All I'm going to say is federation of organizations gets a lot of money and goes to what? It takes them months to find a therapist and then the therapist don't reach out like they should and I get removed from the organization after making numerous phone calls to find out what is going on with my therapist and nothing happens. .months without a therapist. They last for about 5 months and then you have to wait again months for another therapist. I show proof of me calling and it gets no where. Left numerous messages a d it got nowhere. Tried to speak to quite a few people and got nowhere but they sure do make sure they call my son and we live in the same house. Makes no sense how these people play around and make it seem like they are doing their job to really help and they are not. The only one that reached out was pat from the paint class. I had no other problems before but soon as you make a complaint nobody is around to help. Thanks for nothing. Thanks for a program that make you think you're going to improve and after switching numerous therapist you get nowhere still. KARMA. YALL BETTER KEEP AN EYE ON WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES BECAUSE THE THERAPIST IS NOT DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD AT THE WYANDANCH, NEW YORK OFFICE.
By happenstance I went online to read about this organization, and I'm amazed, flabbergasted, simply shocked at their mission statement. They've been treating my sister for over a decade. No, she's not flourishing, no, she's not independent, no, she's not getting better, no, they've never tried to find her housing. Someone just visited with her and told her 72-year-old mother that she needs to take care of this 47-year-old mentally ill woman. This place is a disgrace. They're certainly not helping this mentally Ill woman to become independent, to be able to help care for herself. Quite the opposite; they're making sure that she stays sick, so she is dependent on them or whatever medications they administer. Over a decade, and she's not getting any better! Who donates to this place? These people are not doing anything to help the mentally ill recover. At least not in my experience, or from what I can see. They absolutely do not care about the elderly. My mother is 72 years old. My mentally ill sister has already physically attacked my mother, and we reported this, they did nothing. Over the years we've begged them, begged them to get her inpatient treatment. Begged them! They do nothing. Do not donate to this place. Do not donate to this organization.
Federation of Organizations is a pioneer in peer-to-peer help across various diagnoses. From helping people with substance abuse issues, and multiple diagnoses, the organization has overseen a lot of programs that ensure the well-being of our most vulnerable populations in New York State.
I have been impressed with their foster grandparent program and in general with their outreach to seniors and people who require assisted living over the years.
I recommend this organization for its role in genuinely helping people who our society has "swept under the rug" and for whom care is not adequate. I have volunteered with Federation of Organizations in the past and found their staff and programs to be among the most inclusive and results-focused than almost any other organization in the United States.
I was impressed with Federation's Supported Employment Program and employment specialists. We worked for several weeks on paperwork, finding my interests and modifying my resume. We found a job almost immediately and I was impressed at how quickly I found employment. I feel good about working because I was out of the field about 2 1/2 years. Although I was overwhelmed at first, I was able to get through it. I like helping people, especially the elderly, and I'm glad to be back at work. My life is more meaningful now and I feel like I have a purpose. Thank you Federation of Organizations.
In 2002, I became a Senior Companion volunteer. My joy in meeting, talking with and being able to help everyone has been a blessing to me. My many experiences from spending time with all the recipients has helped me to see how very fortunate I really am. There are so many seniors who do not have family or friends who have the time or the patience to spend a few moments to sit and listen, talk, go shopping, attend a game of BINGO, sit by the ocean on a sunny day and share memories only some can identify with. I have so much gratitude for the Senior Companion Program. My life is enriched by all the recipients that have touched my life, if only sometimes it is just too short a time. Thank you Federation of Organizations for the Senior Companion Program.
Accountability and transparency are the main problems with this 501(c)3 since this organization gets nearly $24 million from Federal, NYS and NYC in the form of contributions and grants as well as payment from Medicare and Medicaid. What impact are they having? Are they achieving their mission statement goals? According to the NYS Office of Mental Health this organization operates two ACT teams one in Suffolk and one in Queens each have 68 people for a total of only 136 mentally ill patients and the statistics on outcomes are quite poor.
Their mission statement is: FEDERATION ASSISTS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN MEETING THEIR OWN NEEDS WITHIN COMMUNITIES THROUGH SELF- HELP, PROVISION OF QUALITY SERVICES, ADVOCACY AND DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES WE HELP INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES FLOURISH BY HELPING PEOPLE TO HELP THEMSELVES BECOME PRODUCTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN COMMUNITY LIFE. Poor quality care delivery = Poor outcomes. For example according to the NYS OHM website the Fedoforg ACT team in Suffolk has only a 1.9% difference in employment for just 53 people from baseline.
De-institutionalization began in the late 60's and spawned the treatment programs called Assertive Community Treatment teams which allow mentally ill patients to be treated at home under the supervision of a team of mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and aids. Based on my exposure to these patients in these ACT teams as a volunteer I can say that these mentally ill patients in this non-profits ACT teams are getting poor ineffective treatment with poor outcomes. How many of these patients in these ACT programs are able to recover form mental illness and enter the community as productive citizens? How many achieve recovery, are rehabilitated, and achieve remission? How many are able to get off Medicare, SSI/SSD, food stamps, subsidized housing ? How many are able to be placed in training or employment? Contact this organization and they have no idea! In Institutional settings in the 60's the mentally ill were isolated from society and so are these poorly served patients in Federation of Organization's ACT teams- isolated and out of the public's view.
This organization provides endless case management and treatment and does not publish it's results or outcomes. From my observations these patients are left isolated and marginalized from the society and community they live in and struggle in a hellish impoverished environment. They are drugged up with powerful anti-psychoitics, antidepressants, stimulants, anxiolytics and sedatives. The practitioners do not seem to practice Evidence based Outcome based Medicine. It is endless medication treatment and case management without concern if patients are really getting better. In reality the ACT members are now in their own private institution of their own apartment with the only source of exposure to the outside world is TV/Cable.
The problem is that for decades this organization has been run by social workers who have a limited understanding of psychiatric treatment and are not suited to oversee such complex programs. What is needed at the helm are experienced MD's preferably with an MS in public health administration. Also I noticed that this organization tends to hire newly licensed psychiatrists and NP's that have little experience tend to stay for short periods and are foreign and do not understand the social and cultural problems of the patient population that they "treat". Endless treatment without positive outcomes is a waste of time and money and leaves mentally ill patients worse off in the long run. Lots of polypharmacy without regard to adverse side effects or knowing which medication is working and which is causing problems. A typical bipolar gets a SSRI for depression, a anti-psychotic and an anti-epileptic for "mood stabilization", a benzodiazepine drug for anxiety, and a non-benzodiazepine for sleep. In addition these patients are prescribed diabetic medication and other medications to treat metabolic syndrome due to all these CNS medication adverse side effects. But is that working? Of course not since this organization does not have to account to anyone as far as showing results and outcomes. These patients are left obese, heavily medicated, with serious medical problems and are unable to function except to lay in bed. NYS OMH should track these ACT patients to see in the long term if this treatments are working in the long term? What are the outcomes of patients in these treatment programs two, three and five years in these programs.
For example Federation of Organization pays Jalles Ahmed MD nearly $300,000 a year as a consultant to his residence in Long Island. He only recently has a certification by the American Board of Neurology and psychiatry (2011 according to doctorprofile) and has been in practice for approximately 10 years. He went to Kakatiya Medical College, Vijayawada University health Science Warangal, in India. Is this the best that Federation of Organizations can do to provide the most severely ill mental ill patients with the best treatment and diagnosis? These patients are on a merry go round roller coaster ride of music chairs where me too drugs are shifted or changed with little impact on the long term outcome? Are this type of treatment causing more harm in the long run?
Review from Guidestar