100th Anniversary

Meet the staff of PCC

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To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Peninsula Counseling Center, we are introducing you to a few of the more than 100 staff members who work with clients and behind the scenes to make the agency run.

NORMA NEIL
25 years at PCC

What are your job responsibilities? I am the assistant director of the Meeting Place Clubhouse. My job responsibilities vary day to day from overseeing the program when the director is out to running various groups.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? It is extremely rewarding to partner with clients in their rehabilitation and recovery.

What is the most important part of your job? Providing a theraputic environment for persons with mental illness, fostering a sense of belonging and recovery.

What is a typical day like for you? A typical day can consist of meeting with clients to discuss their progress or running groups such as wellness, assertiveness or computer skills.

What does it mean for you to work at PCC? I have worked at PCC for 25 years because of the excellent program quality and the opportunities provided to the staff for professional growth.

BRENDAN COREY
22 years at PCC

What are your job responsibilities? I spend three days a week providing counseling to the homebound. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I do verbal therapy with PCC’s high-risk program. I am also the Saturday supervisor.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Knowing that I have helped people work through their problems, gain a different perspective on their lives, manage their feelings and function better in their lives.

What is the most important part of your job? Maintaining the awareness that the client is a unique individual, and collaborating with the client to re-achieve stability and the best level of functioning possible.

What is a typical day like for you? A typical day includes an average of five client appointments, field phone calls, documenting sessions, consulting with my supervisor, the psychiatrist or a co-worker about a particular client’s needs, and ensuring all in-house paperwork is up to date.

What does it mean for you to work at PCC? It gives me an opportunity to do satisfying work that I deeply care about, in a mutually supportive atmosphere with very experienced co-workers.

ROBERTO TORRE
20 years at PCC

What are your job responsibilities? Counseling, education, prevention and helping patients and family members who have been impacted by substance abuse.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? To see patients and family members recovered from alcohol and drug addictions.

What is the most important part of your job? To help patients find coping mechanisms to deal with addictions.

What is a typical day like for you? Providing individual and group counseling for patients and families who are struggling with addictions.

What does it mean for you to work at PCC? I am very proud to be part of an excellent multidisciplinary team of professionals providing counseling at one of the largest mental health and substance abuse clinics in Nassau County.

JORY WIXSAM
3 ½ years at PCC

What are your job responsibilities? Seeing patients for evaluations, and medication management which includes children and adults.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? When patients do better in their functioning.

What is the most important part of your job? Following up on lab reports and medications.

What is a typical day like for you? Seeing 15 to 20 patients and being available for emergencies.

What does it mean for you to work at PCC? Being part of an agency that maintains the highest standard of ethics.

MICHELLE CARPIO
15 years at PCC

What are your job responsibilities? I am a receptionist for PCC. I answer phones, check in clients, pull and file charts. I set up appointments for patients with our nurse practitioners. I assist the associate director with Utilization and Review requirements. I assist my supervisor with ordering supplies for the agency and other duties. I do time-keeping for all of PCC’s staff and payroll for half of the staff.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Helping our clients. I like to make them feel comfortable about coming to PCC for services. I know the way I treat them makes them feel good about themselves. It also makes me feel good.

What is the most important part of your job? I feel that it is very important to treat our clients and patients with kindness and respect. I feel that they need to feel comfortable coming to PCC for services. Whatever job I am doing for PCC, I put my all into it to make sure it is done right.

What is a typical day like for you? A typical day for me would include, but isn’t limited to logging onto the computer, stamping all the outgoing mail, taking the faxes off the fax machine and distributing them, and, depending on the day or week, my job role changes. Then it’s business as usual.

What does it mean for you to work at PCC? Since the day I started working for PCC, I loved my job. Fifteen years later and I can still honestly say I love it. I love dealing with our clients and I love the people I work with. It makes me feel good to be able to help people in whichever way I can.