Care Management and HCBS

A support system for children experiencing emotional or chronic health challenges

Who is eligible?

Participants must meet these criteria to apply for this service via Hamaspik of Kings County.

  • Live in NYC or Nassau County
  • Have a serious emotional disorder, a chronic health condition, or are medically fragile
  • Ages: Birth - 21

A cocoon of support

While the causes for the crisis may be vastly different — a chronic medical condition, a sudden psychotic episode, longtime emotional struggles that have come to a head — there’s one thing every family with a child in crisis needs: a support system.

A solid support system helps the child become a stable, emotionally healthy adult, and helps the family pull through intact.

It’s not the common cold,
and it’s normal to feel lost

A handful of the many reasons parents reach out to Comfort Health

“His school can’t handle him and he has nowhere else to go.”

“The medication is somewhat effective, but he needs to learn how to live with others.”

“I leave for work knowing my son will still be in bed when I get home. It feels like I’m abandoning him.”

“Other than me, there isn’t another person who can manage his condition — even for an hour.”

“It’s been weeks since we saw a smile on her face.”

“I’m suddenly thrust into a position where I need to watch a grown child 24/7 so she doesn’t hurt herself.”

“Why won’t she talk to anyone?”

In a utopian world, parents would have unlimited time and resources
to help their child in need, but real life doesn’t work that way.

When you still need to work and meet family obligations, and you don’t have
the connections and skills to get the right help all the time, reach out.

Medicaid + most Medicaid HMOs are accepted

You’ll find the
Comfort Health staff 

Respectful

You know your child best and you are their best advocate. All decisions are in your court. Nothing happens without parental consent.

Discreet

To put it plainly, HIPAA violations are an intolerable offense at Hamaspik of Kings County. Even internally, we don’t use names when we collaborate on your behalf.

Knowledgeable

With supervisors on call and an internal resource database at their fingertips, our care managers and coordinators are exceptionally helpful.

Hands-on leadership

It’s reassuring to know that your treatment will be supervised weekly by practitioners who are top in their fields. Should you ever have a concern, you’ll find them readily available to talk things over with you.

Director of Behavioral Health

As the visionary behind Sipuk, Mutty leads the team with passion — investing heart and soul into building the clinic. Holding leadership roles in multiple projects in the behavioral health field, he is a longtime advocate for people with behavioral health challenges.

Abraham (Mutty) Solomon, LMHC

Sipuk program director

As a licensed mental health counselor with almost two decades of experience, Rivka oversees Sipuk operations and provides ongoing support for clients and clinicians. She leads the team in providing the highest standard of care for every client, and is at the forefront of the continued expansion and growth of Sipuk Clinic and its services.

Rivka Goldman, LMHC

Clinical Supervisor
for therapists seeing adults

With over 20 years of clinical experience, Barry is an expert in the areas of trauma and abuse. He is a noted speaker and author whose weekly training sessions and ongoing supervision of adult therapists foster a culture of excellence and informed practice.

 Barry Horowitz, LCSW-R

Clinical Supervisor
for therapists seeing children

Chaim is a certified addiction and play therapist with 30+ years of experience treating both children and adults. In his role at Sipuk, Chaim supervises the play therapy team, helping to maintain the highest standards of care for our youngest clients.

Chaim Winter, LCSW

“When you’re determined to prevent manageable issues
from spiraling out of control. When you’re aching
for respite from the intensity of constant crisis mode.
When you wish to find joy in your child’s personality again.”

–We’re here for you.

Extra help you
may appreciate

  • Coaching in household and life skills, including organization, time management, hygiene, and parenting
  • Help scheduling and keeping appointments, including transportation and childcare if needed
  • Managing prescription medications and their potential side effects
  • Assistance with discharge in the event of hospitalization, since hospitals often require that you arrange for continuity of care
  • Help applying for social services programs, like SNAP, SSI, HEAP, Section 8, childcare vouchers, and other benefits
  • Prevocational training for your child so he has the soft skills to hold down a job once his schooling is done
  • Talent-based activities, like art and music, to enhance your child's self-esteem and help them reach their social and emotional goals

Comfort Health steps in to shoulder your burden

Comfort Health is a program designated through the New York State Department of Health. It offers profound relief for more than a thousand families in multiple NYC and Nassau County communities.

What we can do for you

You may be eligible for a wide array of support, including:

  • Sourcing specialized doctors, therapists, and providers who can treat your child effectively
  • Goal-oriented support from a DSP (Direct Support Professional), also known as a worker, so your child practices their new skills when interacting with peers, siblings, and neighbors.
  • Professional parental support that prepares you to be supportive and react helpfully to unexpected or troubling behavior
  • Collaboration with schools and yeshivahs to allow the child to stay in school — and thrive — with the right support
  • Practical and emotional support that makes it possible for your child and family to return to a blessed routine
  • Referrals to schools, yeshivahs, summer camps, and programs that are a good fit for your child

“My son had such acute social anxiety, he vomited any time he needed to speak with adults. With weekly therapy and a gentle ‘big brother’ at his side, he slowly learned to stand his own in a conversation.”

Extra help you
may appreciate

  • Coaching in household and life skills, including organization, time management, hygiene, and parenting
  • Help scheduling and keeping appointments, including transportation and childcare if needed
  • Managing prescription medications and their potential side effects
  • Assistance with discharge in the event of hospitalization, since hospitals often require that you arrange for continuity of care
  • Help applying for social services programs, like SNAP, SSI, HEAP, Section 8, childcare vouchers, and other benefits
  • Prevocational training for your child so he has the soft skills to hold down a job once his schooling is done
  • Talent-based activities, like art and music, to enhance your child's self-esteem and help them reach their social and emotional goals

“When you’re determined to prevent manageable issues
from spiraling out of control. When you’re aching
for respite from the intensity of constant crisis mode.
When you wish to find joy in your child’s personality again.”

–We’re here for you.

Who is eligible?

Participants must meet these criteria to apply for this service via Hamaspik of Kings County.

  • Live in NYC or Nassau County
  • Have a serious emotional disorder, a chronic health condition, or are medically fragile
  • Ages: Birth - 21

How you can access
this all-encompassing
support system

We’ll walk you through this process

Care Management

In-person
meeting

For intake and consent

Enrollment

when approved
for services

Assessment

For intake
and consent

Plan of Care

Detailing needs
and strengths

Referrals

To access services
and resources

Home and Community-Based Services

Evaluation

by HCBS evaluator to
determine specific goals

Establish
outcomes

for six-month goals

Person-centered
service plan

Respite, prevocational,
caregiver/family, and
advocacy support services

Discharge
plan

so everyone has their
eyes on the same goals

Early treatment is as simple as
scheduling an appointment here.

Most insurances are accepted

You’ll find the
Comfort Health staff 

Respectful

You know your child best and you are their best advocate. All decisions are in your court. Nothing happens without parental consent.

Discreet

To put it plainly, HIPAA violations are an intolerable offense at Hamaspik of Kings County. Even internally, we don’t use names when we collaborate on your behalf.

Knowledgeable

With supervisors on call and an internal resource database at their fingertips, our care managers and coordinators are exceptionally helpful.

The heart behind the service

Sheindy Stern

Department Director
Director of Care Management Services

“Our Care Managers have a lot of support on hand so that they can perform optimally. We also regularly invite renowned mental health experts for staff professional development, including Akiva Perlman, Norman Blumenthal, and Lisa Twerski.”

Shlome Fried

Director of HCBS Services

“Our goal is for the children in our program to ‘graduate’ and become self-sufficient.”

You’d jump through
hoops for your child.
So will we.

The process to get approved for Care Management and/or HCBS is multistep and may seem complex. Leave it to us; we’ve done this hundreds of times and will guide you through the process.



We also accept referrals from community organizations, schools, hospitals, and pediatricians — with parental consent. Parents may choose to be serviced by their regional office, or by a different community office.

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Medicaid + most Medicaid HMOs are accepted

Know a child
who’s confused
by mental illness?

Learn what to say and what not to say when explaining mental health struggles to a child.

Thank you!

Please check your emails to find your Mental Health Explainer for Children
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