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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 2, 2022

CONTACT

Cathy Wilde, Director of Communications

716-829-8293 | wildec@dyc.edu

 $400K Grant to Fund Mental Health Services at D’Youville Hub

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grant establishes Mental and Behavioral Health Center

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – D’Youville has received a $400,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to fund a new Mental and Behavioral Health Center in its Health Professions Hub.

The Mental and Behavioral Health Center (MBHC) will serve patients seen at Sisters Health Center D’Youville, a primary care center located in the Hub operated by Sisters of Charity Hospital and Catholic Health. In addition to serving residents of Buffalo’s West Side and D’Youville students, the Sisters Health Center also provides training and clinical opportunities for students studying for healthcare professions at D’Youville.

“The Hub was born when we started to envision how we could enhance our students’ education while also improving health outcomes in our own community,” says D’Youville President Lorrie A. Clemo, PhD. “But one critical piece was missing from the care offered in the Hub, and that is mental health services. So, we are extremely grateful to the Cabrini Foundation for providing the funds to launch the MBHC.”

The MBHC will provide a range of services and programming related to mental and behavioral health, including the ability to diagnose and treat psychiatric and substance use disorders, manage other acute and chronic mental health problems of adults and children, triage and offer crisis intervention services, offer group and individual counseling, and prescribe medication. An interdisciplinary team including a psychologist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner will collaborate to provide services to patients of Sisters Health Center and the West Side community, as well as train the next generation of practitioners in these fields.

Lisa Morelli Daly, PhD, PMHNP-BC, director of the psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner program at D’Youville, will help lead programming at the MBHC. “Not only will the MBHC offer our students hands-on experience in mental and behavioral healthcare, but it also will help address the disproportionate lack of mental health care options in neighborhoods such as the West Side. Studies show that people living in poverty experience higher rates of psychological distress, but also have limited care available to them. This disparity has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she says.

“Mental and behavioral health are such an important part of a person’s overall health and wellness,” says Maria Orellana, MD, physician provider at the Sisters Health Center D’Youville. “Having the resources of D’Youville’s Mental and Behavioral Health Center available to our patients will enable us to provide more complete care to ensure we are able to meet the primary care needs of our community as well as the mental and behavioral health of those who need this specialized care.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the health and well-being of the vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

For more information, visit www.cabrinihealth.org.

D’Youville is a nationally-ranked private university headquartered in Buffalo, New York, providing in-seat and online academic programs around the world. Founded in 1908, D’Youville offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees focused on healthcare, liberal arts, and business. D’Youville’s small class sizes, experiential education, and interprofessional learning environments prepare students for success. For more information, visit dyc.edu.