The new residence will serve women and their children (5 and under) needing support for substance use disorder and behavioral health care in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties
UConnectCare CEO Kathleen Hodgins provided tours of the brand new Women & Children’s Residence, located at 3597 Butts Road in Albion, NY at an Open House held on Wednesday.
UConnectCare Behavioral Health Services invited the community to an Open House at its new Women & Children’s Residence on Wednesday evening, located on Butts Road in Albion.
The Open House provided an opportunity for community members, partners, and supporters to learn more about the vital services offered to women and children in need of support for substance use disorder and behavioral health care. Attendees toured the residence and met the team from UConnectCare that is looking to make a difference in the lives of families in our region, specifically women.
“This is was built from the ground up, we had a vision back in 2017-18 to build a facility for women and their children and we applied for a grant, and we were awarded a grant, and then covid happened. But in the midst of that, we went and we looked at different properties in order to build, and it was suggested that they had property out here in the town, so we purchased the property,” says Kathleen Hodgins, UConnectCare CEO.
Currently, women who are getting support for substance use disorder and behavioral health care are treated in a co-ed environment at the Atwater House in Batavia or at locations in Buffalo or Rochester, and their children cannot stay with them. The new location in Albion offers 5 beds for mom and kids under 5 years old and 20 beds for women without children.
“There’s very, very minimal facilities for women, especially with their children, preschool children. And that’s a big barrier for women to come into the program, because they don’t want to leave their children. We want to keep families together. So, we really plan on getting referrals from like CPS, and any mothers that are in danger of losing children because of substance use disorder.”
“This open house is not only a chance to showcase our facility, but more importantly, to connect with the community we serve. We are proud to offer a safe, supportive environment where women and children can heal together and build stronger futures.”
Mom’s are responsible for taking care of their children while they are staying at the new location. A children’s room is available for about 4 hours a day while moms are taking care of themselves and getting the assistance they need, which also incudes help in applying for jobs just before they leave the residence.
“This is it’s just a unique, very country setting in a new area. And we really are going to target women that live in the Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming area, that you know, is a place for them to go, and something familiar with them in a little community, instead of shipping them to a city. If we can have it right in our own hometown and help our people in our in our community, that’s what our goal is.”
