Villa of Hope Awarded $15,000 From New York State OASAS to Support Telehealth Services for Substance Use Treatment

Rochester, NY – Thursday, June 23, 2022 — Villa of Hope was awarded a $15,000 grant from New York State’s Governor Kathy Hochul joint initiative with OASAS to support its telehealth services for substance use. Funding for this program will allow Villa of Hope to purchase equipment for our clinicians to engage efficiently in telehealth, HIPAA compliant Zoom licenses, and appointment reminder software. Statistics show patients missing mental health appointments has increased, especially during the Covid pandemic, which could lead to poor health outcomes for individuals struggling with substance use disorder. With appointment reminder software and increasing telehealth opportunities, Villa of Hope aims to increase patient appointment rates and increase access for community members to services much needed. Funding was provided to New York State through the Federal Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment Block Grant Supplemental award and administered by NYS OASAS.

Villa of Hope has one Behavioral Health Clinic location in Rochester, NY along with construction taking place in Greece for The Steven Center for Behavioral Health and Gregory E. Polisseni Living Hope Treatment Center set to open soon that will serve youths as young as 16 years old. 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. Villa of Hope is able to provide a program of integrated care across the lifespan.

“Providing uninterrupted addiction services is crucial to an individual’s health and well-being. We have learned over the last few years that non-traditional service delivery methods, such as telehealth, are essential to maintaining the continuum of care. This funding will help to expand the reach of Villa of Hope’s efforts and ensure that people in the Rochester community have alternatives that best suit their individual needs.” ~ New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner, Chinazo Cunningham.

“Villa of Hope is proud to be a recipient of this telehealth grant that will allow us to continue care that addresses some of the social, economic and health barriers that stand in the way of receiving treatment for mental health services. Clients will have more accessibility and equity in getting the care they deserve where things like transportation and illness were a large issue in the past. This grant will also enable us to invest into technology and headsets that will make connecting with our clinicians for appointments more seamless for our client base. We are grateful for the ability to give our community more options and choices when it comes to how you access your care.” ~ Lindsay Gozzi-Theobald, Chief Program Officer, Villa of Hope.

Villa of Hope will continue to address social determent of health by creating a holistic accessible and equitable approach to serve community needs. Telehealth is another tool to add that will help meet people where they are at, eliminate barriers such as transportation, and increase the reach of Villa of Hope Services.