Brianna Jekic (New York State Office of Mental Health), Hannah Jaroszynski (Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene), Patricia D’Angelo (Southern Tier Pediatrics), and Kayleigh Sieber (Chautauqua Tapestry) celebrate the opening of a new satellite mental health site inside Southern Tier Pediatrics.

JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene has opened a new certified satellite mental health office within Southern Tier Pediatrics P.C.

This new site is a satellite of the Jamestown Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, Certified Community Behavioral Health Center. The satellite is made possible by the partnership between the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Chautauqua Tapestry Grant supported through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and a collaboration with local healthcare providers.

“At Southern Tier Pediatrics, we appreciate our collaboration with the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene and are pleased to be able to bring essential mental health services directly into our pediatric office – reducing barriers to care and supporting children and families in a setting they know and trust,” said Dr. Tariq Khan, pediatrician at Southern Tier Pediatrics.

By embedding mental health services into a pediatric office, the county and its partners are helping normalize behavioral health support as an essential part of overall wellness.

“For those of you behind the scenes, you don’t get to see what this is doing for the children and families in the community,” said Patricia D’Angelo, Southern Tier Pediatrics practice administrator. “We have the privilege of seeing the positive impact of providing mental health services in a primary care pediatric setting. This collaboration with Chautauqua County Department of Mental Health allows us the opportunity to show our families that we value mental health just as much as physical health. Collectively, we are removing the stigma of receiving treatment for mental health by placing it side by side with physical health.”