What's New - Jewish Family & Children's Service

Check out the article on our very own Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh on the Jewish in St. Louis website below.

Rabbi Hersh Returns to Head JF&CS Chaplaincy Program

What's On Your Mind

Advice from the JF&CS Therapy Team . . .

Oy, The Kids are Baaack!

My children are going to be on winter break soon. I am anticipating pure chaos as they commandeer my house not to mention that all of my time will be spent refereeing. Needless to say, I am living in fear. Do you know of any activities that I can do with them? Ideally an activity that is inexpensive and time consuming. I am desperate.

Frazzled Mom

Dear Frazzled Mom,

To borrow a phrase, this is a most wonderful time of the year, and that lyric is especially true for social service agencies that rely on generosity during the Holiday season. As we hear the ring of the Salvation Army bell and other calls to action, we are reminded of the less fortunate among us.

Here at the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, all our food drive barrels are deployed in offices, religious and educational institutions of all sorts. Volunteer groups are scheduled every day to sort donations and pack grocery bags for our clients. Many individuals and groups make this time of year their most productive time to volunteer and donate their generosity is greatly appreciated by all the staff who work in the not for profit and social service sector.

As we rush to make the holiday season enjoyable and meaningful for our family and friends, remember that volunteering to help the less fortunate in our community is a great activity for all ages. We have opportunities for families, student and civic groups, office staff team-building, and any other type of group you can think of our need for volunteers to help clients exists year-round.

Our volunteer program combines education and service components to create a meaningful experience for all ages. The government word for hunger is "food insecurity," and the impact of this problem is felt worldwide. If you would like to help your neighbors survive through difficult economic times, please remember we are in constant need of donations and volunteers. We do not ask for a huge commitment pack grocery bags for an hour or two, hold a food drive, or invite a speaker to educate your group about world hunger or hunger here in St. Louis we look forward to working with you.

To discuss program content, contact Don Meissner: dmeissner@jfcs-stl.org
To schedule your volunteers, contact Kelly Mueller: kmueller@jfcs-stl.org

While many families receive an abundance of gifts for Hanukkah, some lack the resources to provide basic necessities or give gifts to their children. With our continued unstable economic climate, there is a noticeable increase in families needing assistance.

Providing help to families year-round, Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS) recognizes those who struggle to feed their families throughout the year struggle duringthe Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

Since 1998, Hanukkah Helper (previously known as Hanukkah Hugs/Adopt-A-Family) collects household items, winter clothing and toys for Jewish clients of JF&CS’ Food Pantry and Financial Assistance programs. Our goal is to brighten the Hanukkah season for needy Jewish families.

Our Hanukkah Helper Holiday Drive includes 20 area locations: temples and synagogues, businesses and social service agencies, as well as at JF&CS. Volunteers sort the donations and help distribute appropriate gifts to clients in time for Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights!

Donations of new household items, winter clothing and toys will be gratefully accepted from any source. Please consider establishments that carry a wide variety of everyday necessities: Schnucks, Dierbergs, Target, Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, Sears, Kohl’s.

Household items may include: new blankets, sweaters, coats, hats, towels, pots and pans, brooms and mops, laundry detergent, household cleaning products, cologne, and toys.

We have already accepted a generous donation of hundreds of bears from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Household goods, clothing and toys will be given to deserving Jewish families for Hanukkah.

Text Box: Donations gratefully accepted at: Jewish Family & Children’s Service 10950 Schuetz Road | St. Louis, MO 63146 | 314-993-1000 Questions? dmeissner@jfcs-stl.org | 314-812-9307

For tax purposes, this gift to the JF&CS may be deductible under IRS regulations for charitable giving. JF&CS is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. (EIN#43-0790330) For further information please check with your tax advisor.

JF&CS Provides Free Mental Health Programs for

St Louis County Teens

The 2 new therapy programs are funded, in part, from the County Children’s Service Fund.

With financial support from St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS) introduces two new behavioral and mental health therapy programs targeted for adolescents. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) and Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) are open to adolescents ages 14-19 and their families residing in St. Louis County.

For these programs JF&CS will partner with area schools, churches, synagogues and other participating agencies to provide services at no cost regardless of income level or religion.

“We are quite excited to add these programs to our on-going adolescent services,” said Della Benham clinical program manager. “These specialized and evidence-based programs provide excellent interventions to treat adolescents with various mental health disorders.” Already the program has reported success. The case study of “Amy” follows.

DBT-A is a 16-week cognitive behavioral therapy program developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. The therapy helps stabilize clients who experience erratic
moods, experience frequent crises, and exhibit chronic mental health symptoms. This comprehensive program provides skills training in core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and walking the middle path.

DBT-A consists of skills training classes, individual therapy, weekly consultation team meetings, telephone coaching and family therapy sessions as needed. The program is suitable for adolescents who may have a history of being unresponsive to past treatments.

Benham says, “Dr. Linehan’s research shows that clients who partake in DBT-A experience a significant reduction in hospitalizations, self-injurious behavior, substance use, trauma-related symptoms, anxiety and depression, along with overall improvement in quality of life.” With new coping skills, school drop-out rates may also decrease.

The second program, Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET), is an evidence-informed treatment for persons with recent-onset schizophrenia and other forms of serious mental illness. Clients who can benefit from CET include adolescents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar illness; adolescents who are on the high end of the autism spectrum; or adolescents ages 14-19 with some symptoms of mental illness without a definitive diagnosis presenting with social withdrawal, loss of interest in school or work, deterioration in hygiene and grooming and unusual behavior.

Steve Meinert, Ph.D., Team Leader, for the Cognitive Enhancement Therapy program, says, “CET provides a treatment intervention that is not fraught with the side effects of the medications that are typically given to adolescents who have early symptoms of schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Instead, CET works with the plasticity of the brain, and helps prevent the downward spiral of debilitating symptoms that are often a part of these diagnoses. Thus, the debilitating effects on social/emotional development, academic, vocational, and other development may be limited by the use of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy.”

CET intervention takes advantage of trained clinical staff coaching and facilitating specialized computer software exercise to improve attention, concentration, memory and problem solving. The participant receives individual sessions to apply learning and attends weekly psycho-educational groups that focus on social awareness and social cognition. The Cognitive Enhancement Therapy coaches (JF&CS staff) have received highly specialized training through the Center for Cognition and Recovery in Ohio.

Research on Cognitive Enhancement Therapy shows an actual increase in the volume of gray matter in some brain regions. (Progressive loss of gray matter is consistent with progression of schizophrenia). These deficits do not respond to medications typically used for schizophrenia. CET participants can expect improved problem solving and vocational readiness, improvements in processing speed, the ability to handle new challenges and meet developmental milestones and improved cognition and social awareness.

For further details on these programs or to make a referral, call the JF&CS intake coordinator at 314-993-1000. JF&CS encourages parents, educators or anyone with interest to call for information if uncertain about making a referral. Other services offered under funding of the St. Louis County Children’s fund are school-based consultation services, learning and diagnostic assessments, school-based prevention services, child and adolescent psychiatry services, and child abuse prevention services

For generations, JF&CS has offered compassionate support and practical solutions to guide people through life’s ups and downs. Added in 1991 and celebrating its 20th year, the food pantry (now the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry), a major program for JF&CS, was established to serve clients living in surrounding zip codes. Today, 22 JF&CS programs serve clients from more than 110 different zip codes throughout the greater St. Louis area. JF&CS is a proud member of the United Way and the Jewish Federation; and receives major funding from the St. Louis County Children’s Services Fund. For more information about Jewish Family & Children’s Service, please call 314-993-1000, or visit www.jfcs-stl.org.

Case Study: Amy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents
Smadar Shenhav, Licensed Professional Counselor and team leader of the Adolescent DBT Program, reports that Amy, a 16 year-old girl, came to Jewish Family & Children’s Service after her mother scheduled the appointment. Amy’s mother complained of ongoing family arguments triggered by Amy. Amy wanted to feel better and more confident about herself and get along better with her family. Amy’s mother complained that Amy’s demanding and argumentative behaviors were very self-centered, and inconsiderate of other family members.

Amy and her mother joined the Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) class and attended weekly to learn skills about managing emotions, making it through stressful times and even about how to be assertive, but respectful, in asking for what you want. Amy started using the skills she learned in the DBT-A class on a daily basis and her mom even began to use them. Amy began to say that she felt more confident, had an easier time getting along with friends and even fought less with her mother. Amy showed her growth in class as she went from being very quiet to actively participating every week. Amy’s mother told JF&CS staff that she and Amy fight less and the home is more peaceful.

For more information, contact Phyllis Weiss 314-974-5704

The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry has outgrown their space at Jewish Family & Children's Service and begins search for new quarters. Click on link below to read article in the Jewish Light.

The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry invites you to “Share Your Harvest”, a program designed to encourage local gardeners to donate their extra produce to the food pantry. The fruits and vegetables will be distributed to hungry families in our community

Please click on link below to watch video that aired on the "Show Me St. Louis" segment on KSDK morning news.

The Jewish Family & Children's Service (JF&CS) was recently awarded $38,103 in support of the agency's Homemaker Services Program. This distribution is comprised of funds from the Dorothy Moog Endowment ($19,393) and the United Way of Greater St. Louis' allocation to the Jewish Federation for senior services ($18,710).

The JF&CS In-Horne Services Homemaker Program operates to assist frail elderly and adults with special needs to maintain independence within their home environment and connection to their community.

JF&CS Executive Director Louis Albert also expresses gratitude for these funds. "We know there are many worthy programs to which this money could have been distributed, so we are especially pleased our program has been recognized. In reality, keeping people in their homes actually takes some of the financial burden off of the State. Here we achieve both dignity of the individual and financial responsibility. "