2018 Published by
Warsaw’s Country Courier
Wyoming County
Health &
Wellness Magazine
A directory of Wyoming County health and wellness services and resources.
2 - Health & Wellness Directory 2018 - Published by Warsaw’s Country Courier, a division of Neighbor To Neighbor News
WHAT’S INSIDE
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Health and wellness services and resources • 4 Unyts continues mission to increase blood donation awareness • 6-7 Hilltop Industries shifts to an integrated business • 8-9 Foundation purchases expand Parkinson’s treatment • 11 Appreciation of yoga blossoms into business • 12 Spotlight Theater offering sensory-specific showtimes • 15 Mental Health Department looking to bring supportive housing to Wyoming County • 16 Access to midwifery now a reality in Arcade • 18
Need Help Enrolling in Affordable Health Care? Call your Wyoming County Navigator at
(800) 466-1191 or 786-8890 Small Business and Individual Assistance Providing information and enrollment assistance for affordable health insurance options offered through the New York State Health Exchange or “Marketplace” Small Businesses may qualify for up to a 50% tax credit (only available in the Marketplace), there are no broker fees, and an unbiased selection process for Qualified Health Plans including options from MVP, Univera and Independent Health Individuals may be eligible for tax credits and subsidies. There are several Qualified Health Plans to choose from.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES AND RESOURCES ADULT CARE The Cloisters
PEDIATRICS Springville Pediatrics
171 North Maple St., Warsaw (585) 786-8727 thecloistersseniorliving.com
375 West Main St., Arcade (716) 592-2832 springvillepeds.com
DENTAL & ORTHODONTICS Keith W. Koch, DDS, PC
Sinclair Pharmacy
4376 Lakeville Rd., Geneseo (585) 243-3174 dentistgeneseony.com
Salmon Orthodontics Perry: 116 North Center St. (585) 237-2410
Attica: 3325 East Main and Maplewood (585) 250-0092 triftshauserandsalmon.com
Summit Family Dental 34 Duncan St., Warsaw (585) 228-9551 summitfamilydentalcare.com
Wyoming Family Dentistry
PHARMACY
75 North Main St., Warsaw (585) 786-2330
PRIMARY CARE Oak Orchard Health
81 South Main St., Warsaw (585) 228-1195 oakorchardhealth.org
PHYSICAL THERAPY Rehabilitation Today
378 Route 39 West, Arcade (585) 492-1260 rehabilitationtoday.net
Step By Step Physical Therapy
Warsaw: 2333 North Main St. (585) 786-8700
3 Handley St., Perry (585) 237-3314
Perry: 3 Handley St. (585) 237-3050
FITNESS Wyoming County YMCA
Attica: 120 Prospect St. (585) 591-3082 stepbystepphysicaltherapy.net
115 Linwood Ave., Warsaw (585) 786-2880 geneseeymca.org
MASSAGE Healing Hands Massage & Spa
46 West Buffalo St., Warsaw (585) 786-3590 hhmassageandspa.com
SERVICES & SUPPORT The Arc of LivingstonWyoming
18 Main St., Mt. Morris (585) 658-2828 lwarc.org
Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse 430 East Main St., Batavia (585) 343-1124 gcasa.net
Health & Wellness Referral Services
212 Main St., Leicester (585) 382-3260 healthandwellnessny.org
Spectrum Human Services
34 North Main St., Warsaw (585) 786-0220 shswny.com
Wyoming County Community Health System
400 North Main St., Warsaw (585) 786-2233 wcchs.net/
Wyoming County Health Department
WALK IN Dr. Dale L. Deahn
401 Main St., Arcade (585) 492-5088 daledeahnmdfamilypractice.com
HELP LINES Mental Health Clinic:
(585) 786-0190
National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline: 1 (800) 950-6264
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
National Drug Helpline: 1 (800) 559-9503
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255
RESTORE:
1 (800) 527-1757
5362 Mungers Mill Rd., Silver Springs (585) 786-8890
Wyoming County Crisis Outreach:
UROLOGY Western New York Urology Associates
Wyoming County Mental Health 24-Hour Crisis Hotline:
408 North Main St., Warsaw (716) 677-2273 wnyurology.com
(585) 786-2233 Ext. 4750
1 (800) 724-8583
Wyoming County Chemical Abuse: (585) 786-8133
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6 - Health & Wellness Directory 2018 - Published by Warsaw’s Country Courier, a division of Neighbor To Neighbor News
DONATING LIFE
UNYTS
Unyts continues mission to increase blood donation awareness By Adam Zaremski
East Aurora Advertiser Editor
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or the last decade, Unyts has been building on its blood collection abilities across the eight counties of Western New York. That growth has allowed the organization to meet 60 percent of the need for area hospitals to supply patients with blood in a variety of emergency situations. “If you donate here, you support Western New York and will not tax the national supply when the need grows,” said Amanda Farrell, director of blood donor recruitment at Unyts. Farrell said that a major accident involving just one person can quickly use up a hospital’s supply of blood in some cases, and it is even more of a struggle to meet the demand when more people are involved. After a tragedy, there might be a higher interest from people to donate blood, but she noted it is the people who donate on a regular basis before that incident
who help a hospital save lives and not worry about supplies. And while Unyts has made big strides in working to supply blood donations to hospitals like Kaleida Health, ECMC and Wyoming County Community Health System, the agency said it would like to see its blood collection services grow so hospitals do not need to utilize other services. “The goal is to fully supply area hospitals,” Farrell said. Unyts — formerly known as Upstate New York Transplant Services — was established in Buffalo in 1982. Its mission first dealt with organ, eye and tissue procurement, but that expanded in 2007 with area blood collections. The idea was that it would work with hospitals in Western New York to become a local supplier and help save the hospitals money in the process. Since it first started collecting blood donations, it is estimated that Unyts has helped local hospitals save at least $10 million.
Unyts has its own blood bank where it collects and analyzes the donations before sending it to area hospitals. When it arrives at Unyts, the blood is weighed and filtered in efforts to reduce the white blood cells in each unit. ADAM ZAREMSKI/EAST AURORA ADVERTISER EDITOR
And all blood collected by Unyts stays in Western New York, helping people in local communities. Two opportunities to donate are scheduled for the East Aurora area and the dates and locations are listed at the end of the article. But there is a long way to go in increasing donors and people at the agency are always working to reach new people while keeping those who regularly help. Farrell said only about 6 percent
of the population in this area that can donate takes the time to do so. She said it’s a simple reason why many do not start. “The number one reason people don’t donate is because they are not asked,” Farrell said. So, Unyts is asking. Donation process Susan Sponholz works at Unyts in the blood collection center. She is one of the people on staff to explain the process to people who come in to donate blood or platelets
and then handles the donation process. She said she does her best to put new people at ease and make sure they are comfortable with the donation. “We will never just throw you in a chair,” Sponholz said. “We want you to come back so we want to treat you like royalty, as you should be. Let us pamper you. “Your comfort is important.” The entire blood doContinued on page 7
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DONATING LIFE
UNYTS nation process can take about 45 minutes to an hour, but the actual collection part only takes about 10 minutes. The first part is the evaluation, when staff members make sure a patient knows what will happen and that the patient is in fact able to donate blood that day. The basic requirements are that a person has to be at least 17-years-old, though, a 16-year-old may donate whole blood if they have a signed parental consent form. Sponholz said she has been donating since she was 18 and that it is a good habit to start when someone is young. “Blood donation is one
of the first adult things a person can do, to make a decision at 17-years-old that is this important,” she said. There is no maximum age limit. A person should a l so w e i g h t a t le a st 110-pounds. Those are the basics. Someone like Sponholz will then check the person’s blood pressure, medical history, vaccinations and travel history. If all is good, they begin the process. After, the person is allowed to recover as it creates some exertion on the body. She noted that a body’s effort to replace the lost blood will burn almost 700 calories and there can be some light
headed feelings following for some people. “Your safety is important to us,” she said. Sponholz sees the benefits of blood donations from all sides. While she knows many of the statistics for how many people a single donation can help — one pint of blood can save up to three lives — and that there is a great need for it. Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, and Sponholz has also been on the side of needing blood in the past. She said it makes her understand what people are going through when they donate and she hopes she can educate them. “There is a big need and
not a lot of people who can give do so,” Sponholz said. “A donation can help someone spend more time with a loved one. Because someone in that chair gave, they may have given one more year to someone to be with their family. “How do you put a price on that experience?” She noted that some people, especially students, might not feel comfortable with donating blood, and she said that is fine. Those same people could instead host a blood donation event in their community. In 2016, Unyts held 885 mobile blood drives. Farrell said they can be held any day of the week and they normally just
need a space to park the bus that has the mobile collection center. She said the organization will work with schools and local businesses to fill the need. The agency does have four neighborhood donation centers with regular hours: one is at Unyts headquarters on 110 Broadway in Buffalo; another is at the Eastern Hills Mall at 4545 Transit Rd., Williamsville. A third is at Southgate at 984 Union Rd., West Seneca and the fourth is in Tonawanda at 96 Niagara St. For more information on Unyts and blood donation, visit unytsblooddonor.org, unyts.org or call (716) 512-7940.
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HUMAN SERVICES
ARC OF LIVINGSTON-WYOMING
Hilltop Industries shifts to an integrated business By Julia Ferrini
H
Staff Reporter
illtop Industries is a sheltered workshop that is able to provide work opportunities for people with developmental disabilities in an environment that offers additional support. Some of their needs may not fit well in a typical factory setting. “Most of the people that work here would not be able to get a job outside the workshop because they can’t produce as much as their counterpart or they have disabilities that prevent them from getting a typical job,” said Kellie Kennedy, director of day services at The Arc of LivingstonWyoming. “It’s not economical for businesses. Additionally,
Zachary LaMarsh operates a printing machine in the print shop of Hilltop Industries. JULIA FERRINI/STAFF REPORTER most of the jobs available in our area are entry-level positions —
days, evenings, weekends — we pick up and drop off our workers at their home.” This door-to-door service, as well as job opportunity, provides an important piece of the puzzle for families who care for those who are developmentally disabled. However, after 2018, the sheltered workshop will no longer exist. In the case of Hilltop in Mount Morris, a change in terminology and the hiring of non-disabled persons may stave off its closure. “We have been given a pathway to change our terminology and we also hire non-disabled workers who work side-by-side with those who are disabled,” Kennedy said. “We are going to continue that model and embrace it even more.” Hilltop will be called an “integrated business.” The advantage will allow the business to continue to offer work to people who would not be able to work otherwise. “It’s always been our way of doing business,” Kennedy said. “Integration is a great thing. It’s really no different from what is done in the classroom. Our
workers benefit by having role models, and it’s a big push in the community that everyone should offer integrated employment.” In a rural area its difficult for a person with disabilities to be able to find a job in any industry, Kennedy said. A specific task or job, such as emptying trash cans, may be the only skill a person with developmental disabilities may have. “How many companies can carve out a job like that for them to be productive,” Kennedy said. “It’s unrealistic for us to expect that. We believe in work and everyone should have the opportunity to work. And there are people who are passionate about working and being productive.” Hilltop currently has a 77-yearold that simply does not want to stop working. He enjoys the routine and comraderie with coworkers. “We have to stand on our own two feet business-wise when we are no longer considered a sheltered workshop,” Kennedy said. “Today we have a pathway and we aren’t going to close, but who knows what’s going to happen after that.” In 2013, sheltered workshops were in danger of closing; however, due to an executive order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York Employment First Initiative to Increase Employment of New Yorkers with Disabilities was established. At Hilltop, 147 people with disabilities of varying degrees are served through the workshop. Additionally, there are 60 non-disabled workers who work alongside the disabled. The Chris Peterson Work Center provides vocational rehabilitation to the people that work in Hilltop’s work center on Continued on page 9
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ARC OF LIVINGSTON-WYOMING a daily basis. “Our goal is to build skills and move people from the work center to community employment,” said Ellen Friedler, habilitation coordinator at Hilltop. “Until then, we believe there is great dignity in working and earning a paycheck.” The people who work at the work center make over a million dollars in wages annually that goes directly into the local economies, Friedler said. It also generates about $3 million dollars that helps support The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming and the people it serves. “We are a subcontractor for assembly, packaging and printing for many local businesses in Rochester and the North East,” Friedler said. “We are used because we deliver high-quality products on time and at a competitive price, not because we work with people with disabilities.” Three types of jobs that crews currently do at Hillside include work for Crossman, the largest, long-served customer. Hilltop employees package and do printing jobs for the company’s various air rifle assemblies. Employees also assemble part of the locking assembly for replacement window for Caldwell. “Caldwell moved from Rochester to Maryland, but kept its business here in Western New York because of the quality work
we do,” Friedler said. Hilltop also has a print shop with is an integrated business. “We are a typical print shop that can meet printing needs of our local community,” Friedler said. “We have graphic designers and a variety of printing presses to meet diverse needs.” These are just a few of the contracts Hilltop has. It also actively pursues trends and opportunities in the manufacturing field to continue to ensure quality services and more employment opportunities. “Many people really rely on the income they earn from Hilltop for basic necessities,” Kennedy said. “Without the work, they would fall through the cracks. “Our goal is to always move people to a job to increase their skills and help them be as independent as they can be.” Something Kennedy says people often forget about is that a workplace often gives people a feeling of belonging. While the goal is to always move people to a “traditional” job, without an industry like Hilltop, they may not have that sense of belonging. “We want to make sure that the community knows we are here and we support the community,” Kennedy said. “But we also want to make sure that the community knows we also need the support to keep our doors open.”
Marlin Troyer works on one of the larger printing presses in the shop. JULIA FERRINI/STAFF REPORTER
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WYOMING COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEM
THERAPY
Foundation purchases expand Parkinson’s treatment By Natalie Muster Editor The Wyoming County Community Hospital Foundation has purchased a specialized treatment program for the outpatient clinic that aids in speech therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. Thanks to the foundation, the clinic now has the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LOUD. The clinic is the only location in the area with the program available, and Sandra Whiting is also the only speech therapist in the area who is certificatied to administer LOUD. “It’s a type of training program and it’s targeted toward individuals with Parkinson’s Disease,” Whiting said. “It can be used for other neurological things, like strokes, cerebral palsy, MS (multiple sclerosis); that would be more on an individual basis that they would come, but it’s specifically-targeted mainly for individuals with Parkinson’s.” LSVT is conducted in an hourlong session with a LOUD certified clinician four days a week for four weeks. The sessions are intensive treatment. “They hold out ‘aahs’ and word levels, and then it goes into conversation, so it’s a whole hierarchy,” Whiting said. “We do these things every session, and then there is a computer system that catches the voice and it will average things out, like as far as how loud they are, how long they can hold things out for, and it automatically generates that. And the rest of it, there’s no other specific machine, it’s just a (one-one-one) voice therapy.” The system used is the Companion System, which can be installed on a laptop. Not only was the system paid for by the foundation, so was Whiting’s training for admission of the therapy. The ultimate goal of LSVT is to “think or speak loud” — not to shout, but to have a normal, healthy voice. “A lot of people with Par-
kinson’s, their voice changes,” Whiting said. “It gets quieter, they become more isolated. “The hard thing for those people is, they can’t hear the difference. In their mind, they’re talking at a normal volume. And they kind of retreat from talking and everything. “It’s really hard for someone with Parkinson’s to do something (treatment) with voice or communication to get it carried over outside and to last long-term. But this specific program is the only program that’s actually researchbased, showing this will work for six months plus, so it’s huge that we can have this type of thing in this area to offer people.” Helping patients to speak loud has other benefits, Whiting said. Patients can have better breath support and improved articulation and posture, while cognitive demands placed on the patient are reduced. “For someone with Parkinson’s, to tell them to work on those three or four things, it’s often too much, and they won’t. So, by just saying ‘think loud,’ and getting that really instilled, it kind of fixes all those other things. And then the main focus of it is really ‘OK, we’re doing these exercises here, but we have to retrain you to know what it feels like to speak at a good volume.’ “So, it’s really focused on taking that outside of the therapy room.” Once the four weeks of treatment are done, the program is complete. Patients can return for checkups in the future, Whiting said. The LSVT comes after the purchase of another piece of equipment for the hospital. About two years ago, the foundation purchased a LiteGait partial weight-bearing system to be used in physical therapy at the outpatient clinic. The mobile system is used to help patients gain mobility, balance and to bear weight on limbs. It can be used for individuals with Parkinson’s, MS and other neurological conditions, as well on patients who
Rich Kingston in the LiteGait machine. NATALIE MUSTER/EDITOR
have suffered strokes and have issues with falling over. Patients are placed in a harness and they can practice walking and other exercises. They can also be lifted up off the ground, moved sideways and they can even use a
walker in the machine. “The benefit is if you have someone who’s had a stroke and can’t move one side, or has a fractured leg or an ankle or a knee that they can’t put weight on, but you want to get them mobilized early, you can get them in this thing,” said Rich Kingston, director of acute and outpatient rehabilitation services at WCCH. “The patients I have used it on love it,” Kingston said. “It gives them a whole new appreciation for their function.” For those interested in using the LSVT program, they should begin with a referral from their physician. For other information, contact Whiting at Rehabilitation Services. For more on the LiteGait, call Kingston at (585) 786-8940 ext. 4837.
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FITNESS
YOGA & PILATES
Appreciation of yoga blossoms into business By Julia Ferrini
Warsaw Courier Staff Reporter
Being in the moment, being present in one’s body and where one is right now starts with breathing. Brenda Smith is the owner of The Club, a business dedicated to inspiring an empowered life. “With yoga, you bring in more of the meditation and mindfulness practice,” Smith said. “Breathing calms the mind and the body. The movement and flow of yoga allows you to lose the concern of how you look and focuses on how the movement affects your body.” Smith began taking yoga classes in 2013 at Jacked 24/7
Fitness Club in Warsaw, and the more she did it, the more she liked it. “Then I learned about PiYo online,” she said. “It’s like Pilates and yoga on steroids and I wanted to teach it, so I got certified in PiYo.” Smith also holds certifications in meditation, lifestyle and weight management, RYT200 Yoga, and Chakra studies. Additionally, she is a certified wellness coach and has studied Pilates and Roll Model therapy. “I had a workout room at home with lots of equipment,” Smith said. “The more I taught, the more I realized I loved teaching. So I looked at the room and thought about the possibilities.”
Smith started teaching a few friends at her home gym on Hardys Road in Gainesville on the weekends and soon quit Jacked and started the business. “The equipment is behind a curtain, and I call it my toy box,” she said. “I’ve always liked working out and I like variety, especially with anything to do with working out. It’s just something that’s been super important to me in keeping active and healthy. “With yoga — the whole concept of body, mind and spirit — it really opens yourself to yourself. I like to bring that in to everyone when we do a class.” Smith says yoga helps with more than just muscles. Some styles focus on the spiritual nature of yoga, and others focus on the alignment or difficulty of the poses. Others seemingly pay homage to nature as it relates to the self. For example, the sun salutation pose is demonstrative of the inner sun of self reflection — “lifting the heart, letting your inner light shine,” Smith says.
Brenda Smith demonstrates the vriksasana, or the tree, pose. PHOTO PROVIDED
“Yoga is good for any stage of life and any shape a body is in,” Smith said. “We offer gentle yoga and chair yoga, which is more intense than people realize.” While there is no written record of the inventor of yoga, it has been practiced for many millennia with yogis passing down the discipline to their students, according to the National Institute of Health. A 2,000-year-old treatise on yogic philosophy, the “Yoga Sutra,” was written by the Indian sage Patanjali. The “Yoga Sutra” is part of the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of India’s ancient religious texts. It is considered the earliest written record of yoga and one of the oldest texts in existence. Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, which in part uses breath control, simple meditation, and specific body postures for health and relaxation. Pilates, while similar to yoga, emphasizes the body’s core; the abdomen, obliques, lower back, inner and outer thighs, and so on. This discipline focuses on form as opposed to the “burn” in exercising. PiYo is a combination of both — the core-firming benefits of Pilates and strength and flexibility advantages of yoga. “Focusing on how your body feels is more important than what the scale says or what size you are,” Smith said. “Strength, balance and restore … Everything comes back to becoming a deeper sense of who you are. “The important thing is that you love what you are doing and you are getting stronger, the rest will come with time. When you think about how many people just don’t feel good about themselves … and if you can accomplish that out of all the rest of life. It’s huge.”
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PROVIDING ASSISTANCE
HELPFUL UPDATE
Spotlight Theater offering sensory-specific showtimes Warsaw movie theater launches ‘Free to be me’ movies By Julia Ferrini Staff Reporter
A
uthor Charles Addams is quoted as saying “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” When Tami Treutlein had several families come to the Spotlight Theater once a year because Spotlight adjusted the showing of a film to accommodate those in the audience with sensory issues, she wanted to figure out a way to
offer this option more than once a year. She and her husband, Scott, owners of the Warsaw movie theater, came up with the idea of offering “free to be me” movies at special showtimes. Free to be me movies will include any PG or PG-13 movie the theater gets on opening weekend. The film will be shown the second Saturday of its release and will have a “sensory specific” playing time prior to the first showing of that day, Tami said. Special screenings are for those patrons with developmental disabilities or sensory processing issues. “Free to be me movies are for any child or adult that can’t sit through a regular movie experience,” she said. “We’ve altered the presentation of a movie on specific
dates.” Those with sensory processing issues can be oversensitive or undersensitive to sights, sounds, textures, flavors, smells and other sensory input. This type of issue can impact a person’s social skills and ability to handle “sensory overload.” To assist these viewers, theater lights will be dimmed only halfway, one trailer will be shown instead of the usual three or four, and the volume of the film will be at a lower level. “The general movie experience is set at what the industry recommends,” Treutlein said. “There are even suggested times the lights come up during the credits and suggests what trailers we play before the movies. The reasoning behind all of this is so that the moviegoers all have the
One of two assisted listening devices offered to patrons at Spotlight Theater. JULIA FERRINI/STAFF REPORTER
same experience, as far as the film presentation goes. “We wanted to try and figure out a way to do this. The hardest thing was how to let people know when to expect these types of movies.” So, Treutlein is taking to social media to get the word out. Showtimes will be announced on Facebook by searching Spotlight Theater, Instagram at spotlightofwarsaw and Twitter at spotlightwarsaw. While Treutlein is hoping to offer the special screenings more than once a month, there are assisted listening devices available at any time for those patrons who may prefer a general audience experience. “These devices helps kids who don’t have developmental disabilities,” Treutlein said. “Some children just have sound sensitivity that these (devices) may benefit.” The theater has three different devices moviegoers can choose from. One is a pair of earphones that allow the user to adjust the volume to what is most comfortable to them. That same device can also assist those who are visually impaired. The right headphone can be ad-
justed for the dialogue and the left headphone can be adjusted for a description of the scene. For those patrons who may have hearing difficulties, the theater offers two devices, each with closed captioning capabilities, to choose from. One device is secured into the cup holder and is used similarly to opera glasses. Neither the lighting on the device’s screen, nor the device itself is a distraction to other patrons. The second device is a pair of glasses. The glasses can be used over the wearer’s own glasses and adjusted for comfort. Both the movie and the closed captioning are seen as it would if it was directly on the movie screen. The first free to be me screening will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. It will feature the film “Paddington 2.” For other movie times, visit thespotlighttheaters.com or call (585) 786-2222.
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TREATING ADDICTION
COMBATING THE EPIDEMIC
Mental Health Department looking to bring supportive housing to Wyoming County By Natalie Muster
T
Editor
he Wyoming County Mental Health Department has partnered with an alcohol and substance abuse treatment agency in hopes of creating supportive living homes for county residents recovering from addiction. Supportive living can be used as one of the final steps toward independence for a recovering addict. Kelly Dryja, director of community services for the Mental Health Department, and John Bennett of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse addressed the Warsaw Village Board
in early November 2017 to discuss tentative plans for a local program. Founded in 1975, GCASA is a nonprofit agency with offices in Genesee and Orleans counties that serve clients with prevention, treatment, residential and employment assistance services. Bennett is the executive director. GCASA first opened up a community residence, the Atwater Home, in 1996 in Batavia. It also has supportive living apartments, which Mental Health wants to bring to Warsaw. “It’s not something we currently have within the community,” Dryja said. “Spectrum Human Services is
our chemical dependency provider for treatment services, but it’s a different form of housing that would be beneficial to our community residents.” Supportive living apartments provide clients with a drug-free environment while they are in counseling. Clients also go to school to build a vocation, typically through Genesee Community College or BOCES, or are working. Most residents also attend Treatment Court. Residents of the houses would already be from Wyoming County. Dryja and Bennett said they would not be brought in from other counties. “There will be anywhere from three to four people living together who have been sober for anywhere from three to six months,” Bennett said. “So, they’ve slipped some sobriety under their belts, but they still need some supports. Maybe they don’t have a good place to go home to, maybe there’s addiction in their household, so it’s a place for them to go. “... They can live there for up to 18 months, and then we usually want to help them find permanent housing, which we also now have; we’ve developed some permanent housing for families with addition.” Mental Health had been trying to bring the program to Warsaw for about a year and a half as of the November village board meeting.At first, Bennett said he didn’t believe there was much interest, so plans fell through. Then, Treatment Court said it had an interest in bringing the supportive living to Wyoming County. “They (Treatment Court officials) really believe that it would be beneficial, because oftentimes, the folks who struggle with addiction have to leave the community instead of staying in the community, and then the transition sometimes is difficult
coming back,” Bennett said. Warsaw and the rest of the county has been hit particularly hard by the heroin and opioid epidemic. Although not a permanent fix, supportive living would help in the fight. “It’s (the epidemic) in every community and certainly this is a drop in the bucket to try to help fix it, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.” GCASA did previously identify a couple of properties for the apartments, but they ended up going off the market. Bennett said properties are specifically wanted in Warsaw, since it is where Treatment Court, Mental Health, the hospital, Spectrum and other services are located. “I don’t think the program will be successful if we move it outside of Warsaw,” he said. “That’s my opinion. I think if you move it to a neighboring community, getting to counseling services is going to be difficult.” “They would still continue to go to Spectrum … and a lot of them will be within Treatment Court, with Judge Mohun,” Dryja said. “They’ll have that weekly or however often they need to report, and that’s why Warsaw is the preferred location.” The apartments would be certified by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. “They (OASAS) require us to maintain regular contact with … the patients are pretty much, they live independently,” Bennett said. “They have to be in counseling, and they see our counselor two to three times a week, and they have 24/7 phone access if they’re in crisis and need help. We’ll make sure they’re (taken care of), but the idea is the next step towards independence.” For more on the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, see gcasa.net/.
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WOMEN’S HEALTH
MIDWIFERY
Access to midwifery now a reality in Arcade By Laney Hill
Arcade Herald Staff Reporter
Certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner Kim Heeb has expanded services to Arcade. Heeb is taking appointments on the first and third Tuesdays, as well as the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at Dr. Dale Deahn’s office on 401 West Main St. in Arcade. She is stationed out of the Wyoming County Community Health System. Heeb started off as a labor and delivery nurse at age 23 almost 30 years ago. She has decades of experience and many achievements under her belt, and said she is dedicated to women’s health as a whole.
“It’s not just about delivering babies,” Heeb said. “It’s women’s healthcare across the lifespan. I see young girls who are just starting their period and might have some complications, and I see some women in their 80s and 90s.” A Wyoming County resident, Heeb said she is passionate about rural residents having the convenience of a nearby county hospital with a great labor and delivery floor. “It’s how we keep this county alive,” Heeb said, emphasizing the importance of the hospital and the patients’ access to a caring, relationship-focused midwife. Heeb’s favorite part of her job is the relationship she gets to make with each patient, she said.
Dr. Kim Heeb She makes it a point to be alongside and coach women the entire time straight through delivery. Another key aspect of Heeb’s practice is cancer screening for every woman who enters through her door. “That was a turning point in
my practice,” she said. “Everyone deserves to be screened.” Area mothers also have the opportunity to take advantage of a free, weekly support group at the Wyoming County Community Hospital called the Milkey Way. A lactation specialist is on hand every Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. for lactating or bottlefeeding mothers who could use advice, conversation, or support from other mothers and health professionals. No appointments are needed, and more information on that class can be found on Facebook at the Milkey Way Wyoming County. Heeb is accepting new patients. To make appointments with Heeb eat the Arcade or Warsaw location, call (585) 786-1560.
Health & Wellness Directory 2018 - 19
20 - Health & Wellness Directory 2018 - Published by Warsaw’s Country Courier, a division of Neighbor To Neighbor News