellent leadership team, but that the staff also pride themselves in providing the much-needed support to our clients and administrative support throughout the agency. This was later confirmed as I have begun to know my colleagues better, and I’m extremely proud to be among them. I already feel deeply embedded in The Child Center of NY and in ensuring its continued success. Continue reading →

Child Center COO Earns Prestigious 40 Under 40 Award

June 14, 2017 | Leave a reply

The Child Center of NY is pleased to announce that the agency’s chief operating officer, Jaime Angarita, has been selected as a New York Nonprofit Media 40 Under 40 Rising Stars honoree for outstanding work in the nonprofit sector. Continue reading →

Staff Spotlight: Tabatha Ferrer, School-Based Clinical Supervisor

June 1, 2017 | Leave a reply

In the seven years she’s been at The Child Center of NY, Tabatha Ferrer, LMSW, has been a volunteer, group leader, activity specialist, program coordinator, program director, and now a school-based clinical supervisor, splitting her time between Queens United Middle School and Edward Bleeker J.H.S. 185.

Tell us a little about yourself — your childhood, your interests as a child…

I grew up in Queens with both parents and a younger sister. I am the second youngest out of five. As a child, I was active and outgoing. I did dance in and out of school, attended afterschool, and participated in many more activities. I loved playing outside, whether it was jumping rope, playing tag, or going to the park. I thought I would be an actress or lawyer.

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Robert Cizma Heads Up New Child Center Program Area

January 17, 2017 | Leave a reply

Staff Spotlight: Robert Cizma, Vice President of Health Homes and Integrated Care

“My philosophy has always been ‘it takes a village.’ We want to help families so they get to the point where they don’t need us. In other words, we want to be that village.”

Robert Cizma is all about comprehensive services and wraparound treatment, having had the opportunities over his 30-year+ career to view client needs at every level. His extensive experience in behavioral health services, as a line worker on up to his current position as Vice President of Health Homes and Integrated Care for The Child Center of NY, has provided him with a unique perspective. The new position, initiated with Robert’s hiring, creates a fifth program area for the agency.

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