October 5, 2026
Tanairy Fernandez, LMHC-D, NCC, PMH-C ’13M.S.Ed., an alumna of The School of Education and Founder and Clinical Director of Balance Mental Health Counseling, PLLC, in Huntington, NY, recently received a $20,000 grant through the L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant Program. In addition to the $20,000 grant, Balance Mental Health Counseling will receive a $5,000 television advertising campaign from Optimum Media, providing additional support to expand the organization’s visibility and reach.
The L.O.C.A.L. program, which stands for Lifting Our Community businesses Across Long Island, recognizes small businesses that play a vital role in strengthening their communities while providing financial resources to support their continued growth. Made possible by founding partner Optimum Business and administered by the Long Island Association, Inc. Foundation, this initiative continues in collaboration with the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce to expand outreach and ensure opportunity reaches every corner of Long Island’s business community.
Now in its third year, the program awarded 40 small businesses $5,000 each and two grand prize winners $20,000. Since launching in 2024, the program has awarded $500,000 to 90 local businesses.
St. John’s University caught up with Ms. Fernandez to celebrate this exciting achievement and learn more about her journey, her work, and what this recognition means to her.
How will this $20,000 in direct funding accelerate your current business timeline or allow you to take on projects that were previously out of reach?
For the past few years, our top priority has been building an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp at the front of our property to ensure our space is fully accessible to everyone in our community. Receiving this grant funding transforms that long-held goal into an immediate reality, allowing us to break ground right away and remove physical barriers for the clients we serve.
What operational challenges do you foresee during the implementation phase, and how can your team or local partners help mitigate them?
Our main operational shift will be temporarily transitioning all in-person sessions to virtual appointments for a two-week period during active construction. Fortunately, our team and clients are well-versed in our telehealth platforms, which will allow us to maintain seamless, uninterrupted care. We are grateful for our clients’ flexibility and remain focused on keeping the process as smooth as possible.
A major component of this award is a $5,000 television advertising campaign through Optimum Media. How do you plan to position your business brand to local Long Island consumers through this commercial spot?
We plan to use this opportunity to introduce our specialized services to neighbors who may not realize high-quality, targeted care is available right in their backyard. Equally important, we hope to use this platform to shed light on maternal mental health, helping break the stigma and letting women across Long Island know that compassionate support is available early in their journey.
What specific target audience or geographic market on Long Island are you hoping to capture with this increased television visibility?
Our campaign will focus on reaching women navigating the pregnancy and postpartum periods, as well as individuals seeking specialized exposure and response prevention treatment for Obsessive-compulsive disorder. By expanding our reach across Long Island, we hope to connect individuals and families with the precise care they need.
This grant is heavily supported by regional chambers, including the Long Island African American and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. How do you plan to leverage these newly forged institutional relationships for long-term networking?
It is a privilege to connect with these vital community institutions. We hope to serve as a trusted clinical resource for both chambers while collaborating to bring important mental health conversations to the forefront. By partnering on educational initiatives and community outreach, we aim to build lasting relationships that foster wellness across the diverse populations they serve.
In which ways do you see your business’s growth directly benefiting the broader Long Island economy and community moving forward?
Our growth allows us to invest directly in the future of Long Island’s health-care workforce. By partnering with local graduate universities, we offer rigorous internship opportunities and create direct career pathways for newly graduated mental health professionals. Additionally, as a Latina-owned practice providing bilingual services in Spanish, we are uniquely positioned to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps in care, ensuring more members of our community receive equitable, high-quality treatment.
What are your final thoughts on receiving this grant?
We are profoundly honored and humbled to be selected for this grant. This support goes far beyond funding—it accelerates our mission to make specialized mental health care accessible to all. We are deeply grateful for this investment in our practice and look forward to demonstrating its positive impact on the Long Island community.
Tanairy’s achievement is another powerful example of the extraordinary ways our alumni are translating their education into meaningful action. Through leadership, service, innovation, and a deep commitment to the communities they serve, our graduates continue to make an impact that extends far beyond the classroom. The School of Education is incredibly proud to see our alumni not only succeeding in their professions but also using their talents and expertise to create positive and lasting change in the world.