Executive Director's Page
Marjorie Vezer, LCSW, Executive Director
Prior to Marge being named as the Executive Director of SAIL in 1986, she worked in both the public and private sectors of the mental health field. Before SAIL she was instrumental in starting and developing the prototype of the current mobile crisis team in Nassau County, helped to find more appropriate settings for the disenfranchised Adult Home population in Long Beach, NY, led several on-going family support groups eventually helping one group become an official NAMI affiliate, developed a Drop-In Center in a local mental health clinic which eventually became a regulated Club House, and had a small private practice for psychotherapy.
When she started at SAIL in 1986 the agency had only one 10-bed group home. With the assistance of a dedicated and talented staff she helped SAIL to become the agency it is today. While at SAIL she has held several other leadership roles at various times - Regional Director and Statewide Board Member of ACL, Vice President of the Long Island Residential Association, Chairperson of the Southwest Service Area County in Nassau County, and Chairperson of the Bi-County ACT Coalition. Marge firmly believes that if people are given the opportunity to build on their strengths they will succeed in their life choices.
A MESSAGE FROM MARGE
Welcome to SAIL. As a service agency we pride ourselves as providing the utmost care, compassion, and dedication to the people with whom we work. As an employer we are equally proud of the benefits we offer to staff as well as the teamwork shown by our very dedicated and talented staff.
With changes in the total healthcare system in New York State; and specifically on Long Island and the surrounding metropolitan area you will soon be hearing the phrase “care coordination” with more and more frequency. This is not a new concept to SAIL though. It is something we have tried to practice since our inception. Housing is one of the cornerstones in maintaining someone’s mental health. When Abraham Maslow wrote about the “hierarchy of needs” he addressed needing food and shelter as among the primary needs that had to be met before moving on to higher levels. Housing, and the ancillary services to this, provides the building blocks to maintaining the focus of recovery and that includes assuring that everyone involved in an individual’s care and treatment is “on the same page” and that care and treatment is coordinated. Here at SAIL, we have the largest mental health housing program in Nassau County and one of only three ACT Teams for 68 people, in the county. Primary to both ACT services and housing is the on-site coordination of behavioral health and physical health services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most other types of social service organizations cannot offer that. However, it is paramount to us and at the root of our mission.
So, I welcome you once again to our agency. Please feel free to explore our website - whether you are a consumer of services, whether you are looking for a job, or whether you want to learn more about the mental health system in general. Our staff are also available to take your questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you.
Administrative Staff
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Associate Director
Brian Cohen, MA
Controller
Noelle Palazzo
Human Resources Director
Cynthia Owens, M.B.A.
Facilities Manager
Michael Scott
Facilities Administrative Assistant
Lisa Aldridge
Service Coordinator
Staci Silverstein, LMSW
Administrative Assistant
Phyllis Wilson
Office Manager
Gary Conn, LMSW
Providing
the Path to
Recovery
