
Value Network and Safety-Net IPA Announce First of Its Kind Partnership
Value Network and Safety-Net IPA Announce First of Its Kind Partnership
Organizations Align to Foster a Healthy Community and Drive Cost-Efficiency in Healthcare System
Buffalo, NY, January 10, 2024 – Value Network (VN) and Safety Net Association of Primary Care Affiliate Providers (SNAPCAP) IPA announce today a unique partnership that focuses on assisting people served within their two Independent Practice Associations (IPAs) with Medicaid insurance to connect with social care services in the community. This partnership is the first of its kind in Western New York between two IPAs. They have been working together in various collaborations since 2015, mostly focusing on primary care and behavioral health integration efforts and streamlining processes for people receiving Medicaid insurance, ensuring that they have the appropriate primary care and behavioral healthcare supports in the WNY Community.
To read the full press release, click here.
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Russell J. Salvatore Donates Half a Million
Russell J. Salvatore Donates Half a Million Dollars to Help Local Children
Charitable Contribution Puts BestSelf in Good Financial Position with Child Advocacy Center
Buffalo, NY, January 11, 2024 – BestSelf Behavioral Health announced today that they have received another financial boost toward completing the new Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and BestSelf’s administrative headquarters, this one from a familiar name in Western New York philanthropy, Russell J. Salvatore.
To read the full press release, click here.
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Jen Seib elected to COMPA Board
BestSelf Senior VP of Strategic Initiatives Elected to COMPA Board
Jennifer Seib Joins the Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates of NYS
Buffalo, NY, December 26, 2023 – BestSelf Behavioral Health announced today that Jennifer Seib, LMHC, CASAC-M, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, was recently elected to the Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates for New York State’s Board. COMPA is a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to treating addiction through the use of pharmacotherapy as a part of a comprehensive, bio-psycho-social approach to treatment.
To read the full press release, click here.
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BestSelf’s Recovery Community continues to support those in recovery through the holidays
BestSelf’s Recovery Community continues to support those in recovery through the holidays
Gathering at the dinner table during the holidays is a time to enjoy a meal with the right company. But sometimes, people have nothing but empty seats surrounding them.
It’s not only lonely, but can be detrimental to those recovering from an addiction.
“The holidays are very important. It’s one of the highest times where we have overdoses,” said Mona Lisa McEachin, assistant program director at BestSelf’s Recovery Community. “A lot of the time people don’t have anyone to spend time with. Yeah, you burnt a bridge but you don’t have anyone. So, it’s important you have a plan of escape. Come here, let us support you.”
It’s why for the second year in a row, BestSelf’s Recovery Community at 69 Linwood Avenue is holding a Thanksgiving dinner for those needing someone to lean on during the holiday. The Recovery Community is a safe space providing non-clinical support and community to those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, and assistance to those grieving a loved one who died from an addiction.
“They see us as family so it’s a time to share some love, share some stories and eat some good food,” McEachin said. “It’s really a blessing we’re able to do this dinner. (The people here are) just trying to find a place they feel safe, brave, where they don’t feel judgement, no stigma. A place where they can acclaim their recovery whatever that may be to them.”
All of the food is being provided by TLC Catering. McEachin says everyone who comes to the dinner is in a different stage of recovery including herself. It was 14 years ago she finally got ahold of her own battle with addiction and sought help.
“I’m personally in long-term recovery, used for 20 years… dinner is still important to me. Not missing a dinner with the family. You know how many dinners I missed? I don’t miss them anymore,” McEachin said.
“My kids want me there, my sister, my family and that’s a feeling that’s irreplaceable. It boosts your pride, it boosts your ego. For the first time, people want you around, so yeah, dinner is very important.”
When there is nothing but empty seats around the dinner table, it’s not time to use again. It’s time to fill those seats with the right support.
“As we get older, we get to create our own family. It’s going to be the people who are going to be there for you no matter what. So, in that moment, if we can be the family you chose to spend dinner with, we’re going to be just that here at the Recovery Community Center.” McEachin said.
“It’s a blessing for me to be there for others. Somebody was there for me… a judge once told me no one ever climbs Mount Everest alone. We all need somebody.”
To become a part of BestSelf’s Recovery Community and learn more, click here.
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Vision Buffalo spotlight: Therese Fuerst, BestSelf Behavioral Health
Vision Buffalo spotlight: Therese Fuerst, BestSelf Behavioral Health
BestSelf Behavioral Health’s programming and demand for its services grew exponentially during the past five years, so much so that it needed a professional communicator to spread the word. That’s how Therese Fuerst became the organization’s first-ever Chief Marketing and Development Officer.
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Future CAC will bear the name of the Scott Bieler Family Foundation
BestSelf Behavioral Health announces Future Child Advocacy Center will bear the name of the Scott Bieler Family Foundation
BestSelf Behavioral Health announced this week that the Scott Bieler Family Foundation will name 899 Main St, the future home of the Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf (CAC) and the new BestSelf Behavioral Health headquarters, located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. This facility, set to open in the Summer of 2024, marks a significant step forward in BestSelf’s mission to provide essential mental health services and support for children and families affected by abuse in Erie County, which has the second-highest rates for reported child abuse in New York State.
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175-unit apartment project for Highland Park
175-unit apartment project planned for Highland Park development
Ciminelli II is picking up the mantle of the proposed Highland Park neighborhood with a $72 million affordable housing project. The younger Ciminelli, through his Arc Building Partners, is collaborating with BestSelf Behavioral Health to create the Chalmers Apartments at Highland Park, bringing 175 new housing units to the vacant former retail site in a long underserved area of the city. It would include 155 apartments in a pair of larger three-story buildings, plus 20 two-story townhomes in four clusters.
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CAC campaign gets major boost from Bieler Family Foundation
Child Advocacy Center campaign gets major boost from Bieler Family Foundation
The Child Advocacy Center will be housed inside the new BestSelf Behavioral Health headquarters at 899 Main St., Buffalo. The gift brings the campaign to 80% of a newly expanded goal, with the center slated to open this summer.
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Patrick P. Lee Foundation Awards $1 Million in Grants to Support the Mental Health Workforce
Patrick P. Lee Foundation Awards $1 Million in Grants to Support the Mental Health Workforce
The Patrick P. Lee Foundation (Foundation), a private foundation that focuses its investments on education and mental health, is pleased to announce 10 grants totaling $1,071,936 to promote recruitment and retention at mental health organizations serving western and central New York. Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded more than $23 million in grants and scholarships. In the future, the Lee Foundation will benefit from a significant infusion of assets making it one of the largest private foundations in Western New York.
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Schumer, Gillibrand, Higgins announce nearly $4 million in Federal Funding
Schumer, Gillibrand, Higgins announce nearly $4 million in Federal Funding toward the Buffalo United Resiliency Center to provide mental health resources and support to victims impacted by the tragic Tops market mass shooting on Buffalo’s east side
“We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to partner with and provide support to the community and the dedicated team at the Buffalo United Resiliency Center. The supports provided by this funding are vital in promoting the healing process of those impacted by the racist attack on May 14, 2022. At BestSelf Behavioral Health, we firmly believe in the pivotal role that mental health support plays in nurturing the healing journey, and we are wholly committed to contributing to this place of solace, recovery, and strength at the Buffalo United Resiliency Center,” said Elizabeth Woike-Ganga, LCSW-R, President and CEO, BestSelf Behavioral Health.
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