New Horizon offering 24/7 counseling in time of need

As millions of people nationwide lose their jobs amid the coronavirus outbreak, and millions more shelter in place to avoid infection, anxieties are likely at an all-time high. But in Nassau County, there is help. 

New Horizon Counseling Center, a non-profit mental health organization with its local center in Valley Stream, is offering a gamut of 24/7 telephone and telehealth services for people suffering from anxiety, depression, addiction and grief from the death of a loved one. Additionally, the center offers food delivery for seniors. No insurance is required. 

“We’re really here to support the community that we serve,” New Horizon Chief Executive Officer Herrick Lipton said.

Anecdotally, he reported that with people stuck at home, the tensions that come with everyday life have become heightened during the pandemic, with families staying in close proximity for longer than under normal, and parents and children unable to leave to go to work and school. 

“The daily stressors are even more profound than usual,” Lipton said. 

Generally, he said, people who live alone are the most vulnerable at a time such as this.

Founded in 1981, New Horizon covers people living in Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as New York City, with its Valley Stream location serving as its main facility in Nassau. 

Normally, the organization provides in-person counseling, but in light of the coronavirus crisis, Lipton said it has switched to counseling by phone, and also offers telehealth services for people who might need face-to-face sessions.

“Even though our facilities are closed, we are here to support everyone now more than ever,” Lipton said. 

Flora Bienstock, New Horizon’s chief clinical officer, who oversees its staff of social workers, psychiatrists, art therapists and doctors, said they have been even more proactive during the outbreak in reaching out to the center’s most at-risk clientele, who due to feelings of isolation or stress may be struggling because of a history of addiction or suicidal thoughts.

Additionally, they are not only reaching out to clients but also their clients’ children, regardless of age, to ensure they too are safe and dealing with the stresses of the pandemic in a healthy manner. And although its facilities are mostly closed, New Horizon does offer in-person drug services by appointment for people who need medication to assist with their struggles. 

“We’re trying to take care of the whole person,” Bienstock said.

Despite the switch to remote counseling, she said, the center has been busier than ever, and additional social workers and doctors have been hired to meet the increasing demand of people seeking help. 

“When people are socially isolated, things like depression or feeling suicidal tends to get magnified,” she said, and that many right now are struggling to feel “relevant” during a time of unprecedented disruption. 

She encouraged anyone feeling depressed or anxious to call the center. 

“People should not have to feel alone or lonely, because there are people you can contact and speak to,” Bienstock said. “There is help out there for you.” 

The hope, Lipton said, is for New Horizon to provide a support network to help everyone reach the other side of the pandemic, happy, healthy and perhaps better than before.

“We will get through this,” he said. “As New Yorkers and Americans, we’ve gone through so much in our history, and we will make it through this as well.”