By Y.M. For Yaakov, sitting in a classroom was impossible. How could his caring yet overworked Rabbaim and teachers know that he suffered from ADHD and specific learning disabilities? For Leah, acting out in school was a direct result of her emotional turmoil from the lack of shalom bayis at home. And for Shmuel, once his addictive personality latched on to the internet, his interest in school, friends, and learning virtually disappeared.

For these children, and countless others, the pain and alienation is overwhelming. They, and their bewildered families, suffer as they search for solutions in a frightening and confusing world. In these unfortunately familiar scenarios, parents and children require intensive support and expertise to guide and support them toward lasting solutions.

For many, Nesivos has provided the answer. Nesivos provides a one-stop address for assessment and case management that ensures that these teens and their families are directed in an efficient and streamlined manner to the necessary available help. As Nesivos Chairman Dr. Chuna Chaim Lebowitz says, “In medicine, we say “diagnosis before treatment”. You can’t adequately help a patient, a child or family, without understanding the cause of the problem. Nesivos, staffed by experienced clinicians provides the first line of defense for this growing community wide problem.

Nesivos was launched more than a year ago, as professionals and concerned askanim joined together at the home of Dr. Lebowitz’s to hear Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel encourage the creation of a support center to professionally guide teenagers and their families. “Everyone in the field knew that such a program was a necessity,” said R’ Yishai Ghoori, Executive Director of Nesivos and a veteran in the field , and now “Baruch Hashem, we have a first rate team, headed by Clinical Director Rabbi Binyamin Greenspoon, LCSW, and a committed group of askanim who care deeply about Lakewood’s children.”

Recently concerned members and askonim met at the home of Rabbi Aaron Kotler to broaden the support for Nesivos. The presence of Rabbi Yehuda Jacobs and Rabbi Shlomo Gisinger and their support of Nesivos underscored the importance of the mission and their belief in the organization.

The first speaker of the Evening was Dr. Chuna Chaim Lebowitz who together with Yehoshua Berinstein took the initiative to back Nesivos in its first year of operation.

Dr. Lebowitz spoke about the importance of dealing with this crisis in a highly organized and professional way. “It is a place”, Dr. Lebowitz explained, “where families can turn to have their problems comprehensively evaluated and diagnosed, where they can receive appropriate coordination of services, and then have them case managed.” Case management is key in ensuring that the pieces put in play are all working together to produce the most effective results said Dr. Lebowitz. We ran and tested the model in a low key way said Dr. Lebowitz, and we believe we have a model that works. “There are many wonderful, dedicated people and organizations who are working with these kids, from professionals to big-hearted mentors. But until now there was no thoughtful, systematic process to guide parents and children to the optimal, individualized program.”

The next speaker of the evening was Clinical Director, Rabbi Binyamin Greenspoon LCSW. Rabbi Greenspoon has 15 years of experience in dealing with teenagers in our community. His knowledge and expertise have been honed through his training and his work with crisis intervention with the state, and Ocean County’s mobile response service. Rabbi Greenspoon spoke passionately about the rise in numbers of kids struggling with the system. As our community grew, and the technology grew, the problem grew exponentially. “Fifteen years ago, there were a handful of teens struggling so the problem was manageable. We saw the writing on the wall after a number of boys and girls fell through the cracks and did not receive the timely intervention they needed. That’s when I knew something needed to be done. So we went out and did something”. My work at the state level helped me gain an insight into a system that really worked. Many families were being helped because of the system put in play by the state. Nesivos has taken this model and has Boruch Hashem been instrumental in stabilizing many families who have sought their help. As a grateful father recently said, “Nesivos’ professionalism and compassion saved my son from disaster.”

Reb Elya Brudney, one of the most recognized names in chinuch in the Torah world then stood up to speak. He spoke of the tactics of the yetzer hora, and the traps he leads teenagers into. After they fall he then cuts off all communication between them and the rest of the world. He closes their hearts and minds to all means of logic, and that is why other methods are required to get through to these children. R’ Elya then passionately pointed out that there is a second line of defense against the yetzer horah, Bnei Torah, who take it upon themselves to get involved and help our children with their struggles. Here too, said R’ Elya The yetzer fights back and causes people to be cynical and negative about the people and organizations that are helping. Nesivos, Rav Elya said, has proven to be a game changer in this field. He urged the room to join together, k’ish echad b’lev echad, and help save yiddishe kinder.

Rabbi Aaron Kotler who hosted the evening, was the last speaker.

There is a great need for a program like Nesivos. Rabbi Kotler spoke of a father of a boy he knew whose child was out of school almost the entire year. He had nowhere to turn said R’ Aaron, he basically gave up. That’s where Nesivos comes in, that’s why we must empower them. We, as a community must do everything in our power to ensure the continued success of this program. The goal of Nesivos is to provide a one-stop shop for comprehensive assessment, referral, and case management that will ensure that these teens and their families are directed in an efficient and streamlined manner to the necessary available help.

To speak confidentially to a Nesivos clinician please call 7325347800.

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