New York - The Children's Aid Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Astudillo, LCSW-R, as Director of Mental Health Services.

In her previous position as Children’s Aid’s Director of Community-Based Mental Health Services, Ms. Astudillo took the lead in improving client services, staff productivity and audit results for the agency’s mental health services offered in five community mental health clinics across New York City.

In addition to overseeing The Children’s Aid Society’s Community-Based Mental Health Services, in her new role Ms. Astudillo will direct the agency’s School-Based Mental Health Services and Foster Care Mental Health Services. These three services allow clients to make over 20,000 mental health visits annually at 15 Children’s Aid locations. Ms. Astudillo’s responsibilities will include program planning and development, promoting and ensuring the highest practice standards, staff training and integrating mental health services with other Children’s Aid programs.

“Maria has brought a wealth of both clinical and administrative experience to The Children’s Aid Society’s mental health department and we are fortunate to have her heading up these crucial services,” said Beverly A. Colon, RPA, Director of the Health Services Division of The Children’s Aid Society.

Ms. Astudillo has been with The Children’s Aid Society for five years. Before joining Children’s Aid, she provided services at the Trauma and Anxiety Disorder Clinic at The Payne Whitney Women’s Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and, before that, at the Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center. She is also currently an Adjunct Instructor at the Graduate School of Social Service at Fordham University.

The Children’s Aid Society (www.childrensaidsociety.org), founded in 1853, is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving New York’s neediest children and their families with a network of services that includes community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, arts programming, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation. For more information, please call 212-949-4938 or e-mail ellenl@childrensaidsociety.org.

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