Chestnut Ridge Expands Mental Health Services

Uniontown, PA - Tens of millions of people in the U.S. and across the globe experience mental health issues. For Fayette County residents, Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services, Inc. (CRCSI) has been a long-standing provider of treatments and support. It is the largest provider of mental health services in the county.

Now, the counseling service is announcing some upcoming changes to expand its offerings and make treatment even more accessible.

"Especially coming out of the (COVID-19) pandemic, the need for mental health services has just grown exponentially," Chief Executive Officer Michael Quinn said. "Chestnut Ridge is trying to position ourselves to meet those needs."

To that end, CRCSI has acquired a new campus on Connellsville Street to consolidate and expand services. "We were just looking for a new setting that would continue to reduce the stigma that surrounds all the services - a new, more modern approach," Quinn said.

CRCSI's administration and outpatient services have been headquartered in the Fayette County Health Center at 100 New Salem Road for more than 50 years. Additionally, they offer other levels of mental health care throughout the county at various properties.

The two-building site in Cedar Plaza, North Union Township will offer CRCSI the ability to consolidate almost all levels of care onto one campus to provide more comprehensive treatment and convenience to the community. The new property will be home to outpatient psychiatric and therapeutic services, including urgent care walk-in, the 24/7/365 community wide crisis services with the 988 National Suicide Prevention call center, adult partial hospitalization (Bright Horizons), assertive community treatment (ACT), and PEER and Mobile Psych Rehab (MPR), along with the agency's administration and other business services.

CRCSI will still maintain its child partial hospitalization program (New Directions) and its family-based services (HOPE) just two miles away on Chaffee Street, as well as the long-term structured residential (LTSR) program within the Connellsville city limits.

In addition to the new facility, Chestnut Ridge is announcing an innovative partnership with WVU Medicine to offer mental health therapy and support to patients in local primary care offices.

Twenty percent of Americans experience an undiagnosed psychiatric disorder, but less than half of those individuals receive any psychiatric treatment. A major reason for this lack of treatment is the stigma of experiencing a mental health issue and seeking care in an identified psychiatric provider office. Seventy percent of all psychiatric medications are prescribed by primary care practitioners. Immediate access to professional psychotherapy is unavailable in most offices.

Placing a Licensed Therapist in WVU Medicine offices reduces the stigma and provides immediate therapeutic support. This unique service is currently available in the WVU Medicine office of Dr. Sara Lumley in Connellsville, with plans to expand further in 2025.

"We are excited to work with Chestnut Ridge to increase access to quality mental healthcare in Fayette County" Uniontown Hospital President and Ceo Carrie Willetts said.

In 2018, CRCSI began onsite psychotherapy services at Montgomery Medical Services in Smithfield. There are now two clinical social workers embedded with Montgomery Medical.

"At Montgomery Medical, we focus on treating the entire patient and their family. Mental health is an integral part of physical health; therefore, we have been pleased with the results of integrating mental health care into our primary care office setting," Montgomery Medical, Inc., President Dr. Marcy Goisse said.

Since May, Chestnut Ridge therapy staff have enhanced the availability of mental healthcare at Esposito Medical Associates in Connellsville.

With the largest complement of psychiatric medical providers in the county; seven board certified psychiatrists, two of which specialize in child and adolescent psychiatry; eight Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners; and more than 160 mental health direct service providers, CRCSI offers over 250,000 units of service to more than 7,000 Fayette County residents each year.

Over the next six to twelve months, CRCSI will be working to renovate the Connellsville Street property to enhance the services provided and expand the parking to welcome all those seeking treatment. CRCSI hopes to transition all services to the new campus by early- to mid-2025, until which time CRCSI will continue all levels of care in their existing properties.

"We truly appreciate our partnerships with the local medical community and broadening access to quality mental health treatment," Quinn said. "In addition, we are offering new innovative services, such as virtual reality therapy, therapy for postpartum depression, a specialized treatment clinic for children with ADHD, and a tele-mental health therapy service for private pay patients. Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services is well-positioned to meet Fayette County's growing demand for mental health care support and services."

CRCSI has the support of the Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration (FCBHA) to continue serving the community for all levels of mental health needs.

For walk-in or outpatient services, the agency call center can be reached at 724-437-0729; for crisis services, call 724-437-1003 or 988.

To learn more about Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services, Inc., visit www.crcsi.org. To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.

Editor's Note: Image attached (CRCSI Expansion)

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This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.

For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, [email protected] or Jamie Rankin, Journalist, at 724-437 4571, [email protected].