UCFS New London Programs: A Comprehensive Guide to Healthcare and Support Services

UCFS Healthcare, a private non-profit organization serving Eastern Connecticut since 1877, offers a wide array of health and human services to residents. As a federally qualified health center (FQHC), UCFS Health Care provides outpatient primary care, dental care, and behavioral health services. With offices in Plainfield, Griswold, Norwich, Colchester, and New London, UCFS is committed to improving the health and well-being of those in need throughout southeastern Connecticut, regardless of their ability to pay. This article will focus on the programs and services available, particularly in the New London area, encompassing medical, dental, and behavioral health support.

Accessing Care at UCFS

UCFS is dedicated to providing accessible and affordable care. They accept Medicaid and most insurances, and for uninsured or underinsured clients, a sliding fee scale is available, based on family size and household income. UCFS is a non-profit, tax-exempt agency, allowing them to prioritize patient care and community support.

Medical Services: Adult and Pediatrics

UCFS offers comprehensive medical services for both adults and children. While specific details about the New London location's medical offerings aren't elaborated in the provided text, it's part of the broader UCFS Healthcare network that provides outpatient primary care.

Dental Services

Similar to medical services, dental care is a core offering of UCFS Healthcare. While the specifics of dental services in New London aren't detailed, it's important to note that UCFS provides dental care as part of its commitment to comprehensive healthcare.

Behavioral Health Services: A Wide Range of Support

UCFS offers extensive outpatient behavioral health services, including individual, couple, family, and group therapy. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are also available in conjunction with therapy services. The organization emphasizes treatment modalities that recognize individual and family values, accommodate variations in cultural lifestyles, and emphasize personal growth, development, and situational change.

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Treatment Modalities Offered

UCFS utilizes a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities, including:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Aims to identify and change negative thinking patterns and behaviors.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): Focuses on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A therapy technique used to treat trauma and other distressing life experiences.
MATCH-ADTC: A modular approach to therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma, and conduct problems in children and adolescents.
Motivational Interviewing: A collaborative, person-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change.
Seeking Safety: A present-focused coping skills therapy to help people attain safety from trauma and/or substance abuse.
Social Learning: Therapy based on the idea that people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling.
Solution Focused Therapy: A brief therapy that focuses on identifying solutions and building on strengths.
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): A therapy approach specifically designed to address the emotional and behavioral needs of children and families impacted by trauma.
Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model: A model designed to empower individuals in their recovery from trauma.

Specialized Programs

Bettor Choice - Addiction Services

UCFS offers specialized counseling for gamblers and those affected by gambling, including spouses, family members, and significant others. Services include individual, couples, family, and group counseling.

Bettor Choice Women's Group: A therapy group for women in recovery from gambling, located at the New London location.
Bettor Choice Recovery Group: A recovery group for men and women seeking ongoing support in their recovery from gambling, located in Norwich.
Bettor Choice Early Recovery Group: An evidenced-based psycho-educational group to gain tools to support recovery from gambling, located in Norwich.
Peer Counseling: A peer counselor with lived experience of problem gambling and recovery provides information, support, and advocacy to people new to recovery or those seeking help managing the consequences of gambling. Medication management is available as a treatment option, if necessary.

Autism Program

The UCFS Program for Autism provides a range of health, educational, and behavioral services in one location for individuals with autism and other developmental concerns, including:

Comprehensive assessments
Psychopharmacology (medication)
Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions
Social skills and communication training
Social learning groups
Multi-family and parent groups

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)

MAT combines behavioral therapy and medications to treat substance use disorders. Key features of the MAT program at UCFS include:

Primary medication prescribed is Suboxone
Trained clinicians facilitating MAT groups using Evidence Based Practices
Prescribers trained in addiction medicine
Onsite laboratory collection
Recovery coach to assist clients in recovery process
Groups

Community-Based Behavioral Health Programs

UCFS offers several community-based behavioral health programs, often in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

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Intensive Family Preservation Program (IFP): A short-term, intensive home-based service (up to 12 weeks) available only to families referred by DCF. The primary goal is to stabilize the family and enable the child to remain safely in the home.
Caregiver Support Team (CST): A clinical, home-based program for DCF-involved and referred kinship and foster caregivers. Services are family-focused and last up to six months for kin foster families and three months for non-kin foster families. This program helps by improving family relationships, securing community resources, and navigating the DCF, school, and social service systems to increase child stability and permanency.
Care Coordination: Assists families who are not open in DCF in accessing and coordinating services for their child with significant behavioral health issues. This involves bringing together the agencies and family supports needed to develop a strength-based service plan and bring it to fruition. The goal is to improve family networking and reduce the frequency and duration of out-of-home placement.
Parenting Support Services (PSS): Offers Triple P and Circle of Security Parenting program models that promote the development of positive parenting skills.
Early Childhood Consultation Program (ECCP): A mental health consultation program designed to meet the social and emotional needs of children birth to five by offering support, education, and consultation to those who care for them.
Community Network Program (CNP): Provides brief prevention and early intervention care planning for children and youth beginning to exhibit challenging behaviors in home, school, and/or community. Services are provided for children and youth ages 0-18 for an average length of involvement of 3 months.

Additional Programs and Considerations

Urgent Crisis Center

The Urgent Crisis Center is a voluntary program requiring parent/guardian consent, presence, and participation. Youth involved in an Urgent Crisis Center assessment must also assent to services. The Urgent Crisis Center is not an Emergency Department.

Non-Discrimination Policy

UCFS adheres to a strict non-discrimination policy. No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in the Agencyâs programs or activities on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or disability. Provision will be made to assist clients who are members of national origin minority groups with language differences.

Fees and Payment

Most insurance is accepted. UCFS also offers a sliding fee scale for those who qualify. Community-Based Behavioral Health Programs & Services are generally free, except for EMPS - Crisis Intervention, where insurance is billed whenever possible, but is not required to obtain services.

The Importance of Community Support

UCFS relies on community support to continue providing compassionate and quality care. As a non-profit agency, donations and volunteer efforts are crucial to their mission.

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