SCO Family of Services Helps Keep Families in Long Island and NYC Together
By Ken Cerini
SCO Family of Services is all about providing family-focused, community based services to children and families. The support of family and community goes a long way, said Robert McMahon, Executive Director of the organization. In fact, our organization itself is a family. We have evolved and grown over the years to offer a broad array of services and programs that support and enhance each other and the people we serve. From the tip of Long Island to the five boroughs of New York City we strive to provide individualized services of the highest quality.
What is SCO Family of Services’ mission and purpose? We are on a continuous journey to provide services to children and families who need help. Much of our growth in recent years has been in response to the evolving needs of these children and families. We have a major emphasis on Long Island and in New York City. Madonna Heights, The Ottilie Home and Family Dynamics are the agencies we have merged with over the years. SCO Family of Services is our umbrella organization and encompasses these agencies as well as a large foster care and adoption program, a continuum of care for those with special needs, homeless services, special education schools and school-based services.
Can you elaborate about your continuum of care for special needs individuals? We have many programs for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled individuals. We serve young adults and children in residential programs. We also serve a lot of young adults in their own homes, with a community based approach. This is very important because we’re really about preserving family and doing whatever it takes to keep families together. Our clients need the support from their families, and we try to aid in that process. We are also involved in Medicaid Service Coordination, which is similar to case management. We help individuals obtain the services they need. Arranging day programs, employment, housing changes, medication adjustments and counseling are some of the services we provide.
How have your mergers and acquisitions assisted you in helping such a large number of people? Each agency has their niche and offers a wealth of experience to provide the highest level of service possible. At Madonna Heights in Dix Hills, we have a community mental health clinic that touches many people. On Long Island we have foster care services that include a therapeutic foster boarding home program. We have homeless shelters, special education schools and medical clinics. We serve a large variety of people and try to accommodate each one. We can help a child go for therapy, see a doctor, a dentist and go to school. Our combined years of experience give us a real understanding of what children and families need. Additionally, our mergers have helped us expand our number program sites throughout Long Island and New York City.
Has growth come through acquisition, or have you also experienced organic growth? Our growth has been amazing. We have grown organically as a result of our efforts to meet the service needs of our client population. We’re providing services in the community to keep families together and we are helping to improve the quality of mental health services here on Long Island. Since 1973, when my tenure as executive director began, we have increased our budget from $875,000 to $145 million. We have grown with the people, with the communities and with the needs of Long Island and New York City. We are continually reinventing ourselves and open to change.
What projects have you spearheaded that have, or will have, created the largest impact on society? Our work to provide in-home services for the developmentally disabled has allowed many individuals to remain in their own homes with supportive families. We have also developed programs, like our therapeutic foster care program, that provide children with mental illness the opportunity to live with families rather than spending their childhoods in mental institutions. Today there are many children with severe mental illnesses that have been sent to other states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania for treatment. We have worked with government to develop programs that will bring these kids back to Long Island, back to their families, where they belong. We are currently spearheading a collaborative project to create a data management system that will give agencies an efficient and comprehensive way to manage the myriad of data involved in caring for children and working with families. This system will save caseworkers many hours usually spent on data entry that they can now spend working directly with children and families.
Address: 1 Alexander Place, Glen Cove, NY 11542
Executive Director: Robert McMahon
Phone: (516) 671-1253, Ext. 104
Web site: www.sco.org
Founded: 1899
Staff: 2,800
Annual Budget: $145,000,000
Fundraised Budget: $7,000,000
Program Services: 92 percent