The Outreach Report

Welcome to The Outreach Report monthly staff e-news!   

Save the Date! 

  • August 7: All Staff Summer BBQ at OH II from 12:00 pm (see details below!)

July 2026 Payroll Calendar

July 10 & 24

Upcoming Holidays (Administrative Offices, Most Programs & Services Closed):

July 3: Independence Day

Celebrations in July:

July is:

  • Disability Pride Month
  • BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month
  • French-American Heritage Month

July 4: Independence Day
July 10: Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i faith)
July 14: International Non-Binary People’s Day
July 14: Bastille Day
July 18: International Nelson Mandela Day
July 18: August 17: South Asian / Desi Heritage Month
July 26: National Disability Independence Day
July 29: Asalha Puja/Dharma Day (Buddhist)

Recent Community Accomplishments & Celebrations:

  • Congratulations to Office Manager Irene Gonzalez, who was named Suffolk Avenue Outpatient Services’ May 2026 Employee of the Month in recognition of her hard work and dedication to both our clients and staff. Well deserved, Irene!

 

  • Suffolk Avenue Outpatient Services celebrated its Annual International Day, honoring the diverse cultures, traditions, and backgrounds that make our Outreach community so strong. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a wonderful celebration!

  • We’re also thrilled to congratulate former Chief Diversity Officer Alexis Gadsden and former Outreach House I Director Melvin Swain, who were officially sworn in as members of the Outreach Development Corporation Board of Directors at the Board’s June meeting. We are honored that Alexis and Melvin will continue sharing their leadership, experience, and deep commitment to Outreach in this new capacity. Congratulations, and thank you both for your continued service to our Outreach community!
  • Outreach proudly tabled and marched in the LGBT Network’s Long Island Pride Parade and Festival in Huntington. The family-friendly celebration was filled with incredible energy, community pride, and meaningful connections. Throughout the day, our team met with many people interested in Outreach’s services and distributed 100 Narcan kits to support overdose prevention efforts in our community. The event was organized by Outreach’s all-staff led JEDI Committee.

  • Thank you to our REACT Center and EQuITY staff, who represented Outreach at the Caribbean Heritage Month Celebration at Hempstead Town Hall. Our team connected with community members, shared Outreach resources, and provided Narcan training and overdose prevention education, helping advance health equity and strengthen community partnerships.

  • Partnering with the residential programs on the 400 Crooked Hill Road campus, Outreach’s Community Partnerships team welcomed behavioral health and legal professionals for a tour and collaborative discussion focused on strengthening partnerships and advancing treatment engagement, recovery, and long-term success for justice-involved individuals.

  • Outreach clients and staff were recently featured in a NewsdayTV segment and Newsday print story highlighting women who have worked hard in their recovery to regain custody of their children. A special shout-out to Women’s Recovery Residence Director Stephanie Laureano and her team, along with Bellport Assistant Director Kelsea Surace, Case Manager Jaqueline Hobson, and their team, for helping connect reporters with clients who generously shared their powerful recovery journeys. View the stories here

  • On June 10, Outreach welcomed supporters to its 32nd Annual Long Island Luncheon, held at Outreach House II for the first time in more than a decade. Hosting the event on campus gave donors the opportunity to experience firsthand the incredible work of our residential programs and the dedication of our staff. A heartfelt thank you to Program Director Catie Maguire and the Outreach House II team, our Custodial Services staff, Director of Special Events and Fundraising Marsha Radulov, and Licensed Art Therapist Lindsey Augustine, whose breathtaking exhibit of artwork created by our adolescent clients beautifully reflected their creativity, resilience, and recovery journeys

  • Outreach was proudly represented at the Treatment Communities of America Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., by Chief Administrative Officer David Vizzini, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Christal Montague, and Vice President for Residential Services John Venza. During the conference, they collaborated with behavioral health leaders from across the country and met with federal legislators to advocate for policies that strengthen treatment, recovery, and the communities we serve.

  • Keep an eye out for our newest community awareness campaign, including a large billboard in Jamaica, Queens, bus advertisements throughout Suffolk County, and Outreach proudly featured on Brentwood High School Athletics T-shirts. If you spot one of these—or any other Outreach promotional efforts while you’re out and about, we’d love to hear from you! Snap a photo and share it with the Communications Department so we can celebrate Outreach’s growing presence throughout our communities.

Best wishes to staff who celebrate Birthdays in June!

Sorany Acosta
Katia Andrade
Patricia Baker
McReynald Balthazar
Diana Rosana Brathwaite
Melissa Centeno
Nasaric Jamel Charles
Marissa Coble
Larraine Cullam
Charlene Espada
Vaughn Flake
Shaela Fridell
Margaret Rose Garcia
Ariel Monet Graham
Rebecca Hladky
Lauren Irizarry
Laurie Ann Jackson
Yolanda Johnson
Brian Krempa
Emma McCarthy
Gabriela Martinez
Leonard Dale Miller
Jannie Morales
Emely Muy
Aiysha Powell
Jessica Salch
Ethel Sawoe-Richardson
Ewa Szostak
Paul Vitale
Kmel Wilson

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities:

July

Beyond the Test: Empathy, Bias, and Advocacy in Toxicology and Substance Use Disorder Recovery (3 hours)

This training delves into the appropriate use of toxicology test as per OASAS guidelines, the biases inherent in toxicology testing, emphasizing empathic communication with individuals in recovery, exploring relapse conversations, and advocating to support justice-involved individuals struggling with substance use disorders.

  • Date: Wednesday July 15, 2026
  • Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
  • Trainer: Kelly Smith, DSW, LMSW, Adjunct Instructor

Registration Deadline: July 8, 2026

• • • • • 

Working with the LGBTQ+ Youth in the Field of SUD and MH (3 hours)

This training equips providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver affirming, culturally responsive substance use and mental health services to LGBTQ+ youth. Participants explore LGBTQ+ identities, minority stress, social determinants of health, and intersectionality, and examine how these factors influence risk, resilience, and treatment engagement. Emphasis is placed on practical, youth-centered strategies for prevention, recovery, allyship, and creating safe, inclusive environments that support LGBTQ+ youth in surviving, thriving, and healing.

  • Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026
  • Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
  • Trainer: Shameika Johnson, Ed.D., Senior Trainer

Registration Deadline: July 24, 2026

• • • • • 

Important:  OTI has transitioned to the Learning Management System, Digital Chalk. If you haven’t already, as part of the registration process, you will be asked to create an account. To apply for any of the courses, you will need to complete a separate registration form for each course. You will receive a response to confirm your enrollment. Please save your login credentials, as you will need them to access the training and future certificates or course registrations.

SOR REGISTRATION LINK

• • • • •

HR Column

Nonstop Health Reminder: A Few Tips to Keep Your Benefits Running Smoothly

A Friendly Reminder from Human Resources:

If you’re enrolled in the Nonstop Health medical plan, please take a few minutes to review the information below to ensure you’re using your benefits correctly.

  • Before using your Nonstop Health Visa card to pay a medical bill, always check your Cigna Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to confirm the amount listed as “Your Responsibility.”
  • For prescriptions, verify with your pharmacist that the claim has been processed through your Cigna coverage before using your card, and keep your prescription bag in case Nonstop Health requests documentation.
  • Most importantly, never ignore emails from Nonstop Health (NSEtickets@nonstophealth.com), as they often require a quick response to verify a claim.

Responding promptly helps prevent interruptions to your card, and our HR team is always happy to answer any questions or help you navigate the process.

Welcome New Outreach Hires!

Maria Bailon Bustos, Counselor, Outreach House I
Jamie Barahona, Counselor, Outreach House I
Ava DiCiero, RN, Men’s Community Residence
Rebecca Etwaru, Talent Acquisition and Retention Specialist, HR
Venercie Fontilus, Counselor, REACT Center
Rosemary Garcia, Counselor, Women’s Community Residence
Tamia Gordon, Counselor, Outreach House I
Eric Hammett, Counselor, Outreach House I
Viona Jasmin, Milieu Floor Counselor, Outreach House II
Samuel Kouwenhoven, Milieu Counselor, Young Adult Residence
Mark Lande, Intern, Richmond Hill CCBHC
Sheryl McLaughlin, Counselor, Young Adult Residence
Delvis Medrano, Maintenance and Porter, Richmond Hill CCBHC
Jean Melconian, Bilingual Counselor, Suffolk Avenue Outpatient Services
Meghan Montgomery, Primary Counselor, Young Adult Residence
Jalen Obas, Intern, IT
Tashawna Sams, Per Diem, Outreach House I
Victor Vega, Administrative Assistant, Suffolk Avenue Outpatient Services
Desiree Wallace, Counselor, Outreach House II
Michael Zaccor, Overnight Counselor, Young Adult Residence

Compliance Corner

Questions regarding Compliance issues? Come to our weekly Compliance Office Hours, held every Thursday afternoon from 2:00-4:00 pm. Similar to office hours held by other departments, Outreach’s Compliance Officer Nalika Soreng. Bookmark the following link as it is a recurring meeting: Compliance Office Hours Link.

The Social Feed

Thank you to everyone who joined our Building Your Professional Presence on LinkedIn training! During the session, staff learned how to use LinkedIn as a professional networking platform, build their online presence with confidence, engage professionally, and leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to create meaningful content. It was a great opportunity to learn, ask questions in a supportive environment, and explore practical strategies for professional growth.

If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry! We will be offering another Building Your Professional Presence on LinkedIn training on July 10th at 3:00 PM. Whether you’re new to LinkedIn or simply looking to become more confident using the platform, this practical, judgment-free session will cover LinkedIn best practices, privacy settings, and easy ways to use AI to help create professional posts and content ideas.

Follow this link to register for the July 10th training: https://forms.gle/YupXUzG3DXGJuEiB9

Stay connected and keep up with everything happening across the agency by following Outreach’s social media:

Need assistance signing up? Contact Communications Manager, Michael Stewart at michaelstewart@opiny.org.

Thanks for following!

Featured Staff Resource: TIC “Say This, Not That”

As an agency committed to Trauma-Informed Care, the words we choose, and the way we communicate, matter. Thoughtful, person-centered language helps foster safety, dignity, and trust with our clients, their families, and one another. Lisa Fox, Assistant Director of the Women’s Recovery Residence, created this comprehensive “Say This, Not That” resource to help us put Trauma-Informed Care principles into everyday practice. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing this valuable tool with our entire agency community!