Neiko Roman, Family Advocate, Children’s Mobile Crisis Team

Bringing Troubled Children to a Better Place

During his two years with VNSNY’s Children’s Mobile Crisis Unit, Family Advocate Neiko Roman has come to understand that every child is an individual, and each case is different. Neiko’s clients are mainly between the ages of 5 to 13, with most referrals coming from schools. Working as a team, Neiko and his colleague, VNSNY Psychiatric Social Worker Andrew Plisner, make on-site assessments to identify the presence of depression, anxiety, and suicidal and homicidal thoughts. Depending on the findings of these assessments, his young clients are then referred for psychiatric evaluation, psychological therapy, treatment by VNSNY or other community programs, or, in some cases, hospitalization.

Serving on a mobile crisis unit is demanding work, requiring 24-hour coverage with a two-hour response time to all calls. The hard work “seems to come naturally to him,” notes Neiko’s ESPRIT nomination—adding, “Neiko jumped right into the position…[and] was able to learn and adapt quickly, while providing empathy and compassion to our families.”

Neiko credits his own childhood experience for his dedication to helping children. “I was the only child of a single parent,” he says. “My mom had to hold down a lot of jobs, and I saw the struggles that she went through. I always felt that if I could, I’d like to help children who have gone through difficult situations.”

Neiko recalls one eight-year-old client in particular who was viewed by his school as a severe behavior problem. He learned that the boy had moved to the Bronx with his grandmother following the death of his mother and the destruction of their home in Puerto Rico by hurricane Maria, and was suffering from severe trauma. “With therapy, together with the return of his father from military service overseas, he was able to get back on track and finish the school year. It was a wonderful thing to experience,” says Neiko. “It’s rewarding to support kids who have a turbulent life, lending an ear and trying to connect the dots about their problems. It also makes me feel good that this organization has been helping people for 125 years, and I’m adding to that tradition.”