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About Us

The goal of the organization is to keep "Healthy Families, Safe at Home." Bergen’s Promise will provide exceptional care management services to keep youth and families physically and emotionally safe.

Wraparound care is an individualized planning process for care management that leverages the Child and Family Team and builds on a family's and community's unique strengths, values and resources.

Our Behavioral Health Home services support youth with chronic co-occurring behavioral and medical health issues and enhances the Wraparound Model of Care to integrate both medical and behavioral health care.

The key to successful wraparound is a team of family and community members guided by an experienced care manager who works to formulate the ideal array of local services & activities to benefit a child's growth and foster future success.

Healthy Families, Safe at Home

Our organization is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) (English/Spanish). Our services are built on each family’s strengths and delivered through a strong, coordinated network of community based providers. Leveraging the core values below, we strive to provide the highest quality of care that will produce the most positive results for the youth and families we serve.

Professionalism • Talent Engagement & Development • Health & Safety • Collaboration • Cultural Diversity

Bergen's Promise Agency Values

Health & Safety

Bergen's Promise fosters healthy and safe environments for youth, families, staff and other stakeholders through a coordinated and comprehensive set of health promotion, wellness and protection strategies.

Explore More Agency Values

Care Management Services

The Wraparound Model of Care

It's the Heart of Our Promise to Each Child and Family We Serve

Since 2002, Bergen's Promise has been offering unique, community-based wraparound services to families who have children with emotional, behavioral, developmental, mental health, and substance abuse needs.

Keeping children healthy and safe in their home is our goal.

Watch the short video on the right and download the guide below to learn more about how the wraparound process works to help plan and implement services and supports for your child or youth and family.

Learn more about the Wraparound Model of Care - Flyer

The Child and Family Team is Our Key to Consistently Successful Wraparound Care

Each Child and Family team is comprised of people genuinely care about your child’s success. Loving relatives, close friends, teachers, clergy, care providers, and sometimes even the local soccer coach, all help to formulate the right mix of structure, guidance and support to help foster progress and future success. Who would YOU include on your Child and Family Team?

Families Share Their Experiences
Child and Family Team

Integrated Care Enhances Wraparound

All families receiving Bergen's Promise support that have a youth with specific chronic medical health issues, and a behavioral health challenge, are now provided with our Behavior Health Home (BHH) medical care services that includes a highly-trained nurse or Wellness educator as part of the Child and Family Team. This enhanced team allows for better coordination of a child's unique physical, medical and behavioral health care needs.

Here's a short video introduction to our BHH program from one of our Health & Wellness Educators. (Click the CC button at the bottom of the video for other languages.)

Read Our BHH FAQ

Understanding the
New Jersey Children's System of Care

Watch the video below to better understand the system of care, how it helps children get access to the help they need, and how your family can benefit from the services it offers.

The Bergen's Promise Leadership Team

Executive Management

Photo of Dean Pastras
Dean Pastras
ACSW, LCSW
Chief Executive Officer
Photo of Shelisa Foster
Shelisa Foster
MA, LPC, NCC 
Chief Operating Officer

Directors

Photo of Christa Ten Cate
Christa Ten Cate
MA, LAC, CSW  
Director of Care Management
Photo of Crystal Wytenus
Crystal Wytenus
MA, LPC, LCADC, NCC
Director of Care Management; *Substance Treatment Liaison
Photo of Cynthia Castañeda
Cynthia Castañeda
MA LPC ACS
Director of Care Management
Photo of Diane Ristaino
Diane Ristaino
JD 
Director of Quality Assurance & Compliance Officer
Photo of Jan Schlaier
Jan Schlaier
Edc.D, FNP-BC
Director of Health Services; *Integrated Care Liaison
Photo of Jennifer Esmurdoc
Jennifer Esmurdoc
MHRM
Human Resources Director
Photo of Kajal Raval
Kajal Raval
 
Financial Controller
Photo of Kathy Werheim
Kathy Werheim
MA, MPA  
Director of Community Resources
Photo of Sanny Yoon
Sanny Yoon
MBA ITM
Director of Technology & Communications

Care Management Supervisors

Photo of Allison Speranza
Allison Speranza
LSW, MSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Amanda Rhodes
Amanda Rhodes
MSW, LSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Elizabeth Claudio
Elizabeth Claudio
 
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Elizabeth Panissidi
Elizabeth Panissidi
LCSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Gittel Danzig
Gittel Danzig
LSW, LMSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of John Dixon
John Dixon
MSW, LCSW, DRCC
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Jose Rodriguez
Jose Rodriguez
MA, LPC, LCADC
Clinical Consultant
Photo of Kai Rainey
Kai Rainey
MS
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Katrele Willard
Katrele Willard
MSW 
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Krystal Martinez
Krystal Martinez
MSW, LMSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Nathalie Mora
Nathalie Mora
 
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Patrick Millien
Patrick Millien
MS ED
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Rahsona Patterson
Rahsona Patterson
BA, MSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Ruth Banegas
Ruth Banegas
LSW, LMSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Shari Spates
Shari Spates
MSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Shekinah Williams
Shekinah Williams
MSW, LSW
Care Manager Supervisor
Photo of Shelda Thelisme
Shelda Thelisme
MSW
Care Manager Supervisor

Managers

Photo of Amy Faus
Amy Faus
MPH, CPH, MCHES
Health Promotion Manager
Photo of Bernardo Gonzalez
Bernardo Gonzalez
 
Medicaid Supervisor
Photo of Casey Williamson
Casey Williamson
 
Compliance Supervisor
Photo of Cynthia Campbell
Cynthia Campbell
 
Community Resource Development Manager
Photo of Daria Tabbacchino
Daria Tabbacchino
BA
Education Collaboration Manager
Photo of John DeLorenzo IV
John DeLorenzo IV
 
Data Analytics Manager
Photo of Katie Schneider
Katie Schneider
MA
Office Manager
Photo of Renea Covington
Renea Covington
 
Human Resources Manager

Our Children and Families Live in Your District

2023 By School District

Map of Bergen County showing where enrollees live

2023 By Legislative District

Map of Bergen County showing where enrollees live

In 2023, we also served 321 youth outside Bergen County. Youth outside Bergen county are usually their own guardians and participating in out-of-home treatment.

the Bergen's Promise staff group picture

Board of Trustees

The Bergen's Promise Trustees support the quality Wraparound care coordination available to families in Bergen County.

  • Jeffrey Kahn - President

  • Cheryl Toussaint - Trustee

  • Lucien Duquette - Trustee

  • Joseph J. Cafaro - Trustee