Behavioral Health Providing Services for Mental Health in Rochester, NY
Our Behavioral Health Department encompasses our LIFE Residential Program, Outpatient Chemical Dependency Clinic, Addiction Prevention Education Program and Mental Health Outpatient Clinic. We are certified by Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASAS) and Office of Mental Health (OMH). We provide services for adolescents and adults utilizing individualized, trauma-responsive, evidence based, and holistic treatment models.
As with all of the Villa’s programs, the Behavioral Health Department values individual dignity, and embraces the concept of Neurodiversity. Neurodiversity recognizes that all human beings think and process the world differently, whether in ways we regard as “typical,” or in ways we regard as different. The neurological differences of those we serve are recognized and valued as any other human variation, regardless of medical labels.
Please click below to learn more about our programs.
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Mental Health Outpatient Clinic
Mental illness is a treatable medical condition. Our team of caring professionals – with expert clinical oversight and training – consists of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Therapists focused on the mental health challenges of adults, children, teenagers and families.
Villa of Hope’s Mental Health Outpatient Clinic offers evaluation and treatment for all ages, including individual and family treatment, medication management (psychopharmacology), MAT (medication assisted therapy), cognitive-behavioral therapy, as well as psychological testing. We provide mental health services through a program of integrated care across the lifespan.
Our goal is to help patients and families understand and manage issues such as PTSD, ADHD, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, substance abuse, and disruptive disorders.
Our team works from a strength-based, trauma focused model to identify and build on each individual’s strengths and talents, and not just focus on problems.
The Villa recently opened The Steven Center for Behavioral Health, our second integrated outpatient clinic on our Greece campus. The Steven Center is an extension of the continuum of care that Villa of Hope offers. Click here for details on this new facility!
Hours of Operation:
Jay Street Location & The Steven Center for Behavioral Health
1099 Jay St # P, Rochester, NY 14611
Monday – Thursday : 8 am – 7 pm | Friday: 8 am – 5 pm
The Steven Center for Behavioral Health
3300 Dewey Ave, Rochester, NY 14616
Monday – Thursday: 9 am – 6 pm | Friday: 8 am – 5 pm
More Info
Intake / Information Contact
Phone: 585-328-0834
Fax: 585-436-0103
Email: Mhclinic@villaofhope.org
Address:
3300 Dewey Avenue
Rochester, NY 14616
1099 Jay Street, Building J, Suite 202
Rochester, NY 14611
OPEN Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm
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Family Therapy aims to promote understanding and collaboration among family members in order to solve the problems of one or more individuals. For example, if a child is having social and academic problems, therapy will focus on the family patterns that may contribute to the child’s acting out, rather than evaluating the child’s behavior alone. As the family uncovers the source of the problem, they can learn to support the child and other family members and work proactively on minimizing or altering the conditions that contribute to the family and or child’s distress.
We offer a uniquely patient-centered program that adapts itself to the specific needs of our clients across the lifespan (adolescents through late adulthood).
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Medications are often used in the treatment of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Often medication is combined with other treatments such as psychotherapy.
Our Board Certified Psychiatrist specializes in adolescent psychiatry and provides trauma informed medication management for adolescents, as well as adults; and children and family members needing psychotropic medication.
Patient education is an important component of medication management and is provided by the clinics’ experienced staff.
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Psychological Assessments and Testing is an important part of our treatment planning. The purpose of these Assessments and Evaluations is to assess one’s level of functioning compared to their peers, to obtain diagnostic clarification (i.e., Autism versus ADHD), to gain treatment recommendations specific to the individual’s needs, offer ongoing consultation to the treatment team, and support for the family.
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Living Hope Treatment Center
Gregory E. Polisseni Living Hope Treatment Center is Open for Recovery! Be sure to check out our digital real-life tour of what the new facility looks like here!
Living Hope Treatment Center — a first-of-its-kind, integrated recovery and mental health facility. We are providing the community life-changing support, programs, and resources to help individuals move forward.
The opening of the Living Hope Treatment Center in 2022, marks a new beginning for Villa of Hope and individuals who are battling substance use disorders and working to better their mental health and wellness. Our center will provide life-changing opportunities for families and individuals to find hope and to recover and rebuild their lives.
For intake information, please contact: (585)295-6916 or LivingHopeAdmissions@villaofhope.org
About Gregory E. Polisseni Living Hope Treatment Center
Gregory E. Polisseni Living Hope Treatment Center serves community youth and adults who need direct access to substance use disorder support, resources, and programs as they work to recover and improve their mental health. The Villa is proud to provide life-changing opportunities for families and individuals to find hope and to recover and rebuild their lives. This 18-bed medically supervised withdrawal and treatment center on the beautiful Villa of Hope Dewey Avenue campus opened November 2022! This facility will be the only one of its kind in Monroe County to treat adolescents, as well as adults.
Our Living Hope Impact
Villa of Hope is excited to introduce our new medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization treatment home to the Rochester community. This center is the first community, agency-run inpatient center of its kind in Monroe County to treat adolescents and adults and offer specialized post-detox programs.
Opioid use is at an all-time high and the numbers of overdoses and deaths due to substance use disorder are growing daily. With the help of a new grant, the medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization treatment home will provide Villa of Hope another opportunity to change the lives of youth and adults in our community ages 16 and up.
In 2017, 32% percent (1,700 people) of county residents seeking services had to travel outside of Monroe County due to a lack of bed availability. The new home will serve patients in Monroe County who are struggling with addiction and who have previously had to seek treatment outside of the county.
Our new 24-hour facility offers short-term (5-7 days) medical inpatient treatment focused on physically stabilizing patients who are stopping the use of alcohol and/or other drugs. We also provide structured, around-the-clock treatment programs under the watchful care of physicians, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists and licensed therapists. After completing withdrawal and guided by compassionate professionals and trained peer support specialists, patients are able to continue treatment in other programs such as the Villa of Hope Outpatient Clinic and/or residential and group home programs.
For intake information, please contact: (585)295-6916 or LivingHopeAdmissions@villaofhope.org
Live In Freedom Early: LIFE Residential Program
Live In Freedom Early (LIFE) serves adolescents ages 13-21 with substance use disorders. Treatment includes holistic care, Evidence-Based Practices, structured groups, individual sessions, family sessions addressing life skills, vocational educational planning, on-site school, relapse prevention, psychiatric and physical health.
LIFE can be reached at: 585-865-1550.
More Info
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The LIFE program believes that the disease of addiction is a family disease. Every member of the family is affected by this disease as communication breaks down, promises are broken, trust is abused and hopelessness sets in. Family involvement in the treatment process is crucial to positive results. Residents will be encouraged to have weekly contact with their family by phone calls and writing letters.
- Family Counseling Sessions; Alanon on Site; Referral to other resources in the community.
- Parenting resources.
- For a complete listing of Al-Anon meetings in your area you can call 888-4Al-Anon.
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The LIFE program believes that the disease of addiction is a family disease. Every member of the family is affected by this disease as communication breaks down, promises are broken, trust is abused and hopelessness sets in. Family involvement in the treatment process is crucial to positive results. Residents will be encouraged to have weekly contact with their family by phone calls and writing letters.
- Family Counseling Sessions; Alanon on Site; Referral to other resources in the community.
- Parenting resources.
- For a complete listing of Al-Anon meetings in your area you can call 888-4Al-Anon.
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The LIFE Program has a full-time Registered Nurse on staff to assess and address medical needs. The nurse is a part of the multi-disciplinary treatment team. A certified nutritionist is available for individual consultation with our residents as well as individualized meal planning if there are special needs such as being a vegan, vegetarian and/or the desire to maintain, lose or gain weight.
The Education and Vocational component of the LIFE program is provided to meet the educational needs of each resident, even if he has earned a high school diploma or a GED prior to admission. Instruction is provided by teachers/tutors who are assigned by Monroe County BOCES #1. Teachers will have ongoing contact with home school district teachers to receive books, materials and assignments.
- Physical education credit; Homework Hour; Online college level classes; Continuing education classes.
- Job development
- Vocational skill building
- Employment support
- Culinary Skills
- ServSafe Certification
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LIFE Residential program now offers Buprenorphine for ages 16 – 21. Together with a doctor who understands Opioid use disorders, medication assisted therapy can help manage physical symptoms and cravings, allowing clients to work toward their recovery.
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Substance Use Disorder Clinic
The Villa of Hope, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) certified Chemical Dependency Outpatient Clinic is committed to providing comprehensive treatment to adolescents and adults, and their families. Services are available for individuals struggling with addiction or drug abuse, parents struggling to cope with their adolescents’ addiction, as well as those impacted by a loved one’s addiction.
We have special tracks for:
- Significant Other Treatment
- Impaired Drivers Assessment and Treatment
- Specialized Adolescent and Young Adult Services
- Co-Occuring Disorders
- LGBT-Q
- Family Sessions
- Trauma-Related Issues
- Walk-in, same-day MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) services
More Info
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Our family treatment interventions with significant others aims to rebuild healthy family dynamics built on trust and support. We offer a weekly Al-Anon meeting where parents can share their fears, experiences, trust issues and other related recovery topics. For a complete listing of Al-Anon meetings in your area you can call 888-4Al-Anon.
Services available for families:
Collateral/ Significant other services for children and Adolescents:
These services are provided to children who have been affected by another’s substance abuse. Individual therapy and group therapy interventions are utilized to help children, adolescents, and young adults identify how they are affected by another’s substance abuse.
Collateral/ Significant other services for Parents:
Parents of youth currently in treatment at the villa of hope are able to receive individual and/or group therapy to increase their understanding of the disease of addiction and to increase knowledge of support options available to family members in the community.
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Individual Counseling:
The therapist’s interventions will include the evidence-based practices. The treatment/recovery plan will be reviewed and updated every 90 days in collaboration with the client, family, as well as the multi-disciplinary treatment team.
Group Counseling:
The Seven Challenges® treatment groups, children of alcoholics (COA) groups, gender specific groups, and relapse prevention groups are offered to support recovery. To meet the needs of our adolescent population, groups often include creative interventions to facilitate the group process such as music and art.
Awareness and Education:
Individualized drug and alcohol specific education is offered in group, individual, and family sessions based on clients’ and families’ current knowledge base and stage of change.
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The Villa of Hope outpatient addiction treatment clinic is certified in the evidenced based The Seven Challenges® Program. It assumes that adolescents cannot change until they are personally ready to change. Trust and relationship building are keys to the youth making the change. Youth are taught to think through their decisions about alcohol and drugs and how they may affect their health and their life.
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Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT):
Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy meets the needs of adolescents who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other techniques are sensitive to the adolescent’s experiences to help them cope with negative consequences and increase coping skills.
Seeking Safety:
Seeking Safety model is used with youth struggling with both substance abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Safety of the youth is the first priority of this therapy model. Treating the effects of the past trauma and the substance abuse happens at the same time.
The Sanctuary Model:
The Addiction Treatment Services Outpatient Clinic provides trauma informed care through the guidance of the Sanctuary Model. Sanctuary is a treatment and organizational change model that integrates trauma theory with the creation of therapeutic communities which provide safety for both clients and the staff who work with them.
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The clinic offers walk-in same day provisions for MAT for suboxone/buprenorphine (oral medication), suboxone to sublocade (a long acting 30 injection of buprenorphine) and Naltrexone (oral medication) to Vivitrol (a long acting 30 day injection of Naltrexone). We also offer this service to local hospitals to assist with bridging patients seamlessly into outpatient MAT. We have developed close relationships with several Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPA) in the community that are referring patients and hospital social workers to our service. We offer a uniquely patient-centered program that adapts itself to the specific needs of our clients across the lifespan (adolescents through late adulthood). We have a trauma informed, harm reduction approach to therapeutic relationship building that is innovative for the substance use disorder treatment field.
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Addiction Prevention Education Program
Villa of Hope offers a variety of services including classroom work and activities with students, educational sessions with school staff and parents, and other trainings in the community. Information provided is based off of current research and trends along with Evidence Based programming.
Programs are geared for students from kindergarten to twelfth grades. This includes living a drug and alcohol free lifestyle, along with the skills to deal with peer pressure, bullying, relationships, academics, and communication skills.
Our team takes an integrated approach by working with all individuals in a youth’s life including teachers, counselors, other peers, and parents.
For substance use treatment options or services, call our clinic Monday through Friday at 585-328-0834.
More Info
Evidence-Based Programs Include:
- Too Good for Drugs
- Too Good for Violence
- All Stars
- Life Skills Training
- Olweus Bullying Program
Intro: Too Good for Drugs
Drug Education
Stress Management & Self Care
Healthy Relationships
Prevention Education podcast
General Counseling Program
The General Counseling Program at Villa of Hope provides home-based services to families who have been identified as having children 
who are at risk of foster care placement or CPS involvement due to unmet parent or child service needs. The program is voluntary and families must want to participate in services. Traditionally, these services have included individual and family counseling, parent skill training and education, and some casework services. Families are helped in areas such as: life skills, parenting, managing a household, interpersonal relationships, decision making, and accessing community resources. The program is now utilizing three evidence based models for our parent skill training. They are Parents as Teachers (ages brith-3), Parenting Wisely: Teen Edition (ages 11 and up). and Parenting Wisely: Young Child Edition (ages 3-10). Individualized plans of care are developed by the family and other supports the family would like involved. Goals are established based on identified needs and solutions. Services are tailored to each family’s needs. Families are helped to meet their basic needs and are often referred to other services that can assist with this (ex. Food pantries, clothing banks, housing resources, etc.) Families are helped to develop and expand their informal support networks.
Monroe County Preventative Services
The Villa of Hope’s General Counseling Program operates within the Sanctuary Model that promotes and supports positive change in clients, their families and the team through integrating trauma theory and creating therapeutic communities, which provide safety for both clients and the staff who work with them. Families and providers establish respectful, family-centered relationships that facilitate collaborative and productive service planning and delivery.
Goals are established based on the families identifying unmet needs of the parents and children, and solutions or action steps are developed based on strengths and choice of the family and team. Building a network of informal and formal supports for the family are integral to the worker’s engagement strategies. Within the framework and plan developed by the family and team, workers also provide services directly, that include individual and family counseling, parent skill training and education, and casework and advocacy services.
- To Prevent out of home placement of children in foster care
- To prevent child abuse and neglect (as measured by absence of indicated CPS investigations)
- To enhance parent and child functioning as identified in team goal
Please contact preventiveservices@villaofhope.org or call Antonia Tuck, Supervisor of Preventive Services at 585-865-1550 Ext. 266 for more information.
Aftercare Program
The Villa of Hope’s Aftercare Program provides services to families of youth, age 13-20, transitioning from residential, group home, or specialized foster care, back to their families and communities. It is expected that these would be youth who may experience challenges around successfully achieving their discharge plans without formal Aftercare Services and are therefore at risk of re-placement. Traditionally, these services have included individual and family counseling, parenting support, life skill education, casework, and educational advocacy. Services are tailored to each family’s needs. . Families are helped to meet their basic needs and are often referred to other services that can assist with this (ex. Food pantries, clothing banks, housing resources, etc.)
The Villa of Hope’s Aftercare Program is a Preventive Program, contracted by Monroe County Department of Human Services. The program has 22 slots.
Monroe County Preventative Services
The Villa of Hope operates within the Sanctuary Model that promotes and supports positive change in clients, their families and the team through integrating trauma theory and creating therapeutic communities, which provide safety for both clients and the staff who work with them. Families and providers establish respectful, family-centered relationships that facilitate collaborative and productive service planning and delivery.
- To prevent replacement in a residential, group home, or specialized level of foster care
- To prevent child abuse and neglect, (as measured by absence of indicated CPS investigations)
- To support a successful transition from placement back to home and community, through the development of individualized plans of care by the family and youth with the support of the aftercare worker.
Please contact preventiveservices@villaofhope.org or call Antonia Tuck, Supervisor of Preventive Services at 585-865-1550 Ext. 266 for more information.
Tuckahoe Rd Community Residence
Our mission at the Tuckahoe Road Adolescent Community Residence is to provide a safe, stable, and therapeutic environment for adolescents and their families to learn, explore, and grow. Adolescents learn about their mental health diagnosis, medications, and life skills on a daily basis from a well-trained, trauma-informed, competent staff. Adolescents are guided through a process of self-discovery and healing. Tuckahoe is a certified residential program by the NYS Office of Mental Health and serves young adults in Wayne County.
Family Support Services
Family Support Services at Villa of Hope provides an opportunity for caregivers to feel empowered in managing challenges within their family. The Family Peer Advocate can work with caregivers one-on-one; and offers groups and family events for families to attend throughout the year. Family Support Services believes in family-driven and youth-guided process, which allows families to receive individualized support based on your family’s needs. The Family Peer Advocate is able to support caregivers in advocacy, connections to resources in your community, educational support, and empowerment. To qualify for Family Support Services, the family must currently be enrolled in HCBS services (Waiver).
Community Apartment Program (CAP)
Young people ages 16 ½ to 21 who have been in the foster care system have the opportunity to learn to live on their own in one of our community apartments. Youth live in one or two-bedroom apartments in a northeast Rochester complex with our staff on-site and available around the clock. This program promotes independence, prevents homelessness, and decreases the dependence on public assistance. Residents are required to work and/or be enrolled in an educational or vocational program. We help them master independent living skills, including budgeting and cooking, and help them set and achieve personal goals.
Youth Mentor Program
This special program gives part-time jobs as peer mentors to young adults, ages 18 to 25, in Monroe County who’ve had personal experience in juvenile justice, mental health, or the child welfare system. Our staff coach and supervise the mentors and help them build job readiness, empowerment and advocacy skills as they help other youth.
