Long-awaited mental health clinic anchors new Ohel facility

By Malka Eisenberg

“Community leaders, rabbinic leaders, pediatricians, yeshiva principals and other[s] have requested a mental health clinic to serve the needs of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway. It is really open and we are encouraging people to come,” said Manny Wortman, chief operating officer of Ohel Children’s Home and Family Service.

After four years of planning, the Ohel Regional Family Center opened in Far Rockaway this March, housed on the entire second floor of a new apartment building at the corner of Beach 9th and Seagirt Boulevard, three doors from the beach.

A staff of licensed therapists, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists are based in the 8,000 square foot clinic, providing a range of services for the surrounding community. Administrative offices occupy another 8,000 square feet.

“This is an opportunity for Ohel to have an in-depth presence in the Far Rockaway and Five Towns community in response to the community’s request for services,” said Wortman.

Other Ohel centers are in Brooklyn and Teaneck.

Services available for Queens and the Five Towns include “Bais Ezra, for people with developmental disabilities, including rehab; residential habilitation, where the staff comes to people’s homes to provide service individually; and end of summer camp programs for people with developmental disabilities,” said Wortman. “They also provide Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF, for families below the Federal definition of poverty for families that need various counseling and support and a Preventive Care Unit; PCU, for families with children at some kind of risk who need counseling, for families of any income. The center also has a school-based mental health program that provides counseling to children in classrooms, teacher training, and community awareness seminars on issues relating to children in school such as parenting and bullying.”

“The anchor of the new site and the largest program is the mental health clinic,” he emphasized.

“This is a New York State licensed psychiatric clinic ... and is licensed to do a variety of services,” explained Dr. Hindie M. Klein, the clinic’s director. “The idea was long in coming and was supported and requested by the community,” she said. The clinic provides “psychological intake, they meet with people to assess their needs and challenges and provide services for individuals, marital, groups, children, adolescents, couples, adults and families and for trauma and crisis work as needed.”

Services include psychological evaluation, psychiatric evaluation, testing and consultation, and medication management for age three and up. The facility offers treatment regardless of race and religion, and accepts Medicaid, Medicare and managed care, in addition to offering a sliding scale for out-of-pocket expenses, said Klein. Ohel is also prepared to do outreach education to the community.

“We can come to schools and we have a large conference room on the premises as well,” she said.

The center is based at 156 Beach 9th Street in Far Rockaway. For intake services at the center call (718) 851-6300 and ask for intake. To reach the clinic of the mental health services program call (347) 695-9700.