First residents move in next week at new UConnectCare site in Albion
Residence on Butts Road will serve up to 25 women including 5 bedrooms for women with young children
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A group from UConnectCare as well as others gathered for a ribbon-cutting celebration this afternoon for a new residence on Butts Road. The site will serve women in treatment for substance use disorder. The site will also offer behavioral health care.
In the center of this photo shows Amanda Lloyd, assistant director of residence; Stephanie Nadolinski (holding scissors), director of residential services for UConnectCare and the site director; and Allison Parry-Gurak, UConnectCare’s chief residential officer.
Nadolinski is the on-site leader. She has worked 25 years for UConnectCare, which was previously known as GCASA. Nadolinski brings experience of running the Atwater House in Batavia, which provides residential treatment for men with substance use disorder.
UConnectCare is looking forward to offering treatment and services at the site. It recently received its operating certificate from the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
The group, which includes representatives for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and elected officials, welcomed the first residential treatment option for women and their children in the GLOW region.
The first residents will move in next week. Nadolinski expects six to eight women to move in the first week, and then another six to eight the following week. That will give staff and the residents a chance to adjust to the new location, which will have 15 to 20 employees.
The first priority will be given to women who need treatment who are currently homeless. Nadolinski said IV users also will be given priority.
She said most of the residents at the site are expected to come from the GLOW region but she said the site will be open to women from Monroe, Erie, Niagara and other counties as well.
This is one of the bedrooms for a mother and her children. There are five bedrooms for mothers who can have up two children at the residence who are 5 or younger.
The building contains a variety of spaces to support and continue the recovery process including counseling, group sessions and career and personal development spaces.
UConnectCare said there are very few options in the region for residential treatment for women that also can accommodate their children.
Orleans County Legislator Don Allport presents a citation to UConnectCare leaders Stephanie Nadolinski (left), site director; and Allison Parry-Gurak, UConnectCare’s chief residential officer.
UConnectCare also received certificates of commendation from the offices of Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.
The state Department of Health provided a $4.6 million grant for construction of the residence. That grant doesn’t include the operation of the site, which will be staffed 24-7, including two employees at night.
UConnectCare picked Albion for the project because many of the agency’s other residential and treatment programs are based in Batavia.
Most of the women at the site are expected to stay several months as they work on their rehab and re-entry. The maximum tends to be a six-month stay, but Parry-Gurak said people could stay longer as long as they are working on their treatment.
