Derek Saker
Director of Communications
OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services
dsaker@ohelfamily.org
718-686-3333 direct | 347 920 0199 mobile | 718 851 2772 fax
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OHEL Working Breakfast Addresses Student-Issues & Draws Educators from Across Northern New Jersey Schools

OHEL’s annual Working Breakfast for northern New Jersey Yeshivot held at the OHEL Regional Family Center of Northern New Jersey, on Palisade Avenue in Teaneck  drew participants from diverse schools including Frisch, Yeshiva Ketana Passaic, RYNJ, Sinai, Moriah, Ben Porat Yosef, Noam, JEC, Maayanot, Yavneh, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, Yeshiva Ketana Girls of Passaic and Sinai Schools.

The breakfast was a unique opportunity for productive dialogue between OHEL and local yeshiva administrators and guidance staff. A spirit of collaboration was clearly present as OHEL’s leadership and clinicians conveyed their varied expertise and the breadth of OHEL’s school-based services, while local school administrators and guidance staff expressed their ideas about how OHEL could enrich the lives of students, parents and educators.  

The breakfast opened with welcoming comments from David Mandel, CEO of OHEL, who conveyed OHEL’s mission to meet the growing and distinct needs of each community by leveraging OHEL’s proven reputation, expertise and vast 40 years experience.  Mr. Mandel also made mention of OHEL’s on-going efforts to secure a foster care contract in New Jersey.

OHEL familiarized attendees with OHEL’s expanded northern New Jersey presence and announced the details of a number of new New Jersey programs that previously have been successfully implemented by OHEL in other communities.

Rabbi Meir Mark, OHEL Coordinator of NJ school-based services introduced two new dynamic programs. OHEL’s Adolescent Leadership Development Program now in NJ has been a capacity-filled program in Long Island. This program empowers teens to maximize their individual strengths and nurtures practical leadership and team-building skills so that adolescents can make a lasting impact on their peers and the greater community.

OHEL’s new Teacher Training Program now in NJ, has been a robust and successful New York City program consisting of eight sessions where teachers explore diverse mental health issues such as developing student self-esteem,  bullying prevention  and conflict resolution.

Hillel Sternstein, Coordinator of OHEL’s Trauma Services provided an overview of all of OHEL’s clinic services including individual and family therapy for all age groups. In addition, the office provides trauma treatment for victims of abuse. 

Arlene Ettengoff, Director of OHEL’s Institute for Training, provided an overview of OHEL’s highly regarded professional training programs and workshops and encouraged feedback from participants in order to asses the most important programs relevant to their needs that could be offered by OHEL.

Dr. Jessica Kornwasser, a member of the OHEL New Jersey Advisory Board and local Psychologist who was in attendance, commented that “The Northern New Jersey Jewish community is fortunate to benefit from OHEL's years of expertise in addressing the mental health needs of the community from both the wellness/prevention and treatment perspectives.”

This highly successful event was moderated by Donny Frank M.Ed., LMFT coordinator of the OHEL Regional Family Center of Northern New Jersey and Donny welcomes inquiry as regards both new northern New Jersey OHEL programs as well as OHEL’s general clinical services at 201-692-3972 or e-mail nj@ohelfamily.org

OHEL Children's Home and Family Services is a pioneering social services agency that is markeing its 40th milestone this year. From the early to senior years, OHEL delivers a breadth of community services through OHEL Bais Ezra, OHEL Lifetime Care, OHEL Foster Care, OHEL Mental Health Services , OHEL Camp Kaylie and the OHEL Institute for Training. OHEL provides innovative and cutting-edge programs and services for individuals and families at risk, and individuals with developmental or psychiatric disabilities, in both residential and out-patient settings. Touching the lives of thousands of individuals at every stage, and every day, OHEL’s professional services are available throughout New York, New Jersey and South Florida.