Albany, NY – Children of Promise, NYC - a mental health organization focused on serving children of incarcerated parents - has been honored at the New York State Office of Mental Health’s "What’s Great in our State 2018" event. The annual event, held May 8 in Albany, celebrates the people and programs making a difference in the field of children’s mental health.

Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC) is the only Article 31 Behavioral Health Clinic in the nation that is located within an afterschool and summer camp program. Its model removes the stigma of psychotherapeutic services and makes treatment accessible to more than 350 families in Kings County and the surrounding area. Many of these families would otherwise not seek mental health treatment due to the fear of engagement with social service agencies and the shame and silence associated with parental incarceration.

 “Children of Promise, NYC is a wonderful and moving example of how the dedication of one organization can make an incredibly profound impact for children and families that face mental health issues. By supporting the children of incarcerated parents, it is working to break the cycle of mass intergenerational incarceration,” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Marie T. Sullivan. “We thank CPNYC and each of our honorees for their hard work and commitment to children’s mental health.”

CPNYC was nominated for holistically supporting this underserved population. The organization is recognized as leading the nation in best practices for implementing a trauma-focused approach within an anti-oppressive, community-based program model.

“It is such an honor to be recognized by the New York State Office of Mental Health for the work that we do at Children of Promise, NYC and for our efforts in supporting the families and children of incarcerated parents," said Sharon Content, Founder and President of CPNYC. "Recognizing the severe trauma and profound psychological consequences that children experience in association with losing a parent to incarceration, CPNYC effectively employs trauma-focused and culturally responsive interventions that infuse mental health practices, perspectives, and language into all aspects of after-school and summer day camp programming. Within a decade of program implementation, CPNYC has successfully empowered more than 1,000 children to lead enriching lives, free of justice involvement."

 For more information on Children of Promise, NYC visit http://www.cpnyc.info/.

‘What’s Great in Our State’

‘What’s Great in Our State’ is an annual event hosted by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York State Council on Children and Families, and a number of children’s mental health advocacy organizations in order to celebrate the individuals and programs that are successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health in New York State. The event features a reading of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement proclaiming the week as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a ceremony recognizing our honorees, and an art show featuring artwork created by children receiving services from New York State’s mental health system. This year’s event will also feature two keynote speakers and a moderated round-table discussion featuring the awardees.

The event coincides with Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a national movement that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and to show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development from birth.

For more information on the partners involved with this year’s ‘What’s Great in Our State’ event, visit https://conta.cc/2ppIfwS.