NORWICH – In an effort to deliver services to more county residents, Chenango County Behavioral Health Services has been given the green light to pursue a new outpatient satellite clinic in the Otselic Valley School District.
The Chenango County Board of Supervisors approved the new location at their monthly meeting held Monday. The resolution adopted by the Board permits the Director of Community Services to begin implementation planning for the clinic, as well as any necessary applications, certifications, or assurances to appropriate regulatory agencies.
Behavioral Health Services (based in the County Office Building in Norwich) already has a similar clinic in the Oxford Academy Central School District. Opening an additional location at Otselic Valley will allow the department to reach even more individuals at a younger age, explained Behavioral Health Services Director Ruth Roberts.
“We want to bring services to them,” Roberts said. “Otselic Valley is in a very remote part of our county. The purpose of this clinic is to serve the kids and the families that don’t have the resources or are not likely to get to our Norwich clinic.”
The intent of school-based clinics is simple – to reach kids at a young age in order to prevent more serious behavioral health issues when they’re older. The key is to be proactive, said Roberts.
“This is in line with our commitment to prevent mental health issues from developing. We want early identification and early intervention to prevent small problems from becoming life-long big problems. Being able to do that work in the schools is a great opportunity,” she added.
Like the Oxford clinic, the Otselic Valley clinic will operate with Behavioral Health Services’ existing staff. The department’s seen a steady rise in kids served in the Oxford school since opening the doors of that clinic in 2015. What started as a half-day of services has grown into four full days per week at Oxford. Roberts said she anticipates similar results at Otselic.
Unlike school counselors, Behavioral Health Services operates under the auspices of a licensed outpatient clinic. This means kids will have access to more intensive treatment options.
“It’s different from school social work and guidance counselors. Certainly we will be working with those professionals and the school nurse to coordinate our efforts, but this is more treatment and has to be carried out under (Office of Mental Health) regulations,” Roberts explained.
Billing for services at the Otselic Valley clinic will be carried out in the same way as billing at the Norwich clinic.
Chenango County Behavioral Health Services is a consolidation of the county’s former mental health and alcohol and drug abuse services. It provides clients support through a staff of clinicians, nurses, psychiatric providers, and other resources to help navigate the maze of payment and insurance options.