FRMH was established in 1968 comprised of certified counselors who provide services to individuals, couples, families, and groups. An affiliate of the Institutes of Religion and Health, FRMH is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation operating under the laws of the States of New York.

In cooperation with members of the clergy and other helping professionals, FRMH provides professional counseling services on an interfaith basis. It draws upon the expertise of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physicians and pastoral counselors. Our pastoral counseling and mental health staff have been carefully screened and selected for competence in counseling and psychotherapy. All pastoral counselors must meet extensive academic and professional standards; qualifications are determined by their standing in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

At Queens Counseling Services, a program of FRMH, we have diversified relationships with various religious organizations and assisted living residences. From our partnerships with institutions such as yours, we are able to continue our mission to provide quality, affordable counseling to the people who need us. Please take the time to read the materials included here in order to familiarize yourself with who we are and what we do. We believe that we provide a necessary service to the community and we look forward to the opportunity to extend our services to your facility.

Paul Engel, RCSW
Executive Director
Queens Counseling Services - FRMH

FRMH Mission Statement

QCS/FRMH is a nonprofit community-based interfaith pastoral counseling agency and mental health service founded in 1968. Through our multi-site network, we attempt to provide excellent psychotherapeutic and educational services to people who are seeking help in their social, occupational or psychological functioning. To that end we provide individual, marriage, family and group counseling while able to host community workshops, forums and classes. QCS/FRMH considers itself to be an extension of the pastoral ministry of the religious communities in its service areas. We are pleased to offer our services to people in a broad range of economic circumstances.

Introducing Queens Counseling Services:

As one of the centers of FRMH, Queens Counseling Services is based in the heart of Flushing, Queens. Established in 1975, local congregations, service groups and community organizations partner with us in providing services. Our counseling sites are located primarily in Queens, New York and our services extend from Long Island to Manhattan.

Led by executive director Paul Engel, LCSW, we are a staff made up of professionally trained Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Pastoral Counselors with diverse certifications. We provide individual, family, couples and group counseling, as well as psychological evaluations. We offer multilingual counseling in Chinese, French, Korean, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Uzbek at this time.

Group counseling is provided upon request. Some of our groups have addressed anxiety, bereavement, coping with stress, depression and parenting. We have also hosted groups on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and coping with the effects of September 11th. We accept many insurance plans with an available sliding scale fee.

More About Our Organization:

Originally local churches with the desire to make counseling available to all members of the community established the Whitestone Counseling Center in 1975. Due to increased outreach into other parts of Queens, the name was changed to Queens Counseling Services in the mid-90's. Representatives from congregations and other community organizations form the Advisory Board, providing administrative direction, space, referrals, placement of notices in bulletins and financial support as an extension of their ministry and/or interest.

The purpose of QCS is to help people cope with a variety of challenges in their life. Functioning as a pastoral counseling and mental health service agency, we offer marriage and family therapy as well as individual and group counseling. We also provide various other services to congregations and the public through workshops and participation in hosting health fairs.

As an affiliate of the Foundation for Religion and Mental Health, we administer counseling services to clients of many diverse faiths. Religious content enters into the counseling process solely on the initiative of the client. There is no proselytizing. Clients pay fees either through their insurance company or on a sliding scale according to family income.

As a nonprofit organization charging on a sliding scale basis, Queens Counseling Services operates on a tight budget. As such, we are only able to offer the low fees due to the partner organizations that have joined us in our mission to provide quality mental health services. We could not function as we do without these organizations' invaluable donations of space and, in some instances, financial funding to add to any grant monies. Our therapists are not volunteers and contributions to QCS/FRMH are most welcome.

Partnership sites affiliated with QCS/FRMH include or have included:

• Kissena Jewish Center
• Church on the Hill
• First Presbyterian Church in Malverne, Long Island
• Flushing Fresh Meadows Jewish Center
• St. Andrew Avellino RC Church
• Temple Beth Sholom
• Temple Gates of Prayer
• St. George's Episcopal Church
• Glendale Reformed Church
• St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Bethany Lutheran Church
• Kew Gardens Jewish Center
• South Nassau Christian Church in Baldwin, Long Island

We are currently cultivating relationships with Boulevard ALP (Assisted Living Project), Queens B'nai B'rith House, Flushing House and Sterling Glen.

Through outreach to your particular congregation, consisting of referrals and notices placed in weekly bulletins, Queens Counseling Services looks forward to building a mutually beneficial partnership. Our hopes and expectations include promoting mental health through one-on-one counseling, workshops and support groups for your congregation and the surrounding community. Another goal is to provide preventative - rather than remedial - counseling through the implementation of psycho education groups; for example offering parenting, smoking cessation and other programs.

We envision accomplishing these goals through the services of our caring, professionally trained and credentialed therapists. Resumes are available on request. We propose a reciprocal partnership in which Queens Counseling Services would provide pastoral counseling and mental health services to the congregation and to the greater community, while you would be able to provide us with the necessary physical space and referrals.

QCS/FRMH carries liability insurance for all therapists and counseling sites.

• Children will be supervised.
• The physical space will be left clean, free of debris and returned to its original state.
• We will endeavor to schedule clients during the times the facility is already in use so as to alleviate heating and any other costs. Together, we can determine days and times for availability and use of the premises.

Please note the attached flyers and articles for your perusal. We look forward to embracing your congregation and to enjoying a prosperous professional relationship with you.

Who Needs Us?

• People who are creating unsuccessful and unhappy lives through their anxieties, doubts, and lack of self-knowledge.
• People who are working inefficiently or below their potential.
• Couples who are experiencing marital difficulties or problems with their children.
• Adolescents who are having difficulty in their academic or social lives.
• Young adults who feel lonely, insecure, or puzzled about their vocations and their futures.
• Older people who feel a sense of emptiness or who have lost their faith.
• Anyone may seek an appointment at one of our centers. There are no geographical limitations.

Services:

• Individual Counseling: Individuals see a trained counselor once or twice per week for help in understanding and coping with personal difficulties.
• Group Counseling: In a group setting, clients explore their feelings and behaviors to attain an increased sense of self-awareness and an improved ability to relate to others.
• Marriage Counseling: Couples see a counselor in a series of individual or joint interviews to understand and resolve their marital troubles.
• Family Counseling: Members of a family see a counselor to discuss difficulties affecting them as a group. Sessions allow parents and children to talk together with the therapist.
• Individual Testing: When necessary, tests are given in conjunction with individual and group therapy. Results of tests given to children are discussed with parents.
• Employment Assistance Program: The Consulting Service TCS has an available Employment Assistance Program designed to provide businesses and organizations with professional help, systematically working with employees who suffer from emotional difficulties that surface in work-related problems. TCS provides consultations, counseling, and referrals.
• Clients needing services not provided by FRMH are referred to other agencies.
• Clients of QCS/FRMH pay fees on a sliding scale based on family income. The fee is set by the counselor in discussion with the client during the first interview.