Rare changing of the guard at PCC

For the first time in more than a half-century, Peninsula Counseling Center has a new leader. Dr. John Kastan took over as executive director of the Valley Stream-based mental health facility two weeks ago and is spending his early days learning about the operation.

Kastan replaces Herb Ruben, who led the center for 52 years.

A search firm sought out Kastan as a candidate for executive director. Upon meeting the board of directors and other members of the search committee, Kastan said he knew Peninsula Counseling Center would be a good fit. “I was very pleased to be selected,” he said.

Kastan most recently was a vice president at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, overseeing behavioral health services. In his decade there, he spearheaded the creation of the World Trade Center Healing Services program to assist first responders and residents of lower Manhattan dealing with psychological trauma from the terrorist attacks. He also led the expansion of school-based mental health services in schools in lower and midtown Manhattan.

He has worked as an assistant commissioner for New York City’s Department of Mental Health, was a corporate administrator in the psychiatry department at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and worked for Merit Behavioral Care Corporation.

With a long history in the mental health field, Kastan said he welcomed the opportunity to come lead a highly regarded agency with such a distinguished history. The Peninsula Counseling started nearly 100 years ago in the Five Towns, and only recently merged all of its services under one roof on Hawthorne Avenue in Valley Stream. “It’s a very nice building,” he said of the facility which was renovated and opened for PCC less than two years ago. “It’s a very convenient location.”

Kastan said he wants to expand the reach of the Peninsula Counseling Center. A majority of its 4,600 clients come from the southwest Nassau area, as well as Queens. “I think Peninsula is a gem,” he said. “It has a diverse range of services.”

He noted that the center has numerous services for adults and children, from mental health counseling to alcohol and chemical dependency programs.

Kastan said one of his first duties is to review the operations of the Peninsula Counseling Center to make sure it is running efficiently. He wants to ensure that customer service is high, and that clients are not only receiving the services they need, but feel welcome and comfortable at the center.

So far, so good, Kastan noted. “I’m impressed with what I’ve seen,” he said. “I think people who come here will get very good treatment.”

Additionally, Kastan said he wants to identify needs within the community that aren’t being met, but could be by the Peninsula Counseling Center.

Another goal will be to reach out the community to raise money for the center. Services are often not fully reimbursed by Medicare or insurance, Kastan noted, so fundraising is essential to keeping the center running. He will look for donations for businesses and generous individuals, as well as government support.

Kastan said he has a good staff behind him to help grow the center. Many have been with PCC for 10, 20, even 30 years. “That speaks to me of a level of investment in the organization,” he said.

Jay Greenbaum, president of the Peninsula Counseling Center’s board of directors, described Kastan as a wise and soft-spoken gentlemen, and an experienced leader who can help the center deal with budgetary issues at the state and federal levels. “Clearly his background speaks volumes about why he was a great find for us,” Greenbaum said. “His knowledge of the industry as well as his relationships with key individuals in government made him the logical successor to guide PCC into the future.”

Born in Woodmere, Kastan lived there for 13 years before moving to Manhattan. He now resides in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter. Recognition for his work includes an appointment by the governor to the New York State Mental Health Services Council.

Though following someone who led the organization for 52 years, Kastan said he has felt very welcomed by the staff and clients of the Peninsula Counseling Center. “In the last two weeks as I’ve gotten to know people,” he said, “the people are very friendly.”