Since 1977, YES Community Counseling Center has offered various counseling services to families and individuals in Nassau County.
The Massapequa-based organization is opening up its latest facility in Levittown with hopes of providing supportive services to adolescents and families struggling with substance abuse.
"We know every community across the country struggles with addiction," said YES Executive Director Jamie Bogenshutz. "It's a challenge and we have lots of kids and families effected by this in Levittown and the surrounding areas. We need to offer local, accessible and affordable services in their neighborhoods."
For the last two years, YES has housed one floor of the Center Lane building in Levittown with their Commerce Plaza program. Commerce Plaza is designed to teach elementary students about the world of work through financial literacy and vocational preparedness.
According to Bogenshutz, the new section of the center is set to open sometime in September and will focus only on drug and alcohol addiction. While their Massapequa location offers various services including general counseling, parenting programs, domestic violence and abuse programs and school-based social work, Bogenshutz said it is just not financially possible at the moment.
"Because of the fiscal climate, we won't be able to offer all of that right now," explained Bogenshutz, whose worked with YES for more than three decades. "We're hoping the Town of Hempstead will support us to provide more. We want to develop for the kids and families here."
"The nice thing about our community-based resources is that if we can't provide for the client, we will help them partner with other resources who can," she added. "We'll seerve as that conduit for them so everyone can get the help that they need."
