October 14th, 2022 –Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter recently attended the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new state-of-the-art Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Mental Health Clinic in Brentwood.
The new facility was made possible through grant funding secured from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, and will allow the non-profit to serve an additional 250 youth and families each year.
YES was founded in 1987 as a way to promote youth empowerment, and emphasizes creating safe and healthy environments for youth and their families. Previously, YES’ Mental Health Services Division operated out of Islip Town Hall West, serving over 150 youth and families per year. The new clinic will serve Brentwood, North Bay Shore, Central Islip, and is located in the heart of Brentwood. It is fully staffed with highly trained bi-lingual professionals, and expands services into communities without access to quality mental health services.
In recent years, access to affordable, quality, mental health care has been on the decline as a result of clinics closing or limiting their operations, leaving existing clinics with long waitlists. Cutbacks have also seen communities like Brentwood, Central Islip and North Bay Shore lose resources critical to residents facing challenges.
“Now more than ever, we’re seeing the importance of taking care of our mental health. Services provided by YES’ dedicated team of professionals affords much-needed healthcare to many in our communities who may not otherwise get the help they need for their child or themselves. We are truly grateful to these extraordinary clinicians who teach healthy coping mechanisms to those struggling with their mental health,” said Supervisor Carpenter.
Joining the Supervisor were Town Councilwoman, Mary Kate Mullen; Councilman, Jorge Guadron; YES Executive Director, MaryAnn Pfeiffer; NYS Senator, Phil Boyle; Suffolk County Legislators, Steve Flotteron and Sam Gonzalez; Brentwood School Superintendent Richard Loeschner; Brentwood School Board members Maria Gonzalez-Prescod and Hassan Ahmed, among others.
The new YES Mental Health Facility is located at 13 McWhorter Street, Brentwood, NY.
