CANTON – As part of the Village of Canton’s $1,186,974 Community Development Block Grant, United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills will receive more than $600,000 to help the organization expand its reach in the community.

United Helpers will specifically receive $611,974, which will be used to hire six new mental health clinicians and six new care coordinators.

Director of Behavioral Health Services David K. Nelson noted that more than 60% of the patients receiving mental health services through United Helpers do so from its Canton location, located at 22 State Highway 310. United Helpers also operates a Behavioral Health Clinic at 221 Hamilton Street in Ogdensburg. 

“Since 2019, we have built and grown mental health services in Canton, currently serving the community with four full-time clinicians and a part-time psychiatric nurse practitioner, who provides care for six hours each week,” Mr. Nelson said. “Presently, we receive as many as 50 referrals each month and have a wait list of more than 200 people. The average wait time for services is two weeks.”

United Helpers Health Home Care Coordination currently provides community-based services to 260 clients across the county, including many in the Canton area. Mr. Nelson said each care coordinator has a caseload of roughly 30 individuals, while each clinician is seeing as many as 80 patients at any given time.

“This grant will allow us to provide these much-needed mental health and care coordination services to as many as 432 new people,” Mr. Nelson said.

United Helpers Vice President of Development Christa J. Carroll worked together with Mr. Nelson and officials from the village on the grant application, which was submitted as part of the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal’s Community Development Block Grant CARES Program.

“We are thankful to the State of New York for this grant funding, and their recognition of our efforts to provide behavioral health services to the people of Northern New York,” Ms. Carroll said. “I am thankful to Dave and everyone from the village, especially Leigh Rodriguez, who worked so very hard on this grant application. We are excited about helping many more people.”

New York State Commissioner of Homes and Community Renewal Ruthanne Visnauskas said this particular version of the Community Development Block Grant was awarded to municipalities for efforts related to COVID-19 pandemic response.

In a letter announcing the awarding of the grant, Ms. Visnauskas wrote, “The projects selected for award will assist in the recovery of New York State communities by improving the resiliency of businesses and safety of homes and public facilities serving its residents.”

While United Helpers had been providing behavioral health and mental health services prior to the pandemic, Mr. Nelson said the pandemic led to a dramatic increase in the need for these types of services.

“United Helpers is seeing the highest levels of anxiety and depression we have ever seen since the pandemic hit in March of 2020. This is a troubling trend fueled by loneliness and isolation,” Mr. Nelson said. “We are beyond thankful that the state is recognizing our efforts.”

If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or feel like you could benefit from counselling or therapy, give United Helpers a call. For services in Canton call 315-386-0264, for services in Ogdensburg call 315-541-3042. Services are offered to people of all ages, with Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurances accepted. Services may also be offered in-person or remotely.

Staff from the United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills Mental Health Clinic in Canton are thrilled to hear their team will soon be expanding thanks to a grant from the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal’s Community Development Block Grant Cares Program. The grant of nearly $612,000 will allow for the hire of up to six new mental health clinicians and six new care coordinators. Front row, from left, Medical Assistant Danielle Jackson, Assistant Director of Behavioral Health Programs Brea Snyder, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Director Stacey Ryan; back row, from left, Director of Behavioral Health Services Dave Nelson, LCSW-R, Canton Clinic Receptionist Alicia Vallance, Clinical Social Worker Lisa Van Kirk, LMSW, and Supervising Social Worker Jeanine Forrester, LCSW.

OGDENSBURG – United Helpers will be hosting two New York DMV approved National Safety Council Defensive Driving Courses in the large staff development classroom at the former United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care (RiverLedge), 8101 State Highway 68, Ogdensburg.

Classes will be held on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Students can pick either day to attend and receive credit for completion. 

United Helpers employees may attend the class for free!

The class serves as a refresher course for drivers of all ages and includes safe driving tips and an overview of today’s vehicle and traffic laws.

Successful completion of the class makes attendees eligible for a mandatory insurance premium reduction of up to 10% for three years on the base rate for their automobile or motorcycle insurance premiums, provided you are listed as the principal operator. Participants may also be eligible to have up to a four points removed reduction with the NYS DMV. The class may be taken once every 18 months for point reduction.

The cost of the class is $35, payable in cash, check or money order made out to United Helpers Care, Inc. Classes may be paid for on the day of the class. United Helpers employees may attend either day, free of charge.

Please bring your driver’s license with you to class.  It is a requirement that you have it with you for documentation purposes.

Advanced registration is required. To register please contact Mark Darou at (315) 394-6702 ext. 303 or madarou@unitedhelpers.org.

 

 

GALILEE – After spending more than a year of her life unable to walk and going back and forth between a recliner and a wheelchair, Sharon Nichols is thankful to once again be back on her feet.

The difficult stretch began with a broken hip in 2021 that was followed by knee replacement surgery this past spring.

Northern Lights Home Health Care Physical Therapist Natalie King has known Mrs. Nichols going back to the broken hip, which she suspects may have contributed to Mrs. Nichols’ knee problems.

Given the combination of her left hip and right knee, which was once “her good leg,” Mrs. King said as Mrs. Nichols’ knee would buckle due to bearing most of her weight following hip surgery, her good leg actually became “her bad leg.” 

Physical Therapist Natalie King walks with Sharon Nichols.

Mrs. Nichols was discharged home on May 21 following knee replacement surgery. Initially she was seeing Mrs. King three days per week. Those therapy appointments were eventually reduced down to twice a week, and as of Sept. 1 Mrs. Nichols is no longer in need of therapy.

When asked if she ever considered the possibility she may not walk again, she said she never considered that an option.

As soon as her physical therapy began, she knew it was time to get to work.

“I do my home exercises all the time and I’m not planning to stop,” she said, adding she would even do exercises in her husband’s truck while on the way to medical appointments.

As she was able to stand, Mrs. Nichols said she began walking with the use of a “platform-style” walker, eventually graduating to a traditional walker, which she now uses to move around her home.

“I was afraid of falling, but I knew I had to get over it, and I did,” she said, adding though that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Northern Lights.

In fact, her husband, Alfred “Bud” Nichols has also received physical therapy at home through Northern Lights.

“My friend, Linda told us about Northern Lights, and I said, ‘We’ll get them too. We’ve both had nothing but a great experience. You couldn’t ask for anything better,” she said.

For more information on Northern Lights Home Health Care, please call (315) 714-3135 or visit www.mynorthernlights.org. Northern Lights offers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and assistance from personal care aides.

Northern Lights is owned and operated through a partnership that includes United Helpers, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center.