BUFFALO, NY — A $400,000 grant will help pay for a new mental and behavioral health center at D’Youville College.
The new facility will be located on the D’Youville campus on Buffalo’s West Side.
The school says the health center will not only serve patients from Sisters Hospital and Catholic Health, but will also provide training and clinical opportunities for health care students.
“The Hub was born when we began to envision how we could improve the education of our students while also improving health outcomes in our own community,” says D’Youville President Lorrie A. Clemo, Ph.D. “But a fundamental piece was missing in the care offered at the Hub: mental health services. Therefore, we are extremely grateful to the Cabrini Foundation for providing the funds to launch the MBHC.”
The funds, provided by the nonprofit Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, will help address the lack of mental health care options in surrounding neighborhoods.
“MBHC will not only offer our students hands-on experience in mental and behavioral health care, but will also help address the disproportionate lack of mental health care options in neighborhoods like the West Side,” said Lisa Morelli Daly, Ph.D. . , PMHNP-BC, director of the psychiatric and mental health skilled nursing program at D’Youville. “Studies show that people living in poverty experience higher rates of psychological distress, but also have limited care available to them. This disparity has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
D’Youville says that people living in poor communities face higher rates of physiological distress and limited available services, problems made worse by the ongoing pandemic.
“Mental and behavioral health are a very important part of a person’s overall health and well-being,” says Maria Orellana, MD, medical provider at Sisters Health Center D’Youville. “Having the resources of the D’Youville Mental and Behavioral Health Center available to our patients will allow us to provide more comprehensive care to ensure that we are able to meet the primary care needs of our community, as well as the mental and behavioral health of those who they need this specialized care.”
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