Epilepsy Society of Southern New York

THE MISSION of The Epilepsy Society of Southern New York, Inc. is to provide comprehensive services to persons of all cultures with epilepsy, other developmental disabilities, and/or neurological, physical, mental and visual impairments, and their families, dedicated to the prevention and control of seizure disorders, the alleviation of their effects, the protection of individual rights, and the promotion of independence and optimal quality of life for people of all cultures who have these impairments, their families, and other concerned individuals.

OUR VISION encompasses a continued dedication to those we serve, a broadened scope of service with increased opportunities for all who suffer impairments in isolation, and a community of acceptance for all.

THE EPILEPSY SOCIETY of Southern New York (ESSNY) was formed in 1977 by a group of concerned people whose lives epilepsy had touched in some way. The Society grew from a grass roots organization of support groups to a registered non-profit agency governed by a voluntary Board of Directors and its Executive Director Janice W. Gay, one of the founders. With offices in Tarrytown in Westchester County, our newest office in Highland Mills in Orange County, as well as our main office in West Nyack in Rockland County, we are ideally situated to serve all seven counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. One of the first services provided by the Society was education to the public and private sectors as well as individuals and families on epilepsy. Today services include education and training, service coordination, counseling, crisis intervention, competitive employment, supported employment, residential habilitation, individual/systems advocacy, information and referral, neurological/clinic referral, self-help, support groups, facilitators training, family support programs and waiver programs.

ESSNY has expanded all programs, and together with our sister company, Capabilities Partnership, Inc., provide services to people with developmental disabilities other than epilepsy. We serve people with disabilities such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, neurological impairments including those caused by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and autism. It is our goal to assist all individuals who have a developmental disability in obtaining their optimal growth potential.