Meet Our Team
Joanna Formont, LMHC
Executive Director SIBSPlace
Joanna Formont is a licensed mental health counselor and has been employed at SIBSPlace, an affiliate of Mount Sinai South Nassau since 2004. Executive Director of SIBSPlace, Ms. Formont graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Teachers College, Columbia University with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She has provided individual and group services to children and families in crisis for over 25 years. Ms. Formont oversees the development and implementation of SIBSPlace’s expressive arts activities-based curriculum which focuses on the anticipatory grief and bereavement needs of the program’s participants. She co-facilitates the verbal activity groups, parent support groups and initiated the program’s developmental focused breakout groups, starting with the teen support group to help address the needs of the older child. Ms. Formont supervises the bereavement services and facilitates the parent group. She contributes to planning and supervises on and off-site peer empowerment and family engagement events. She offers support and guidance to program participants, maintains relationships with family members, school contacts and completes intakes and provides referrals. In 2021, Ms. Wagner completed the annual 11-week bereavement course offered through Calvary Hospital. Ms. Formont oversees participant and volunteer records and supervises undergraduate and graduate school interns. She initiates community outreach and manages the development of newsletters and the program’s presence on social media platforms. Ms. Formont assisted the World Trade Center Family Center by providing client and outreach services. In 2011 Ms. Formont co-authored Staying Afloat- A Support Guide to Help Parents and Well Siblings Cope with Family Illness. Ms. Formont also develops and facilitates community education training on the psychosocial impact illness has on the well child in a family, siblings' response to illness, death, anxiety management in children and benefit of expressive arts activities in group practice. She has presented internationally, nationally and to community hospitals, groups, and schools. In 2023 she was selected by Long Island Business News as one of the Top 50 Women in Business and recently presented at SPEAK: Grief on how to support others as they are coping with their grief process. She is currently a member of the SIBSPlace, Inc. Board, the New York Mental Health Counselors Association, National Alliance for Children’s Grief, Adelphi University’s Executive Directors Roundtable, the Long Island Elite, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce
Kerri Wagner, Master of Arts, Creative Arts Therapy
Program Manager
Kerri Wagner is the Program Manager for SIBSPlace, an affiliate of Mount Sinai South Nassau. She received her BA in Early Childhood, Elementary and Art Education from The State University of New York, College at Cortland and her Master of Arts, Creative Arts Therapies from Hofstra University. Her diversified background in art therapy and child life prepared her for her position as Creative Arts Therapist at SIBSPlace. Ms. Wagner is a strong advocate for children and focuses on family centered care. Since 2008 she has created and facilitated therapeutic art directives for children and adolescents who have a sibling or parent with a life-threatening illness. In addition, she developed and implemented an expanded curriculum for the SIBS bereavement support groups which she co-facilitates. In 2021, Ms. Wagner completed the annual 11-week bereavement course offered through Calvary Hospital and is a member of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief. Ms. Wagner established the Child & Family Life Pilot Program at Mount Sinai South Nassau in 2010 and under the Child and Family Life umbrella she launched the Pediatric Reading Program. She fostered the growth of these programs through hospital and community presentations until her transition to her full-time position at SIBSPlace in 2019. As part of her SIBSPlace responsibilities she has offered sibling support groups at St. Mary's Hospital for Children in Bayside while at the same time teaching their staff the methodology to provide the groups continuously. Ms. Wagner has presented at Molloy University on the benefits of creative arts therapies with children, multiple times for the Mental Health Association of Nassau County on utilizing expressive arts modalities in the therapeutic process with grieving children and at SNCH's Medical Grand Rounds, Nursing Grand Rounds and Pediatric Unit Based Council on the impact of hospitalization and traumatic medical illness on the family system. Creatively, she initiated annual inter-departmental hospital-wide projects to heighten awareness of SNCH’s Child & Family Life services. In 2017, Ms. Wagner was selected to receive the Town of Hempstead’s Pathfinder Award for her outstanding work in Health Services and her ongoing commitment to children and families. Ms. Wagner has received press coverage for her work with international pediatric patients and her photo documentary reflecting the realities of hospitalization for children and the benefits of Child Life.
Susanne E. Bennett, LMSW
Coordinator
Susanne E. Bennett is a licensed master social worker who received her graduate degree with a clinical concentration in Children and Families from Fordham University, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Applied Expressive Arts in Counseling (AEAC) from Adelphi University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, National Alliance for Children’s Grief, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Alpha Society for Social Work. Ms. Bennett comes to SIBSPlace with a varied background. After a career in investment banking and a breadth of community volunteer work with children, Ms. Bennett had the outstanding opportunity to intern at Mount Sinai South Nassau in the Medical/Surgical Oncology Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Critical Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, and Transitional Care Unit. This vast experience was followed by an internship at SIBSPlace where she learned and refined the skills that would help her to fulfill the mission of the social work profession, which is to enhance the well-being of others. Ms. Bennett began her professional career at SIBSPlace as Coordinator in January 2020. She brings with her a strengths-based perspective and utilizes an ecological lens focusing on the unique micro, mezzo, and macro systems that each child is involved with. She assists with programmatic and administrative tasks at SIBSPlace. Her job responsibilities include planning and facilitating therapeutic support services for children and their families impacted by traumatic medical illness with a specialized focus on those who have experienced the death of a family member receiving bereavement support. She is accountable for promoting community awareness by assisting with outreach, social media, and public relations, as well as budget monitoring and supporting fundraising activities. Ms. Bennett received her SIFI certification from NYU Silver School of Social Work in 2023 and currently supervises the program’s social work interns. Ms. Bennett is thrilled to be a part of the SIBSPlace team assisting children with a seriously ill parent or sibling and children who are bereaved to enhance their emotional identification, communication and coping skills. She looks forward to contributing to the continued growth of SIBSPlace as it expands its reach to provide more children and their families with a place where they are empowered through therapeutic activities and groups that foster resilience. She is proud to work at a place where children truly matter most!
Courtney A. Riiska, MHC-LP
Development Associate
Courtney Riiska graduated with a master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Molloy University in June 2024. Prior to that she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Molloy College. Ms. Riiska has been a member of the SIBS team since 2020, starting as a volunteer, moving onto the Counselor position and now is SIBSPlace’s Development Associate. Courtney works closely with the SIBSPlace staff to increase revenue through donations, fundraiser event planning, sponsorships and grant funding. She assists with fundraising initiatives including our annual Auction, Rock for SIBS, SIBSPlace’s Bowl-A-Thon and Gift Card Garden Party. She coordinates outreach efforts through online newsletters, presenting at in-person events and managing SIBSPlace’s social media platforms. Ms. Riiska also completed her internship placement at SIBSPlace, where she contributed to developing the program’s expressive arts curriculum and co-facilitated peer support groups. She is involved in the implementation of the age/developmentally based groups where she is lead facilitator for the middle school aged boys’ group. She has been involved in Camp SIBS planning and supervising the children during on and off-site activities. Ms. Riiska has co-facilitated bereavement support groups and is a member of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief.
Toni Mugnai, B.S.
Counselor
Toni Mugnai began her time at SIBSPlace as a volunteer in March of 2021. She started as a volunteer for her senior year internship project. She graduated from Molloy College in May 2022 with a Bachlor of Science degree in Psychology, and a minor in Child Life. Since graduating, Ms. Mugnai has continued her time with SIBSPlace by working at Camp SIBS during the summer and volunteering at the program until officially joining the team as a Counselor in November 2022. As a counselor, Ms. Mugnai provides homework assistance as needed, encourages participants to engage in program activities, and helps maintain the safety of participants during the program. She collaborates with mental health staff to develop the program’s expressive arts curriculum and participates in the delivery, set up, and cleanup of activities. Ms. Mugnai assists with age/developmentally based groups, taking a leadership role in Girl’s Group, Feelings Group, and Tween/Teen Night. She helps maintain updated social media connections, while also sharing information relevant to program in weekly email updates. She is essential in creating community outreach materials, which includes making event flyers and monthly calendars. Ms. Mugnai also designs the bulletin board for each month, which is relevant to the monthly theme and often incorporates the artwork of participants.
