Service

The mounting mental and behavioral health crisis due to COVID and economic stress is still largely ignored by the federal government and insurance companies. With higher rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, trauma and grief, substance abuse, suicidal ideation—as well as child behavior issues and marital/family conflict—the nation’s most vulnerable and marginalized families are being denied access to affordable, effective care. 

For the past year, we have created fundraising relief campaigns, so we can offer high-quality, evidence-based mental and behavioral health treatments, regardless of ability to pay. This includes pro-bono services. So uninsured and underinsured people in need can access immediate and affordable care.

To date, we have helped hundreds of underserved children and families. Our current Behavioral Health for BIPOC Families campaign aims to help another 100 families over the next month.

Training

We are expanding clinical mental and behavioral health service and training programs for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. This includes individual and group cognitive-behavioral therapies, neuropsychology, medical psychology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, virtual reality therapy and biofeedback.

We offer in-house training programs and collaborate with local university training programs in underserved communities. In this way, we can provide expert training and expand high-quality care through a growing collective of pro-bono and low-fee student clinics. Our first partnership is with Columbia University’s Teacher’s College, whose student clinic services Harlem, the Bronx and other underserved communities.

Research

Our Equity and Effectiveness Scientific Council (EESC) explores the most effective treatments for children who need it the most. This can include children who are minorities, live in rural areas or lack financial resources. With leading clinical psychology researchers and treatment developers, EESC can study innovative cognitive-behavioral therapies for youth—including potential time- and cost-effective approaches, as well as sustainable service delivery systems. We will share the results with the mental and public health field toward a collective goal of increasing mental and behavioral health treatment access, equity and effectiveness.

Help us help others

Please consider joining us. Every tax-deductible donation, up to $1,000 a person, will be matched and doubled—or quadrupled with certain employer matching programs.

The Weissman Children’s Foundation (WCF) is a national nonprofit organization, in development, dedicated to raising the standard of mental healthcare—and access to best practices for youth—by offering evidence-based, psychological treatments to every child, family and young adult, regardless of their ability to pay. Affiliated with The Child & Family Institute (CFI), WCF is located throughout the Greater New York area, across another ten states in the U.S., as well as through a global telehealth initiative.

For more information, contact info@weissmanchildrensfoundation.org or info@childfamilyinstitute.com