Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving
The Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving is an innovative program that addresses the profound, unmet, mental health needs of caregivers. Under the leadership of Allison J. Applebaum, PhD, Professor in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Elbaum Center has developed powerful approaches to address the psychological needs of caregivers. We understand that caregivers have needs that evolve at different points along their journey, whether it be from the progression of a loved one’s illness or the overall experience of caregiving. Our comprehensive program serves the needs of caregivers of patients with all illnesses and disabilities and mental health challenges.
The Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving was established through a visionary founding gift from Trudy Elbaum Gottesman and Robert W. Gottesman in memory of Trudy’s brother, Steven S. Elbaum, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 76.
"Our family's experience with caregiving during Steve's illness revealed the profound stress and challenges caregivers face daily. This Center will honor his legacy by providing support and resources to caregivers nationwide."
—Judy Elbaum; Wife of Steven S. Elbaum
“Steve's extraordinary gift was his ability to embrace and nurture those around him. He was a true caregiver—someone who listened deeply, offered wise counsel, and always considered the well-being of others."
—Trudy Elbaum Gottesman; Sister of Steven S. Elbaum
At the Elbaum Center, caregivers are defined as parents, partners, children, siblings, friends, or chosen family who provide any type of support (e.g., physical, emotional, financial) to individuals living with chronic or life-limiting illnesses, disabilities, or mental health challenges.
The Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving has four areas of focus:
Caregiver Support Program
The Caregiver Support Program is designed to relieve distress and enable caregivers to manage the responsibilities of their caregiver role more successfully. It provides targeted assistance, tools for coping and communication, and access to resources and referrals for caregivers of patients receiving care across the Mount Sinai Health System. We offer individual, group, and family and couples counseling. Caregivers can also be referred by the Program for medication management, as needed. Our counseling services are offered both in person and virtually, and we do our best to schedule sessions at times that are convenient for caregivers. Learn more.
Research
The Elbaum Center continues to expand the evidence-based research focused specifically on family caregivers. We seek to gain a better understanding of their unique and changing needs, how to best meet those needs, and how to better integrate them into the health care team. Information about current clinical trials enrolling caregivers led by the Elbaum Center can be found here.
Training and Education
We are committed to training the next generation of caregiving scientists and have positions for postdoctoral fellows annually. We also have research and clinical opportunities for trainees in the Elbaum Center on a rolling basis. In addition to these specific training predoctoral opportunities, we are committed to providing education to staff across disciplines and levels of training in the needs of caregivers, both within and outside of Mount Sinai. Learn more.
Advocacy and Dissemination
Advocating for changes in health policy and promoting education are vital to ensure that support for caregivers is available throughout health care systems in the United States, and that evidence-informed best practices are implemented. In partnership with the Center to Advance Palliative Care, the Elbaum Center is working to ensure that support programs for caregivers become a standard of care across U.S. health care systems, and that the research conducted by the Elbaum Center can directly inform public policy impacting caregivers.
Recent Highlights
As a thought leader in the study of caregiving, Allison J. Applebaum, PhD, Director of the Elbaum Center, is regularly called upon to speak about areas of interest to the field.
