Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Lisa Dominici of the Rye Youth Council.
Your Name: Lisa Dominici
Name of your organization: Rye Youth Council, Inc.
Your role: Executive Director
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission
Dominici: Rye Youth Council (RYC) is a non-profit resource for the entire community, collaborating with families, schools, healthcare providers, businesses, and government to promote social and emotional development, strengthen resilience, and support the mental health of local youth.
How long have you operated in or around Rye?
Dominici: Founded in 1963 and incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 1972, RYC has a sustained track record of providing programs and support services to youth, parents/guardians, and educators for more than 50 years.
What programming or work is the organization best known for?
Dominici:
- RYC Restore: Restore, our low-cost mental health counseling, provides counseling and therapy to help youth ages 5-22 navigate through times of emotional distress and develop a path forward with new skills and perspectives. Through Restore, youth receive counseling for up to six months to gain coping skills and strategies they can use to improve or manage their circumstances.
- RYC has provided 1:1 counseling to more than 200 children through >1,700 individual sessions of care
- One-third of these children/young adults received their care at no cost to them.
- Currently, 33% of Restore “clients” are middle schoolers, 40% are elementary schoolers, 17% are high schoolers, and 10% are young adults ages 19-22.
- Although most children are from Rye, Restore serves youth in Rye Neck, Port Chester, Harrison, Mamaroneck, and White Plains.
- Peer to Peer (P2P) Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention Initiative: P2P is an evidence-based depression awareness and suicide prevention program developed by the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center and implemented in Westchester County by its Agency Partner, Rye Youth Council. It centers on the notion that many mental health issues first present during adolescence and that students can play a critical role in recognizing when their peers are struggling and in encouraging them to seek help. P2P supports the early detection and prevention of depressive disorders through its student-led schoolwide intervention. The mental health impact of this program may translate to lower levels of depression-related academic problems, social difficulties, alcohol and other drug use, self-harm, and suicide.
- More than 50 Rye High School students, 20 Rye Middle School students, and 20 Edgemont Junior-Senior High School students participate in biweekly P2P meetings to create and implement their school-wide campaigns that run from January through May.
- Each fall Peer to Peer students attend an all-day conference hosted and run by RYC, during which students are educated about mental health and learn how to be mental health advocates for themselves and their peers. They spend part of the day learning the components of effective public awareness campaigns, and brainstorm the campaigns they will bring to their peers throughout the school year. This year’s P2P Conference on October 16th was attended by 50 Rye High School and 20 Edgemont Jr Sr High School students, and on October 30th, 20 Rye Middle School students.
- The overall goals of the evidence-based program are to (1) raise awareness about mental health and illness, (2) reduce stigma, and (3) promote help-seeking with trusted adults.
- Positive Youth Development/Social Emotional Learning Workshops: In line with RYC’s mission, RYC staff have deep expertise in delivering social-emotional learning (SEL) workshops for students in grades K-12, and we recently expanded this program to Rye and Port Chester students. Social emotional learning programs address the critical need for early, developmentally appropriate social-emotional skill-building that strengthens resilience, self-esteem, emotional health, and mental well-being. Through engaging classroom sessions—which combine mini-lessons, games, movement, and mindfulness—students build self-awareness, self-management, empathy, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Evidence shows SEL programming delivers lasting benefits: improved academic outcomes, stronger relationships, reduced behavioral challenges, and an $11 return for every $1 invested. By equipping our youth with these protective factors, we help ensure they gain the skills and confidence to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
- RYC Rainbow Run – The RYC Rainbow Run is our annual community-building 1-mile color powder run held each November in Rye Town Park. Historically for kids in grades K-5 this year’s event added an afternoon run just for students in grades 6-8. More than 300 children participate, including 30+ teen volunteers. It’s an incredible fundraising event that serves as a protective factor by connecting kids of all ages to their community, and especially to members of the Rye Police and Fire Departments, who join in on the colorful fun. So many local organizations support the event through sponsorship, and we are grateful for them all!
Looking forward to 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
Dominici:
- Our top initiative will always be to deliver programs and support services that elevate the mental health and well-being of children and families. We will continue to focus on our clinical services, social-emotional learning skills development, and programs that provide positive youth development opportunities.
- Space: There is a crisis in youth mental health, and we need to ensure that young people have access to care when they need it. We will continue to make an impact on the mental health of local youth through RYC Restore counseling services, and hope to serve even more young people each year. We are currently limited by space — we’ve outgrown the offices we rent at the YMCA, which limits the number of youth for whom we can provide care. Securing a larger space is a key initiative for the next few years.
- Fundraising: RYC is a lean organization that makes a huge, positive impact on the mental health and well-being of local youth. We are a small nonprofit, with only two full-time and four part-time employees, yet our numerous programs and support services educate and serve youth, parents/guardians, and educators in Rye, Rye Neck, and Port Chester. Fundraising to grow our budget will enable us to do and serve more.
- Parent Programming – Through our collaboration with local school districts and other organizations, we will provide workshops, presentations and support groups for parents to support the social, emotional, and behavioral health of their children.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.
Dominici: We are a non-profit resource for the entire community, collaborating with families, schools, healthcare providers, businesses, and government to promote social and emotional development, strengthen resilience, and support the mental health of local youth. All our programs and services, with the exception of in-school efforts, are open to anyone who lives or works in the Sound Shore community.
- RYC programs and workshops are offered to students, parents, and educators in all local public and private schools, including Rye, Rye Neck, Rye Country Day School, and Port Chester, as well as at The Carver Center and other local nonprofits.
- Students in Rye High School and Rye Middle School can join RYC clubs, including Peer to Peer, the RYC Student Outreach Committee, and the Grandfriend Clubs.
- We offer many student and adult volunteer opportunities throughout the year that provide connection and meaningful service experiences. All are welcome.
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Dominici: Yes, we are a 501(c)3.
Looking back across 2025, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Dominici:
- RYC Restore, our low-cost counseling and therapy service for kids ages 5-22, continues to grow. We now provide individual counseling sessions to more than 65 students each year, which represents a 622% growth rate since our launch. We just surpassed our 1700th session of care, and have provided over 500 sessions of care per year for the past two years. That’s 500 times a young person has received 1:1 counseling from RYC Restore!
- Two major barriers to young people getting the help they need are access to care and affordability. Local clinicians are at capacity and care is often expensive. RYC Restore is available for families when they need us, and ⅓ of the children who come to us have received their care at no cost.
- Our research-based Student-Athlete Mental Health program expanded to include Rye City, Rye Neck Schools, and Rye Country Day School athletes. Through this innovative program, RYC taught more than 300 high school athletes the tools and strategies they need to manage stress, support teammates, and maximize mental wellness and performance. These unique sessions offer stress management, peer support, and strategies for focus and emotional regulation. We incorporate skills building with mindfulness and breathwork, cognitive reframing, and sports psychology.
- RYC is now a University of Michigan Agency Partner to launch and manage their Peer to Peer Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention Program to schools in Westchester County. This year, 50 students from Rye High School, 20 from Edgemont Junior Senior High School, and 20 students from Rye Middle School attended our all-day conference on Mental Health. The students will use the information they learned to launch mental health awareness campaigns in their schools that will positively impact their peers. Through pre- and post-student surveys, we can measure program outcomes, which demonstrate statistically-significant results among all students in both schools, including:
- Their ability to identify symptoms of depression and anxiety;
- Increased confidence in their ability to help a friend access in-school mental health support services;
- Increased likelihood of telling someone if a friend discloses they are thinking about suicide;
- Increased knowledge about how to get mental health help at school.
- We continue to certify local adults in the evidence-based Youth Mental Health First Aid, creating a critical mass of adults in our community with the ability to recognize and respond to a young person experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or disorder, and connect that youth to care. In partnership with RyeACT, Greenwich Hospital, the Rye YMCA, Port Chester Carver Center, Rye City School District, Rye Country Day School, and Rye’s Interfaith Community, we have trained more than 300 adults in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
- This year, as part of a grant that Mental Health Association of New York State received from the NYS Office of Mental Health, RYC will train high school students in the evidence-based Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA), and was able to train our staff and our local prevention coalition (RyeACT) coordinator to be Certified tMHFA Instructors.
How can local residents support your organization?
Dominici:
- Become an RYC Ally: RYC Allies make a three-year financial pledge to help sustain and grow our programs and support services that positively impact children and families, and help us serve our mission.
- Donate! Now through December 30th, we are running our Annual Appeal Campaign and are asking the community to help raise funds to sustain and bolster our programs and support services. Most RYC funding comes from individual community donors – every donation counts and no donation is too small to make a difference!
- Volunteer! Volunteers can help with seasonal projects like our Gratitude Challenge or Mental Health Awareness Weeks, and annual events like the Rainbow Run.
- Participate in our programs and tell your friends about our support services.
- Follow us on social media to stay informed of our programs and services, and sign up for our newsletter.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?
Dominici: Every community member who attends a program, utilizes our support services, or makes a financial contribution/donation of any size contributes to our ability to serve our mission. In particular:
- The City of Rye and Rye Presbyterian Mission & Outreach support our positive youth development programs through ongoing funding.
- The Maddie Fund and other private family foundations paved the way to create RYC Restore and continue to support our programs that elevate youth mental health.
- Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, NYS Assemblyman Steve Otis, NYS Senator Shelley Mayer, the NYS and Westchester County Office of Children and Family Services, and the Westchester County Office of Mental Health provide ongoing support through program funding, event attendance, and community connection.
- RYC Allies bolster our growth and our ability to serve our mission.
- The Rye City School District is an invaluable partner in supporting the social, emotional, and mental health of students.
- RHS Class of ‘75 has helped fund Peer to Peer since we launched it in Rye in 2021.
- The Rye PBA and Rye Professional Firefighters are a big part of making our Rainbow Run a special community event, and we love collaborating with them both.
- Most small businesses in Rye are long-time supporters!
- The RYC Board of Directors, past and present, is and always will be vital to our organization’s growth and health.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Dominici: I served on the RYC Board from 2010-2018 and have been executive director since 2017.
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?
Dominici: Full-time salaried position.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Dominici: Compassionate.
Where did you grow up?
Dominici: I grew up in Weston, CT, and attended Weston public schools K-12. I’ve lived in Ohio, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Rye, and Port Chester.
What principles guide you when you have to make a difficult decision?
Dominici: First and foremost, when I need to make a difficult decision, I strive to lead with love, empathy and understanding. I believe being kind matters and that we can and should lead with compassion. And I firmly believe in myself and in the goodness of others. The difficult decisions I make are not always right, or popular — but I know they’re the best decisions I can make.
What excites you most about the future—for yourself or for the world?
Dominici: Our youth! I have a deep belief in and hope for our youth. Today’s young people are passionate, caring, and daring! They stand up for what (and who) they believe in and take action to make a difference. It’s easy to despair about our planet, social and political systems, and frankly, our future, but working with children, teens, and young adults inspires me and makes it easier to be hopeful.
Where do you live and how many years have you lived there?
Dominici: I moved to Rye in 2000 and lived on both Red Oak Drive and then Green Avenue. My three kids grew up in Rye and attended Milton, Rye Middle School, and Rye High School.
Thanks Lisa!
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