May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., and Allegany County is expected to finalize a purchase in the coming weeks that marks a major investment in expanding mental health services.
Allegany County legislators on Wednesday approved a $300,000 earmark to acquire the former Employee Services, Inc. office building at 55 Chamberlain St. in Wellsville, which will soon house Community Services and other health organizations.
The money, sourced from COVID-era American Rescue Plan federal funding, includes $270,000 for the purchase and $30,000 for renovations.
While a firm move-in date has yet to be determined, Community Services hopes to occupy the Chamberlain Street site sometime this summer, according to Director Robert Anderson.
What is Community Services?
Community Services offers care management in Allegany County that “makes sure that everybody gets the treatment they need.”
“For our clientele, that is both medical and mental,” Anderson said.
Programs include advocacy, home care management and mental health care management. Anderson said affiliated groups that currently share space with Community Services will also make the move to Chamberlain Street, including the Elmira Psychiatric Center and the Allegany County Mental Health Association.
The latter offers a Compeer program connecting volunteers with individuals experiencing mental health issues.
Why did Community Services need a new building?
Community Services has been located at 45 N. Broad St. in Wellsville for decades. Anderson said the groups based at the facility no longer have enough space to accommodate increased demand for services.
The Chamberlain Street facility offers double the space compared to North Broad.
“It’s been a good location for 30 years, but the last two years the old saying ‘bursting at the seams’ fits us. We have no extra space at all,” said Anderson.
“We are expanding. I would say we’re expanding in Allegany County in every aspect of behavioral health. We’re improving the process and the services that we provide.”
The North Broad Street facility is not county-owned; Community Services rents the space. It has on-street parking, while the Chamberlain site features a large, dedicated parking lot.
The Elmira Psychiatric Center operates an outpatient clinic co-located with Community Services. Anderson said a local non-profit is also considering a move to Chamberlain Street.
More: Wellsville woman pleads guilty to starting North Broad Street apartment house fire
May is Mental Health Month in Allegany County
The resolution authorizing the purchase of 55 Chamberlain St. passed the legislature, 13-1. Adam Cyr (R-Bolivar) was the lone vote in opposition.
Before the vote, the county proclaimed May Mental Health Month “to increase public understanding of the importance of mental health and to promote identification and treatment of mental health.”
“We’re a poor county but a very compassionate county,” said Anderson. “This is really an attempt, I believe, on the part of the county to make it so more people can access services and the treatment that people receive will be more on target.”
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Allegany County spending $300K on Wellsville property. How it will impact health services
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