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One of our 350 social workers, Lori Rodriguez, CSW, is the program coordinator for Home Based Crisis Intervention in the Bronx, a Community Mental Health Services program. She's adding to her skill set with post-graduate work in psychotherapy, focusing on the treatment of families and couples. In 2002, our Community Mental Health Services, through 28 programs, provided support to over 11,000 emotionally disturbed or mentally ill clients.
I'm part of a team of nine social workers. We provide crisis intervention services for children who are at imminent risk of psychiatric hospitalization. The services we offer are intensive - we go into the home three or four times a week for six weeks. Working together as a team, we teach the children and family appropriate cognitive behavioral techniques, as well as healthy coping and conflict mediation skills.
We care - myself, our team - because we see how the stigma of mental illness affects the children and their families. Often this stigma is the biggest thing we work with and we help the families move beyond it. I compare it to glucose meters for diabetics. Mental health treatment is just another tool in the "tool box" to help in life.
I have always wanted to help underserved families improve their quality of life and well being. This team is having a powerful impact on the everyday lives of children and their families in the Bronx. I also love working with children. | 