Fall 2017 Newsletter – Program Spotlight

UNION SETTLEMENT CHRONICLE – FALL 2017

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT – MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

At Union Settlement, we believe that a community needs access to comprehensive, affordable mental health care services to thrive. That is why we have provided critical mental health services to East Harlem for over 60 years.

Poverty substantially increases the emotional burdens many of our residents shoulder, as do high rates of violence, substance abuse, child abuse, and trauma. Our wide array of services are strength-based and help to develop resiliency that enable individuals to heal and go on to lead fulfilling and  productive lives.

Our dedicated and compassionate staff provide a wide range of culturally sensitive mental health counseling services in our eight clinics and local schools in East Harlem. Many of our staff members, including a third of our therapists and nearly half of our psychiatrists, are bilingual.

Last year, Union Settlement helped nearly 1,000 children, adolescents and adults obtain the care they need, and we strive to increase access to our services in the coming year.

In March we opened satellite mental health clinics in three of our seven Early Childhood Education centers. Children and families served by any of our Early Childhood Education sites or our Family Child Care Network can access services at those centers as well as at our main clinic, Johnson Counseling Center.

In addition to traditional talk therapy, we’ve recently introduced creative arts therapies in recognition that healing is very individualized. We have included art, music, drama and movement therapy in an effort to better meet the needs of the community.

“Often our clients come to us suffering from a lethal absence of hope. Our work aims to nurture resilience and help build meaningful lives,” says Bonnie Miller-Ladds, Director of Mental Health Services.