Conversations that Matter: Bringing women together to engage on substantive issues, to learn, and to share different perspectives

Our next conversation will be focused on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Crisis. We will be joined by Lisa Schwartz who will share exciting new plans from Northern Westchester Hospital aimed at enhancing the well-being of children and adolescents in our community and Dr. Emily Gifford, who works with families and children in her private practice and as the lower school Psychologist at a private school in Bedford. We'll learn about how NWH is expanding mental health services, increasing access to care, and collaborating with schools in northern Westchester to offer a spectrum of support and treatment options for young individuals.

We will also talk more generally about the mental health crisis facing our kids, why we’ve seen such an uptick in diagnosed mental health disorders and what we as parents and a community can do about it. This is meant to be an informal and interactive conversation in a safe and intimate setting. Please bring your questions!

Join us July 24th from 10-11:30am
453 Harris Rd, Bedford Hills

Event is free to attend, please RSVP below. Coffee and lite bites included!

About the Speakers

Emily Gifford received her Doctorate in Psychology from The George Washington University PsyD program in 2002. She is a New York State Licensed Psychologist with over 20 years of experience. Emily spent the first nine years of her career working in the foster care system at a residential treatment center in Westchester County. NY. It was there that she received advanced training in childhood anxiety and depression and where she specialized in treating trauma, both acute and chronic.

Emily has been practicing privately for the past 13 years, focusing on treating the whole child by working extensively with families and consulting with multidisciplinary professionals. She has received training in a number of therapeutic approaches as an independent practitioner. Most recently, Emily has been trained in SPACE out of Yale University and uses this approach in its purest form to reduce childhood anxiety as well as adaptively to reach a larger audience of parents. Emily brings a constructive and functional approach to her private practice meeting both child and family where they are at in order to optimize treatment and to best support everyone involved.

In addition to her practice, for the past six years Emily has worked part time as clinical support at a private school in Bedford, NY. As the lower school Psychologist she provides trainings for staff, workshops for parents and pushes into classrooms to support teachers and students on the ground level. Furthermore, she serves as a clinical supervisor for advanced doctoral students at CUNY and attends a professional supervision group monthly to discuss current and ongoing concerns in local clinical practice.

Lisa Schwartz is the founder and proprietor of Rainbeau Ridge Farm. For over a decade, she built a community around local, sustainable and nutritious food becoming an accomplished cheesemaker, farmer, recognized educator and author.

Actively engaged philanthropically in education, healthcare and environmental spaces, Lisa is a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean’s Advisory Group, served as co-chair on Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Board of Dean’s Advisors, was former Chair of Seed Global Health, and is a Community Board member of Northern Westchester Hospital where she is co-chair of the Community Health Committee.

Lisa’s commitment to educational equity was furthered as a board member of Teach for China, dedicated to rural communities and as the founder of the Preschool Connection, which provided access to early childhood education.

Having lived in Tokyo and Beijing, Lisa currently resides in Bedford Hills, NY with husband Mark (AB, MPP, MBA, Harvard). They have two married children and four grandchildren.

Jenny Indig has over twenty years of experience both in the public and private sector  in international affairs, counterterrorism, and intelligence analysis. She is the founder of Fern Hill Project, a community organization that supports local women business owners and entrepreneurs. She is currently an Executive Board Member of HIAS, the world’s oldest and largest Jewish refugee organization and Twist Out Cancer, an organization providing psychosocial support to individuals and families touched by cancer. She is also a Trustee at Rippowam Cisqua School in Bedford, NY. She has worked at several public policy think tanks most recently as a Senior Fellow at the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School. She served as Managing Director of Business Intelligence and Analysis at a private investigative firm, and as Team Leader and Senior Analyst with the New York City Police Department’s Intelligence Bureau for over seven years. Jenny holds a BA from Colgate University and a Masters in International Affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Over the next several months Fern Hill Project will host a series of informal conversations on a range of topics that matter at the local, national and international level. Topics to start include Immigration, Reproductive Rights and the child and adolescent mental health crisis. Each conversation will attempt to breakdown a different topic, tease out important questions, give us an opportunity to hear from an expert(s) in the field and help us to navigate the dizzying and sometimes depressing news cycle. The goal being to bring women together in our community to engage on substantive issues, to learn, and to share different perspectives.

Our first conversation on immigration will feature Carola Otero Bracco, Executive Director of Neighbors Link, and Sarah Burrows, Esq, Director, Pro Bono & Partnerships at HIAS moderated by Jenny Indig. If you haven’t read the feature of Carola in the Fern Hill Newsletter be sure to check it out here. Read this article for background on HIAS’s work with asylum seekers.

Join us May 1st from 10-11am at Fern Hill
401 Pea Pond Rd, Katonah

Event is free to attend, please RSVP below. Coffee and lite bites included!

About the Speakers

Carola Otero Bracco, Executive Director of Neighbors Link, has a strong personal connection to the Neighbors Link mission of strengthening the whole community through the healthy integration of immigrants. As a first generation American born of immigrant parents from Bolivia, Carola understands the challenges that accompany the immigrant experience in America and is dedicated to inspiring healthy integration in the community. Carola is bilingual and bicultural and is driven by her passion for empowering immigrant families and advocating for personal growth through education and economic development.

During Carola’s tenure, Neighbors Link has become a leader in designing, implementing and directing community-based, bilingual educational and cultural awareness training programs. Furthermore, with her guidance and leadership, the organization has grown to include three community centers, the largest immigration legal practice in the mid-Hudson Valley and programming that serves immigrants in 186 towns across 35 counties in New York.

Before becoming Executive Director of Neighbors Link in April of 2004, Carola spent 12 years of her career gaining experience in financial management with General Electric Corporation, Ford Motor Company and Time Warner. She holds an MBA from Duke University and currently serves as the Board Chair for the New York Immigration Coalition. She previously served on the board of Northern Westchester Hospital, the National Council for Workforce Education and Nonprofit Westchester.

Carola is recognized as an expert on immigration issues and has received numerous awards and recognitions. Recently, she was recognized by Governor Kathy Hochul during Hispanic Heritage Month, was selected as a New York Senate District 40 Woman of Distinction by Senator Peter Harckham and was selected for City & State’s Westchester Power 100 list.

Providing leadership and vision for Neighbors Link is something Carola sees as her life’s work and she often says it is a privilege to be in her position as executive director.

Sarah Burrows, Esq. is the Director, Pro Bono & Partnerships at HIAS.  In this role, Sarah oversees of HIAS’ pro bono attorney network, including through forging new partnerships and opportunities with major law firms and corporations.  As the Director of the pro bono team, Sarah is responsible for the development of new projects and pro bono opportunities to serve refugees, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced persons, which expand the capacity of HIAS staff attorneys and HIAS’ partner organizations to grow their work and their impact.  Prior to joining HIAS, she was Director, Pro Bono at the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project.  She was previously Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney and Interim Supervising Attorney at Kids in Need of Defense, where she mentored pro bono attorneys on complex cases involving children in removal proceedings in immigration court.  Sarah began her career at the law firm Paul Hastings LLP, where she spent five years as an associate in the litigation department.  While at Paul Hastings, Sarah participated in a number of pro bono programs, including representing clients in contested adoption proceedings and other family court matters, assisting undocumented victims of domestic violence file applications for U-visa nonimmigrant status, and representing asylum seekers.   Sarah received her B.A. from the George Washington University and earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.  She is admitted to practice law in New York.

Jenny Indig has over twenty years of experience both in the public and private sector  in international affairs, counterterrorism, and intelligence analysis. She is the founder of Fern Hill Project, a community organization that supports local women business owners and entrepreneurs. She is currently an Executive Board Member of HIAS, the world’s oldest and largest Jewish refugee organization and Twist Out Cancer, an organization providing psychosocial support to individuals and families touched by cancer. She is also a Trustee at Rippowam Cisqua School in Bedford, NY. She has worked at several public policy think tanks most recently as a Senior Fellow at the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School. She served as Managing Director of Business Intelligence and Analysis at a private investigative firm, and as Team Leader and Senior Analyst with the New York City Police Department’s Intelligence Bureau for over seven years. Jenny holds a BA from Colgate University and a Masters in International Affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Loved seeing so many familiar and new faces at our Holiday Happy Hour, thank you to all those that came out!

We were so pleased to celebrate Fran Hauser and her new book Embrace the Work, Love Your Career. For those of you who don't know Fran, you should! Fran has dedicated her career to leveling the playing field for women through her investing, writing, and speaking. She has invested in over 30 female-founded companies across consumer tech, CPG, media & publishing, and wellness. Fran’s book is quickly becoming the go-to for women seeking more joy and fulfillment in their career.