Andrus recently announced a new collaboration that will transform the level of behavioral healthcare we are able to provide to the children, families, and adults we serve.
Teaming up with Westchester Medical Center (WMC), we are reimagining healthcare for Westchester County and the state of New York. This innovative partnership is premised on the idea of more effectively coordinating care, providing seamless connections to Andrus and WMC.
In practice this partnership means, for example, that children who are treated in our community or school-based clinics, or in our residential program, who may require hospitalization, will have the same team of doctors/psychiatrists in the hospital as those who are overseeing their care at Andrus. Our care, through this partnership, puts the client relationship front and center, and includes continuity with prescribed medications and healthcare plans.
At the same time, Andrus will be supporting educational opportunities for physicians affiliated with WMC to practice psychiatry under the lens of community-based, trauma-informed care.
For too long the healthcare system has accepted breaks in care that lead to poor outcomes. This partnership is a key element of our one, integrated system of care that eliminates programmatic siloes and puts children and families first.
Andrus is always looking for novel collaborations and ventures. We welcome interactions with educational entities, neighborhood groups, and digital enterprises, showcasing a broad spectrum of potential cooperative relationships. Engaging in joint efforts, we aim to amalgamate wisdom and assimilate varied experiences.
Our growing network, spanning healthcare innovators and service facilitators in other non-profits, governmental agencies, education and academic circles, and others both across and beyond Westchester County, stands as a testament to our commitment to collective growth and community service.
Overcoming Barriers to Better Mental Health, Improving Access
School-based therapy with Andrus mental health professionals overcomes common barriers by improving access, offering services to children and youth that are the most convenient for them—in their own school environment. For families that may be juggling multiple jobs and commitments, the convenience of having a child receive services in the school overcomes perhaps the most significant barrier to a child getting help. And for many children and families, getting care in the school overcomes the stigma that some may feel when they seek help at an outside clinic.
Partnering with School Professionals
An Andrus clinician with a presence in the school allows for direct observation of students in their everyday environment, as well as a better understanding of the students’ needs and behavior from teachers and guidance counselors who work with the student daily.
Improving Outcomes
Early intervention through programs in the schools not only improves student mental health, but it also improves academic engagement and performance, reduces the risk that children will end up in the juvenile justice system, and increases the odds of a child becoming a productive adult.
Going Beyond
The goal of enabling all children to achieve high academic standards is enhanced when the educational community joins with public and private sector resources.
Under the Andrus One System of Care, referrals to needed social and emotional support in our two community locations, or to our residential program in Yonkers/Hastings means help beyond the school environment, increasing access to information and services for parents and families.
Andrus school-based clinicians provide much more than individual and family therapy, offering psychoeducation to school administration, pupil support, and educators in order to build trauma-informed cultures and strengthen the community not just for our clients, but for the entire school population.
Memberships
