The Outreach Report
Welcome to The Outreach Report monthly staff e-news!
Save the Date!
- October 30: Young Adult Residence Ribbon Cutting!
- October 31: Last Day to Complete Open Enrollment (see details below) –All employees must complete forms in ADP, whether you plan to participate or waive your benefits.
- November 2, 2025, at 2 a.m. – Daylight Saving’s Time ends and clocks will “fall back” one hour, which means you will gain an extra hour of sleep!
November 2025 Payroll Calendar
November 3, 14, 28
Upcoming Holidays
- Thanksgiving, Thursday & Friday, November 27 & 28
*Holiday Schedule Update for 2025*
Because Christmas falls on Thursday, December 25, 2025, the observance of Veteran’s Day (our floating holiday) has been moved to Friday, December 26, 2025. This adjustment is for 2025 only. This means Veteran’s Day will not be observed as a floating holiday on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. If you’d like to take November 11 off, you’re welcome to use your vacation, personal, or banked holiday time – you just need to coordinate with your supervisor in advance.
We hope this change gives everyone a little extra time to enjoy a long Christmas holiday weekend!
Community Celebrations in October:
Outreach Honored Among 2025 Top Workplaces by City & State!
On October 15, Outreach was recognized by City & State New York as one of the 2025 Top Workplaces!
Representing the agency, Paul Vitale, Sean Leahy, and Christal Montague accepted the
2025 Top Workplaces Award on October 15th. This recognition celebrates the collective efforts
of our entire staff in fostering a positive, impactful, and supportive workplace. Read the full list and learn more about the honorees here:
City & State’s 2025 Top Workplaces
Outreach House II: So Long Summer Family Event
Outreach House II wrapped up the summer season with a heartwarming So Long Summer Family Event!Organized by the residence’s dedicated parent committee and staff, the celebration brought residents and their families together for a day of connection and joy. At Outreach, we believe in healing the whole family system to support lasting recovery — and what better way to honor that journey than by celebrating the hard work and dedication of our residents.
Young Adult Residence Ribbon Cutting October 30th
We’re counting down the days to the ribbon cutting of Outreach’s brand-new Young Adult Residence in Brentwood on October 30 — and the excitement is building!
To celebrate, we’ve kicked off a short video series featuring our incredible team sharing why this new program matters so much. This residence — the only one of its kind on Long Island — will offer life-changing support for young adults ages 18 to 25 as they take the next steps toward brighter, healthier futures. Together, we’re making history and changing lives — one young person at a time!
Exciting Leadership Updates in Residential Programs
Residential Services has announced several exciting promotions!
- Emily Murray, previously the Assistant Director in OH 2, has been promoted to Director of the new Young Adult Program.
- Melanie Hlapatsos, formerly House Manager at OH 2, will be stepping into the Assistant Director there.
- Caitlyn Duddy, formerly the House Manager in the ORC, has been promoted to Assistant Director in the ORC.
These three well-earned promotions represent a tremendous success for the Residential Programs, as all Director and Assistant Director positions are now filled with dedicated and talented leaders. Please join us in congratulating Emily, Melanie, and Caitlyn on their new roles and continued contributions to Outreach’s mission.
Best wishes to staff who celebrate Birthdays in October
Valerie Allen
Liliane Drago
Daniel Bleecher
Stacey Bridgeford
Denise Schellenberg
Jamie Banach
Denise Disponzio
George Aviles
Olivia Cardone
Alejandro Hurtado Cano
Gwendolyn Denny
Sarah Newhouse
Linda Woodard
Emily Pier
Ashley Bryant
Elvis Sarita
Kumar Pierce
John Venza
Catherine Maguire
Joanne Dwarika
Kara Edwards
Susana Maruy
Daniel Bachety
Beverley Stewart
Kathleen Norman-Edwards
Gloria Ortiz-Rocco
Edward Hernandez
Megan Ryan
Welcome to New Employees Hired between August 16 and September 15, 2025
Ashley Batewell, Brentwood Young Adult Residence
Matthew Fama, Outreach House One
Emily Rose Fasolino, Brentwood Islip Outpatient Services
Sarah Gillen, Intern
Irene Gonzalez, Brentwood Islip Outpatient Services
Jordan Lieser, Outreach House Two
Erin MacLeod, Brentwood Young Adult Residence
Leora Matzelle, Brentwood Islip Outpatient Services
Angela Murdock-Ridley, Richmond Hill Administrative Services
Carmen Murray, Brentwood Women’s Residential
Akber Naqvi, Brentwood Outreach House Two
Elyse Ostrove, Brentwood Islip Outpatient Services
Nicole Parrish, Richmond Hill Administrative Services
Ingrid Samuel, Outreach Community Residence
Celebrations in November:
November 1: All Saints Day
November 1: Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
November 5: Stress Awareness Day
November 11: Veterans Day
November 13: World Kindness Day
November 16: International Day of Tolerance
November 19: International Men’s Day
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 27: Thanksgiving Day
November 28: Native American Heritage Day
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities:
Ready to grow your skills and earn continuing education credits? Check out the Outreach University courses below — available at no cost for those in social work, CASAC, mental health counseling, and marriage and family therapy.
These courses are a great way to expand your expertise, meet CE requirements, and stay inspired in your professional journey. Please note: Scholarships are limited, so be sure to register soon!
How to register:
Use the links below to sign up through Digital Chalk. If you’re new to the platform, you’ll just need to create a quick account before registering.
In-Person Training on Evidence-Based Practices
Seeking Safety – In Person / One Day Training
Training Room – ORC
Seeking Safety Training – In Person / One Day Training
Wednesday December 3, 2025 from 9:00am – 4:30pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Motivational Interviewing – In Person / Two Day Training
Training Room ORC
Wednesday 12/10 & Wednesday 12/17 from 9:00am – 4:00pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Online Training Courses
Ethics and Professional Boundaries* (One time requirement for all Outreach staff)
Tuesday October 21, 2025 – 2pm-5pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Writing a Billable Note
Wednesday October 22, 2025 – 2pm-5pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Effective Communication in Tough Moments* (One time requirement for ALL STAFF)
Tuesday October 28, 2025 – 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Effective Communication in Tough Moments* (One time requirement for ALL STAFF)
Wednesday October 29, 2025 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Screening for Psychological Trauma and PTSD
Thursday October 29, 2025 – 2pm-5pm
Click link for more details and to register:
Clinical Supervision Foundations II – November 2025 – 5 Parts – 11/4, 11/6, 11/12, 11/13 & 11/18
Tuesday November 4, 2025 1:00pm-4:30pm * (One time requirement for supervisors in OASAS-licensed programs)
Click link for more details and to register:
Cultural Trauma
Wednesday December 17, 2025 – 2pm-5pm
Click link for more details and to register:
https://outreachtraininginstitute.digitalchalk.com/learn/12-17-2025-cultural-trauma-sor-registration
DBT Skills and Protocol Overview
Thursday December 18, 2025 – 2pm-5pm
Click link for more details and to register:
SOR Training
Free training is also available to all staff working in OASAS-licensed programs in New York State via OASAS-Funded State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant-Funded Training. All courses below provide continuing education hours for CASAC, SW, MHC, and MFT! To register please click this
November
Clinical Supervision Foundations II – 5 Part Series (16 hours)
Good clinical supervision is essential to the provision of high quality clinical services, the morale, professional development, and retention of staff, ethical behavior and professional boundaries, and the fidelity of evidence-based practices. This introductory course begins with the definition of clinical supervision, its goals and objectives, and the qualities and approaches of a good clinical supervisor. The structure and benefits of various types of supervision is reviewed and time management strategies are discussed. Didactic presentation, group discussion, small group work and case vignettes are used. In New York State, this training is required as part of the scopes of practice for clinicians who have supervisory responsibilities..
- Date: November 4, November 6, November 12, November 13 and November 18, 2025
- Time: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
- Trainer: Liliane Drago, MAC, CASAC-M, VP of Training Outreach Training Institute
Registration Deadline: October 24, 2025
• • • • • •
December
Medications for Addiction Recovery – (3 Hours)
This training will provide participants with knowledge and skills needed to counsel individuals on the use of addiction medications.
- Date:Tuesday December 9, 2025
- Time:2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Trainer: Gina Stafford
Registration Deadline: December 5, 2025
• • • • • •
Cultural Trauma – (3 hours)
The goal of this class is to help participants understand cultural trauma, increase their sensitivity to people who have experienced cultural trauma, and to enable them to be responsive to cultural trauma .
- Date: Wednesday December 17, 2025
- Time:2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer:Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: October 15, 2025
• • • • • •
DBT Skills and Protocol Overview – (3 hours)
The training will give a brief overview of the research base of DBT in the treatment on Borderline Personality DO, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders and the protocol of high fidelity DBT. The remainder of the time to explain the five DBT skill sets: Mindfulness, Self-Validation, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, & Distress Tolerance.
- Date:Thursday December 18, 2025
- Time:2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Trainer:Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor
Registration Deadline: December 15, 2025
HR Corner
It’s Open Enrollment Time!
It’s that time of year to review your benefits and make any updates you need. Even if you’re not making changes, everyone must complete enrollment in the ADP Self-Service Portal
Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2025 (by end of day)
Effective date for changes: November 1, 2025
What You Can Do Now:
- Update your plans: Keep, add, or remove medical, dental, or vision coverage.
- Manage dependents: Keep, add, or remove dependents.
- If you’re adding a dependent for the first time, upload documentation:
- Spouse: Marriage certificate
- Child: Birth certificate
- Waive coverage: You may waive coverage in ADP.
- Be sure to submit the waiver form within ADP and upload a copy of your current insurance card. These are required every year.
- If you’re adding a dependent for the first time, upload documentation:
Tip: Review your options and costs carefully. You can make changes anytime through October 31. After that, your choices are set until the next Open Enrollment in 2026, unless you have a qualifying life event.
How to Enroll (It’s Quick! It’s Easy!)
- Log in to ADP Self-Service.
- Look for “OE – 2025–2026.”
- Click Start Enrollment and work through each screen.
- Watch for any notes about required documents and upload as needed.
Optional: AFLAC Plans (via Premier Worksite Benefits)
This is also a great time to explore supplemental options available to you:
- Life of Boston Permanent Life Insurance
- AFLAC Disability Insurance
- AFLAC Accident Insurance
- AFLAC Critical Illness/Cancer Insurance
- AFLAC Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Interested? Contact Premier Worksite Benefits by Thursday, October 31:
- Phone: (866) 463-8808, Option 4
- Email: support@premierworksite.com
They’re happy to walk you through your choices.
Coming in November: Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Open Enrollment
(For the plan year 01/01/2026 – 12/31/2026. More info to come.)
- Healthcare FSA — 2026 maximum $3,400
- Rollover: Up to $680 into 2027 if you re-enroll
- Dependent Care FSA — Up to $5,000 for eligible child care (e.g., pre-school, after-school, summer camp) through the child’s 13th birthday
- Transit Benefit — Up to $340/month; you can enroll or change this anytime during the year
FSAs and transit benefits let you pay for eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars, lowering your taxable income. Full details coming soon!
HR is Here to Help!
Questions about any of the above? Please reach out to Vicki Wilmarth anytime:
Email: victoriawilmarth@opiny.org
Phone: (631) 521-8400 x5136
Open Enrollment Checklist:
Use this quick checklist to make sure you’re all set before October 31:
☐ Log into ADP Self-Service
☐ Select “OE – 2025–2026” and click Start Enrollment
☐ Review and update your medical, dental, and vision plans
☐ Add or remove dependents (upload certificates if needed)
☐ Complete or waive coverage (upload waiver form and insurance card if applicable)
☐ Review your costs and confirm your selections
☐ Explore optional AFLAC plans (contact Premier Worksite Benefits by Oct 31)
☐ Mark your calendar for November’s FSA Open Enrollment
Compliance Corner
Why This Information Matters to All Outreach Staff
Every staff member at Outreach has a shared responsibility to protect the privacy, rights, and dignity of the individuals we serve. The laws listed here—both federal and New York State—set the foundation for how we handle confidential information, maintain ethical standards, and ensure equitable, person-centered care.
Compliance with these laws is not just a legal requirement; it reflects our core values of integrity, accountability, and respect. By understanding and applying these standards in our daily work—whether documenting in the electronic health record, engaging with clients, or communicating with outside agencies—we uphold Outreach’s mission of Building Healthy Lives while maintaining the trust of our clients, families, and community partners.
In Recognition of National Stress Awareness Day: November 5
We all experience stress—but knowing how to manage it makes all the difference. In honor of National Stress Awareness Day on November 5th, we’re highlighting practical strategies to help you care for your mental wellbeing at work.
