Transitional Living Services to open mental health clinic Oct. 14 in Watertown

Sept. 29--WATERTOWN -- Transitional Living Services of Northern New York will open a satellite mental health clinic at its main office, 482 Black River Parkway, effective Oct. 14.

Executive Director Stevie Smith said the agency's secondary Behavioral Health and Wellness Center site will provide both scheduled appointments and walk-in availability from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, to centralize services for clients in Jefferson County and to reduce wait times for community members who seek such a service.

"We identified there's still a huge need in Jefferson County," she said. "We are anticipating several new referrals."

All referrals and billing will be completed through the main clinic in Lowville.

The addition of the satellite mental health clinic, Ms. Smith said, also is reflective of the health care shift from treating a diagnosis to looking at a patient's overall health. Since Transitional Living Services already offers an array of services, from supportive housing to case management for people with a mental health diagnosis, Ms. Smith said, the satellite clinic was a natural progression of services to ensure clients have a choice of centralized services if they desire.

"It's like a one-stop shop," she said.

That integrated model of care also is what the agency has worked on, in partnership with Lewis County General Hospital, Lowville. Ms. Smith said the agency's behavioral health services are now offered within the hospital's primary care clinics in Beaver Falls and South Lewis. The agency also has a presence in all five school districts in Lewis County to provide behavioral health services for youths.

Increased opportunities for north country residents to receive behavioral health services also will reduce wait times. As of Friday, the soon-to-be-open Watertown mental health clinic will have a wait time of only two weeks, as the 129 Jefferson County residents who receive mental health services at the Lewis County site will transfer to the closer clinic. About 600 clients will remain at the Lowville site.

Both sites, Ms. Smith said, are accepting new patients.

The state Office of Mental Health approved the nonprofit's clinic application back in July, but Ms. Smith said two clinical therapy rooms and one group therapy room had to be prepared and staff had to be properly trained before opening.

Both the Lowville and Watertown sites will share some providers, but the Watertown site also will have its own provider. Ms. Smith said there are seven therapists, one psychiatrist, a licensed practical nurse and a registered nurse in at the Lowville clinic.

As need increases at the Watertown site, Ms. Smith said, there is room to expand the program in clinical space and number of providers.

That was part of the agency's strategic plan when it renovated the Black River Parkway office space a couple of years ago.

Meanwhile, all insurance plans will be accepted, and a sliding-fee scale is offered.

For more information, or to set up an appointment, call the Lowville office at 376-5450.

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