We invite you to our 2nd Annual Mental Health Symposium, an event dedicated to addressing the youth mental health crisis in our country, with a focus on our local community. This symposium is being brought to you by Girl Scouts of Nassau County in partnership with Northwell Health.
Thursday, May 8, 2025
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Adelphi University, Ruth S. Harley University Center Rooms 113-115
Community stakeholders, mental health professionals, school superintendents, and social workers.
Small bites and refreshments will be served.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Vera Feuer, Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Northwell Health will be delivering a keynote address on Stress First Aid, providing valuable insights into managing stress and fostering mental well-being.
There will be insightful conversations to explore the critical topic of youth mental health, addressing practitioner challenges, distress recognition techniques, and youth-focused strategies for support and resilience.
We recognize the importance of fostering open conversations across Nassau County practitioners, and gathering together as thought partners to cultivate a supportive environment for youth mental health. Your presence at the event helps us hear directly from on the ground practitioners about how to galvanize the mental health movement on behalf of our young people. And your insights will help guide our collective next steps in building the support system they need and deserve!
Please RSVP by May 2nd using the button below.
Keynote Speaker
Vera Feuer MD
Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Northwell
Health
Professor, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Emergency
Medicine, Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell Health
Dr. Feuer completed her general psychiatry training at Drexel
University and her child and adolescent psychiatry training at
Hofstra-Northwell Health, where she has remained and worked on
initiatives improving emergency care and youth mental health access.
She has directed the Adult and Pediatric Emergency Psychiatry Services
at LIJMC, led the opening of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Urgent
Care, School Behavioral Health Centers and comprehensive school mental
health partnerships across Long Island working with over 50 school
districts to provide child psychiatry access, consultation, community
education and professional development. She has been a national leader
in developing care standards for pediatric crisis behavioral health
care and innovative program development. Her interests include access
to mental health care for children, suicide prevention, fostering
resilience and collaborating with schools and primary care
providers.
Community Experts
Yolanda Adams
LMHC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Office of Children of Family Services
Erin Barrett
ATR, LCAT, Assistant Director of Child & Adolescent Services Charles Evans Center Health Care
Gabrielle Fidis
MA, RDT, LCAT, Creative Arts Therapist II, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Brian Peterson
MBA, CASAC-M Director/Field Office Office of Mental Health
Dr. Nichelle Rivers
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Eastern Suffolk BOCES
Rochelle Robinson
Psy.D, Owner, Pivotal Point Psychological Consulting, PLLC
Annmarie Wacha-Montes
PsyD, Director, Behavioral Health; Psychologist Northwell Healthcare
TAKING ACTION: First Annual Mental Health Symposium Learnings and Action Items - February 2024
In February 2024, Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) hosted its inaugural Mental Health Symposium at the Long Island Children’s Museum. The symposium brought together over 50 community stakeholders invested in youth mental health on Long Island for an event dedicated to addressing the mental health crisis in our country, with a focus on our local communities.
Recognizing the importance of fostering open conversation and sharing knowledge to cultivate a supportive environment, GSNC brought together ten experts from diverse fields—including psychiatry, mental health equity, health care policy, crime victim services, adolescent trauma specialists, and more—to discuss issues that adolescents, especially girls, are facing today. The discussion also included tools that we as non-profits, educators, trusted adults, and practitioners can utilize to better serve our population.
This report captures our key learnings and action items from this powerful gathering, as well as recommendations for sector leaders and youth-serving organizations to take their own steps to fortify mental well-being for the young people in their care.
