New York State of Mindfulness

The Jewish Board

From Kingsbridge to the Rockaways and beyond, New Yorkers are facing mental health and emotional challenges.

In each episode, join host Mila Myles for an open and honest conversation with therapists and other experts from The Jewish Board, one of New York City’s largest providers of mental health services, where they'll discuss a mental health topic and how it affects a neighborhood they serve. You'll hear warm, practical advice that can help make lives healthier and more fulfilling, in New York and beyond. read less
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Episode 9: Born in the System
Mar 23 2022
Episode 9: Born in the System
Hours after being born, some children in Staten Island are placed in the child welfare system. What impact can this have on their early development?Join Host Mila Myles for a conversation on early childhood (0-5 years of age) mental health care and advocacy with Jewish Board experts Angela Mendivil and Edward Boljonis from our Staten Island Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) program, and Kelsey Jorgensen, LMSW, a Clinical Coordinator for the Strong Starts Court Initiative with the Center for Court Innovation. They will discuss how they work with ACS and the court systems to keep their youngest clients and families together, and how CCP can help a child who has experienced trauma.

Episodes

Episode 9: Born in the System
Mar 23 2022
Episode 9: Born in the System
Hours after being born, some children in Staten Island are placed in the child welfare system. What impact can this have on their early development?Join Host Mila Myles for a conversation on early childhood (0-5 years of age) mental health care and advocacy with Jewish Board experts Angela Mendivil and Edward Boljonis from our Staten Island Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) program, and Kelsey Jorgensen, LMSW, a Clinical Coordinator for the Strong Starts Court Initiative with the Center for Court Innovation. They will discuss how they work with ACS and the court systems to keep their youngest clients and families together, and how CCP can help a child who has experienced trauma.
Episode 8: BIPOC Mental Health in Queens (Part 2)
Dec 16 2021
Episode 8: BIPOC Mental Health in Queens (Part 2)
Experts say that social determinants of health – like race, class, and culture – effect everything from life span to wellbeing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). What does that mean for their mental health?Join Host Mila Myles for the second part of a conversation with Jewish Board expert Faith Otobo, MSW, from their Bronx Supported Housing program, and Vibrant Emotional Health experts AVP Angela Mora, LMSW, and Ina Concepcion, PEP, FPAC, FDC, about the difficult topics of race, culture, and mental wellness, and what support communities actually need to survive and thrive together.
Episode 7: BIPOC Mental Health in Queens (Part 1)
Sep 15 2021
Episode 7: BIPOC Mental Health in Queens (Part 1)
Experts say that social determinants of health – like race, class, and culture – effect everything from life span to wellbeing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). What does that mean for their mental health?Host Mila Myles talks with Jewish Board expert Faith Otobo, MSW, from their Bronx Supported Housing program, and Vibrant Emotional Health experts AVP Angela Mora, LMSW, and Ina Concepcion, PEP, FPAC, FDC, about the difficult topics of race, culture, and mental wellness, and what support communities actually need to survive and thrive together.
Episode 6: Queer Creativity in El Barrio
Jun 28 2021
Episode 6: Queer Creativity in El Barrio
El Barrio, or Spanish Harlem, has a long history of local art and artists from the early 1900's to the present. Host Mila Myles talks about the history of queer creativity and cultural resilience with current residents of El Barrio's Artspace, Richard Zimmer, Senior Production Artist at The Jewish Board’s Alpha Workshops, and Arcadia Caraballo, Adjunct Lecturer at Bronx Community College.
Episode 5: Digital Graduation and Staten Island
Jun 15 2021
Episode 5: Digital Graduation and Staten Island
Among the many milestones lost to COVID, families across NYC are grieving the loss of a major milestone for kids, teens, and young adults: graduation. Whether it’s finishing first grade or First-Generation students graduating from college, digital celebrations just aren’t the same. Host Mila Myles talks with youth experts Nicholas Tamborra, a Social Worker at School Based Mental Health, and Raysa Betances, a Youth Empowerment Coach at Cedar Knolls House, about how they’re preparing students on Staten Island and families for their big day in June.
Episode 4: Adult Autism and Borough Park
May 27 2021
Episode 4: Adult Autism and Borough Park
Often, public conversations on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder end at childhood—but what does that mean for adults on the spectrum? Host Mila Myles interviews clinical experts from The Jewish Board's Mishkon program and The Seaver Autism Center on growing into adulthood with Autism in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
Episode 3: Pandemic Play and Harlem
Mar 30 2021
Episode 3: Pandemic Play and Harlem
How do children learn to play in a pandemic? Host Mila Myles and three children’s development experts, Pleshette Carr, LMSW, Michele Finkelman, LCSW, and Shondra Davis, PsyD., discuss the value of play in learning, how it changes for each family, and how our experts adapted their teaching and counseling to support Harlem families throughout the pandemic.
Episode 2: COVID-19 Anxiety and Fordham
Feb 26 2021
Episode 2: COVID-19 Anxiety and Fordham
Host Mila Myles discusses COVID-19 anxiety, how it affects New Yorkers in the Fordham area of The Bronx, health disparities on race, class, location, and more, and the vaccine rollout throughout New York City with Dr. Kavita K. Trivedi, a leading epidemiologist and founder of Trivedi Consults, and Darlene Carrera, LCSW, The Jewish Board's Director of the Early Childhood Treatment Center Program and the Grand Concourse Counseling Center in the Bronx. See the resources covered in this episode at https://jewishboard.org/nysm002.
Episode 1: Seasonal Affective Disorder and Midwood
Jan 25 2021
Episode 1: Seasonal Affective Disorder and Midwood
Host Mila Myles is joined by Carmela Fridman, Chief Medical Officer at The Jewish Board, and Michelle Latimer, Director of Psychiatric Practice at The Jewish Board, to discuss what seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is and how it affects New Yorkers in the Midwood area of Brooklyn.