A groundbreaking conference of Menahalim and mental health professionals was held at Yeshivas Toras Aharon. The conference focused on the troubling rise of school refusal and the general large increase in mental health cases since the onset of Covid.
The presenting therapists were Rabbi Binyomin Greenspoon, LCSW, Clinical Director of Nesivos, and Dr. Yitzchok Schindler CEO of Petach Tikva, with the event taking place in partnership with CHEMED’s mental health department.
“The trends are clear. Mental health struggles have become a great challenge to the Frum community’s greatest challenges, and it is incumbent upon us to address this with clarity, foresight, and direction” Rabbi Greenspoon suggested to those gathered.
Rabbi Greenspoon LCSW noted that, despite the dedication and talent of our children’s Rabbeim, Nesivos has become inundated with children who, for one reason or another, are struggling to succeed in school. This phenomenon, Rabbi Greenspoon said, became far more prevalent over the course of school closures during the height of COVID-19, and in the months following.
“For the top 10% of students, COVID-19 had little impact; they succeeded in continuing their learning over Zoom and phone conferences,” he explained. “For the bottom 10% of students, COVID likewise had little impact, being that they were already receiving intervention services. However, the students in the middle were hardest hit by Covid. It is this population where Nesivos is seeing the greatest increase in mental health and resultant behavioral challenges.”
Dr. Yitzchok Schindler, CEO of Petach Tikvah addressed the crowd, imbuing them with an appreciation of the struggles and triumphs of working with school-age children who are struggling.
“Everyone wants the answer as to how we can help these children,” Dr. Schindler said. “The fact is, there is no one answer. Every child’s situation is unique, every single one has their own needs, their own issues, their own problems that need to be delved into. The first step we can take is to ask: What is happening in this child’s life? What is stopping them from becoming the best they can be?”
The Conference concluded with a question and answer session followed by Menahalim sharing their insights into the mental health struggles they witness in some of our children, and how best to go about working with a struggling child.
For more information on the mental health services Nesivos provides, and to schedule an assessment, please call 732-534-7800 or email – [email protected]
