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New Respite & Recovery Center is heading to Western New York to serve those dealing with mental health crisis

CRISIS SERVICES
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BUFFALO, N.Y. — According to the American Psychological Association the demand for treatment for anxiety, depression and "trauma-and-stressor-related" disorders has increased since the onset of the covid pandemic three years ago. Six in 10 practitioners say they no longer have openings for new patients and almost half say they are unable to meet demand. New CDC data released shows the number of suicides nationwide hit a four-year high in 2021. This leaving many wondering where to turn in times of crisis.

A new option for people who are struggling with mental health here at home is the Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center that is offering patients care at several levels of crisis under one roof.

“The idea behind the model is to take some already available services in Erie County, couple them with the crisis continuum and co-locate them all in one place,” said Shannon Higbee, CEO at Recovery Options Made Easy.

Higbee said the idea behind the Kristen Vincent Respite & Recovery Center first came to be during the height of the pandemic when the need for mental health care surged.

“There was a cohort of individuals who were consistently presenting for hospital level services that didn’t meet admissions criteria but they also had needs that were a little more acute and weren’t really appropriate for only peer run crisis respite,” said Higbee.

However, in early April, at the new center in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt, a series of programs and services will be rolled out to meet both needs in the middle.

“So instead of going directly from inpatient hospitalization back to independent community living, they can go right to the respite,” said Higbee. “They can have that peer support and the RN if they’re in the intensive model.”

The intensive respite model’s new program will add eight beds which Higbee said will triple the amount of mental crisis respite beds in the county. Elizabeth Mauro, CEO of Endeavor Health Services said program helping people who slip between the cracks are essential.

"We needed somewhere to help divert people to," said Mauro. "Right, because there was nowhere to go other than hospital or jail was really the only two."

Mauro said Endeavor, a community based clinic serving the East side of Buffalo will be a complementary program for the Respite & Recovery Center.

"So our has a bit more of that medical focus," said Mauro. "So we have psychiatry, we have RN, addiction medicine specialists."

Both Higbee and Mauro said services like theirs have taken a long time to surface but their hope is they can impact the community right away.

"Anyone can come its 18 and over," said Higbee. "We do bill medicaid and some private insurances but if someone presents without that available we will still serve them. You need to be able to self indicate that you are experiences mental health crisis. It is 100-percent voluntary so no one can be forced to go."

However, if they do choose to go, Mauro said “You could gain years of just happier life,” said Mauro.

Higbee said respite programs across the country typically have a 95% hospital diversion rate. She said she's excited to offer true solutions to underserved communities in Buffalo.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health there are ways to get help.

CRISIS SERVICES