SPRING IS IN THE AIR
By Kathleen O'Leary Lefferman, M.A. 
Executive Director
Today is warm and sunny with a hint of spring in the air. And spring marks our 4th annual Tribute to our Friends fundraising dinner/dance honoring three Champions of Mental Health: State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, Sibyl Buchanan, Director of Community Affairs at Playa Vista and Polly Garstka, Ed.D., AMCS Board member and community activist. The event will take place on Sunday, March 16, 2008 at Loyola Marymount University and will include dancing, entertainment and live and silent auctions. We are looking forward to an exciting evening shared with friends and supporters, and hopefully, you!
I am thrilled to be a part of such an exciting time at AMCS. We have 53 interns in training, with more on the way, offering us the ability to meet the community need and even expand our client services. In addition to our work at Westchester High School and the Boys and Girls Club of Venice, we have recently started providing services at 2 local schools - Orville Wright Middle School and Mark Twain Middle School. Miriam's House for Sober Living represents another new venue for Airport Marina's services. In early March we began offering parenting classes and counseling for the women and children who reside there. This collaboration is a wonderful opportunity to extend our reach and offer additional community-based intervention.
A recent grant from the Robert Ellis Simon Foundation has allowed us to develop and begin implementing a new Anxiety Disorders Program. This Program offers clients Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other health enhancement and stress reduction interventions to address the often disabling effects of anxiety. Our new Program will serve the dual purpose of better responding to client needs and introducing our counselors to alternative interventions that have proven to be highly effective with the family of Anxiety Disorders. Anticipated client benefits include symptom relief, improved functioning and life-style changes that will enhance and maintain overall mental health and functioning. We welcome Gabi. L. Deak, a Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, to our staff to manage the program and oversee the work with clients.
Our Clinical staff, under the direction of Clinical Director Nancy Iben, continues to provide the critical and responsive services that make the difference in the lives of our clients. Our dynamic Board President, Judith Delavigne, and our dedicated Board of Directors, daily support and enhance the work of Airport Marina Counseling Service. Our special thanks to the Westchester Mental Health Guild who is a constant pillar of support for the Clinic. Together the staff and volunteer-based groups help ensure that Airport Marina Counseling Service is just a phone call away for those who need a safe place to come for hope and healing.
cause of affordable mental health care. WMHG, long-time supporter of AMCS, has recently donated $30,000 to the clinic. The donation represents proceeds from the Silver Anniversary Holiday Home Tour that was held in November 2007. This popular neighborhood event sponsored by WMHG featured 5 houses in the Westchester and Playa del Rey areas. Several neighbors, friends, students and local real estate professionals served as docents making this a true community event. A reception and Holiday Gift Boutique (provided by the Guilded Cage) was held at the Westchester YMCA Annex and open to all. We are so very grateful to the efforts of the WMHG on our behalf.
AMCS with a $25,000 donation. Present at the donation ceremony were Marjorie Zuelke, Phyllis Frye, Susan Nash, and Pat Binder - all officers or chair people at the Club. Westchester Woman's Club, founded 42 years ago, serves as a philanthropic organization in Westchester. After the sale of their club house in April 2005 to the Westchester Family YMCA, the Woman's Club has been able to continue their efforts supporting worthy local organizations due to wise investing and the financial acumen of its leaders. The sale of the club house has certainly not stopped the Club - meetings continue at various locations and it supports several special interest groups including Literature, Home and Garden and Knit and Stitch. 
