My Nonprofit Reviews
Mrs Davidson
Review for Creative Alternatives Of New York, New York, NY, USA
With continued cutbacks in budgeting in providing care these days, it is so gratifying to know that Creative Alternatives of New York is still here for us serving our Mental Health Patient Care Center at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx. Their gifted artists show up every week, first thing Monday morning, and somehow buoy up our patients, some of whom have endured weekends characterized by isolation and loneliness.
Dusty and Theresa, those outstanding artists whom our patients have come to know, trust and yes, love, are always dependable, full of exciting and interesting ideas, ready to engage and motivate even the most reluctant participants. Like the Pied Piper, they never force our patients to do anything and always have the greatest respect for their limitations. They generate so much energy and enthusiasm that our patients willingly follow their lead. I especially appreciate the times I can squeeze in a lunch with Dusty and Theresa to learn more about the sessions and to review clinical issues together. The are able to give me feedback about some of the patients that I would have no way of knowing. Emily Nash, at CANY, continues to be the magician behind the curtain who gives outstanding clinical supervision over the years.
Unlike the other two groups that Creative Alternatives staff run here (the psych inpatient unit and the Substance Recovery Services program), my patients are primarily diagnosed with schizophrenia, many of whom evidence flat affect and withdrawal. This is not always evident when you observe their animation and, in some cases, spontaneity in the CANY groups. We never say thank you often enough. So once again, a heartfelt thanks to the staff at CANY for providing this highly valued service to our veterans. We are grateful for all they do to enrich the lives of our veterans.
We are now starting to see some of the vets back from deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq who could benefit greatly from your groups.
Some went off to serve our country with dedication and hope for the future but sadly returned with issues affecting their mental health.
Creative Alternatives groups on site here are a wonderful way of using drama as a healing tool for our walking wounded.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have seen veterans open up, become less isolated and withdrawn, learn new coping skills for difficult situations as acted out in assigned roles as part of dramatic scenarios, become more spontaneous, benefit from increased self esteem, increased verbal skills and increased self confidence.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I think they need to expand to serve more underserved populations.
