Horizon Health, RIT and Upstate Foundation Awarded Grants to Increase Access to Mental Health Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Patrick P. Lee Foundation awards $300,000 to increase access to mental health services in central and western NY; Horizon Health Services, Rochester Institute of Technology and Upstate Foundation selected for funding

Commitments are part of the Lee Foundation’s $1.2 Million annual

grantmaking strategy in mental health

The Patrick P. Lee Foundation is supporting initiatives at Horizon Health Services, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Upstate Foundation that improve access to mental health care in western and central New York.

Each institution will receive $100,000 from the private, Buffalo-based foundation focused on mental health and education. The Lee Foundation’s total $300,000 gift targets areas of the region that have a larger demand for mental health counseling than the workforce to support it.

An estimated 122 million Americans – including 4 million in New York – live in a mental health shortage area, as designated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Although the workforce shortage existed prior to the pandemic, the recent increase in demand for mental health services has made the situation even more critical. In 2020, four in 10 adults in the United States reported symptoms of anxiety or depression – a significant increase from the previous year when one in 10 adults reported these symptoms.

The Lee Foundation issued a request for proposals inviting nonprofit organizations from western and central New York to develop programs that implemented the clinical recommendations presented in  Enhancing the capacity of the mental health and addiction workforce: A framework, by Anita Burgos, Ph.D., and Benjamin Miller, Psy.D. The policy paper, commissioned by the Lee Foundation and three other philanthropic partners, identifies actionable solutions to mitigate the current strain on the mental health system. Solutions include partnering with primary care physicians to ensure more timely interventions for patients needing mental health services.

The Lee Foundation has investments in scholarship programs and other long-term strategies to build the mental health workforce. Now, the foundation is taking more immediate steps to address increasing demands for mental health care related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Lee Foundation Executive Director Jane Mogavero.

“We selected innovative programs at Horizon Health, RIT and Upstate Foundation that expand and redefine the traditional mental health workforce to include other trusted partners, such as primary care,” Mogavero said. “Our goal is not to replace clinical services, but to create more opportunities.”  

The Lee Foundation awarded $100,000 to each recipient:

• Horizon Health (Engaging Primary Care Patients in Mental Health Treatment via Staff Training and Care Coordination)

Focused on two primary care offices located in Erie and Niagara Counties, Horizon Health’s program will provide primary care staff training and ongoing assistance with: (1) identifying patients in need of mental health care; (2) training and direct support in linking them to rapid mental health assessment appointments; (3) securing telehealth services for patients to ease/expedite patients’ linkage and receipt of care; and (4) triaging patients to the most appropriate type and level of care both within and outside of Horizon. A Practice Coordinator will be on-site to enhance communication and care collaboration. The program will allow for more effective identification of primary care patients in need of mental health care, provide them expedited treatment access, and ensure continuity of care across providers.

• RIT (Expanding Integrated Treatment Services in Primary Care Through Clinical Psychology at RIT)

The Lee Foundation grant will support the addition of a postdoctoral psychology fellow to the Priority Behavioral Health and Clinical Psychology program in RIT’s College of Health Sciences and Technology. The fellowship will enhance the integration of behavioral health treatment into primary care services for patients of Rochester Regional Health Family Medicine and support the College of Health Science and Technology’s Priority Behavioral Health Clinic and the free mental health/substance use treatment for underserved populations.

The fellowship will focus on an integration of care model? to provide clinical training in behavioral health, addiction therapy and innovative digital tools developed at RIT, such as “Avatar Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” and other software programs, to reinforce coping skills and improve treatment outcomes.

The Behavioral Health Clinic at RIT is a pre- and post-doctoral training clinic. The clinicians are supervised by licensed mental health professionals and offer a wide range of services to cope with various mental health concerns.

• Upstate Foundation (The Upstate Mental Health REACH initiative)

Upstate Medical University will utilize the Project ECHO model to increase the capacity of primary, family medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology providers in the eight counties of central New York to systematically screen, identify, treat, and appropriately refer patients suffering from mental health disorders. The goal is for primary providers to increase competencies in treatment of mild to moderate mental health disorders and provide much needed mental health care in a timely manner. Upstate will also provide information about appropriate referrals, particularly with complex situations, encourage comfort in a consultation model and enable development of a collaborative care pathway between the providers and psychiatrists.

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About the Patrick P. Lee Foundation

Patrick P. Lee Foundation was established in 2007 when Patrick P. Lee sold

International Motion Control (IMC), one of the world’s premier manufacturers of shock absorption and vibration isolation products. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., the Lee Foundation is a private family foundation dedicated to having immediate and measurable impact in two key investment areas — mental health and education.  For more information, contact Jane Mogavero, Executive Director, 716.844.3100, jmogavero@lee.foundation.

About Horizon Health Services

Horizon Health Services provides hope and healing for individuals and their families dealing with substance use and/or mental health disorders. We offer person-centered care to help individuals and their families achieve improved health - including outpatient counseling, detox and stabilization, inpatient and residential services, medical, psychiatric, counseling and support services. In addition, Horizon offers teleservices for mental health and substance use counseling for individuals, groups and family members.  Horizon continues to grow and improve both our services and organizational capabilities. In doing so, we benefited from our organization’s mission-directed maturity, and our history of striving for excellence for more than 45 years.  We know that effective treatment makes recovery from behavioral health disorders possible. Most importantly, we provide hope.  For more information, contact Christina Pearl, 716.445.3888, cpearl@horizon-health.org

About RIT

Founded in 1829, Rochester Institute of Technology is a diverse and collaborative community of engaged, socially conscious, and intellectually curious minds. Through creativity and innovation, and an intentional blending of technology, the arts and design, we provide exceptional individuals with a wide range of academic opportunities, including a leading research program and an internationally recognized education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Beyond our main campus in Rochester, New York, RIT has international campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. And with more than 19,000 students and more than 135,000 graduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations, RIT is driving progress in industries and communities around the world. Find out more at rit.edu. For more information, contact Susan Gawlowicz, Susan.Gawlowicz@rit.edu?.

About Upstate Foundation

Upstate Medical University is one of about 120 academic medical centers in the country that lead the nation in conducting medical research, educating health professionals, and providing the most complex care to patients. Upstate features four colleges (Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions and Graduate Studies), enrolls more than 1,500 students, and serves a population of about 1.8 million residents in a 22-county region in its two hospitals, including the 71-bed Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Upstate has the region’s only trauma center, burn center and pediatric emergency room. Upstate is the region’s largest employer, providing more than 10,000 jobs. Upstate, located in Syracuse, N.Y., is part of the State University of New York system. The Upstate Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving community health and serving as the vehicle for receiving and distributing charitable gifts and grants to UMU, its ancillary clinics, and its community partners. For more information contact Darryl Geddes, 315.464.4828, geddesd@upstate.edu