New director moving PCC forward

After 23 years as second in command at the Peninsula Counseling Center, Lois Goldsmith has been named the agency’s executive director, and she is very excited about some new initiatives.

Goldsmith officially took the reigns in September after being approved by the Board of Directors. Her appointment coincided with the 100th anniversary of PCC, which specializes in mental and behavioral health counseling, as well as substance abuse treatment. She replaced John Kastan, who took a vice president position with PSCH, a Queens-based human services agency that sponsors PCC.

About two years ago, PCC launched Saturday hours for the first time. Its Valley Stream headquarters is now open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Goldsmith said that has attracted more clients to the facility. Because of the success of Saturday hours, PCC could soon become a seven-day-a-week operation.

“We feel we are going to be looking to open on Sundays, too,” Goldsmith said, adding that the change will likely occur within the next few weeks. “People really need evening and weekend hours.”

In October, PCC opened a satellite location in Roosevelt. After taking over the Family and Children’s Services clinics, which had locations in Elmont and Roosevelt, PCC welcomed a whole new base of clients, as well as some new staff members.

The Elmont patients were invited to come to the Valley Stream location, while the Roosevelt office was relocated within that community, to 380 Nassau Road.

Also in October, PCC launched a Same Day Access initiative, to ensure that every patient who was in crisis could see a counselor almost immediately. Goldsmith said that the agency, while not an emergency center, has always been committed to providing clients with prompt, effective treatment.

“We’ve always had walk-ins,” Goldsmith said. “If someone feels they need to be seen, they walk in. People sometimes feel that they’re in crisis.”