Members of the Healthy Outcomes Partnership (HOP) initiative of the Somerset Hills YMCA
On the heels of its successful Mental Health Week in May, the Healthy Outcomes Partnership (HOP) initiative of the Somerset Hills YMCA is proud to announce its recent agreement to collaborate with the Red Bank, NJ-based Community YMCA’s Counseling and Social Services Division. Community YMCA staff members will occupy an office at the Somerset Hills YMCA for administrative and training purposes only beginning August 1, 2010. From that base of operations, behavioral assistance counselors and mentors will go out into the community to provide treatment in the home setting.
The Community YMCA has provided behavioral health services for more than 35 years to the people of Monmouth County; the partnership with HOP and the Somerset Hills YMCA will bring the Community Y’s proven track record and expertise in home-based counseling and mentoring to the northern part of Somerset County, and will be geared specifically to at-risk youths and their families.
“Mental Health Week at the YMCA was extremely well-received, and attracted more than 350 people who wanted to learn and talk about a variety of mental health topics,” said Lauren Luik, HOP Steering Committee chair and member of the Somerset Hills YMCA Board of Directors. “Our collaboration with the Community YMCA represents one more step that HOP and the Somerset Hills Y are taking to help ensure that the people of our community have access to the resources they need to address and overcome behavioral health issues.”
The Community YMCA’s Family Services program has provided community based mentoring, behavioral assistance and in-home therapeutic services for children referred through the auspices of the New Jersey Department of Children’s Behavioral Health Service for eight years; the program began in Monmouth County, but now serves children in six surrounding counties, including parts of Somerset County. “The new partnership offers us not only a physical presence in the northern part of the County, but an alliance with the Somerset Hills YMCA, a well known and respected organization with similar values and mission,” said George Hunt, Vice President, Counseling and Social Services, Community YMCA.
“Though counseling services will not be offered at the Somerset Hills YMCA through this partnership, we believe it is an important strategic alliance that will help guide us toward HOP’s ultimate objective -- to create a mental health resource and referral service right here at the Y,” said Bob Lomauro, President and CEO of the organization.
HOP is a volunteer coalition of experts in psychology, social work, school guidance, public health, adolescent medicine, pastoral care and community education that is exploring the common hurdles that prevent people from having healthy relationships. Among these issues are depression and anxiety caused by job loss, marital and family conflict or caring for an ill or disabled loved one, as well as serious mental illnesses that cause tremendous distress to the individual and his or her loved ones. A long-term goal of HOP is to create a resource and referral service that links community members to the services they need to deal with these problems. In the short-term, HOP is focused on community education and creating dialogue about mental health as an important part of overall health and well-being.
For more information, please visit www.somersethillsymca.org or call 908-766-7898 ext.1536
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