Community Services

Why community-based services?

A More Effective Model

Community-based services are Elk Hill’s fastest-growing program area – and for good reason.

Every child deserves to grow up closely connected to family, friends, and supportive adults. Whenever possible, we bring mental and behavioral health services to children in their own homes and schools rather than bringing children to us. It’s less disruptive, delivers better outcomes for the child, improves quality of life for families, enhances learning environments in public schools, and is more cost-effective for us. That’s a win-win-win-win-win.

Accessibility

Meeting children where they are eliminates obstacles to treatment.

Shortages of qualified providers combined with families’ lack of transportation, work flexibility, and awareness how to locate care or navigate requirements stand in the way of access to mental and behavioral health services. Community-based treatment opens the door.

Prevention

Sooner, stronger, healthier.

We identify and treat problems early, before they build to a crisis. This prevents the downward spiral usually facing kids with unmet mental or behavioral health needs in schools unequipped to address them: acting out and escalating disciplinary action, or turning inward and escaping notice at all.

Coordination and Training

The more empowered and informed stakeholders, the better.

Often, caring adults recognize a child’s needs but don’t know how to help or are working in isolation. Coordinating everyone who is invested in a child’s wellbeing – from parents and teachers to medical professionals and case workers – creates an empowered, informed support network and dramatically improves outcomes.

Flexibility

Many problems, many solutions.

With services ranging from mentoring to intensive in-home therapy, our community-based approach adapts to a slew of complex problems like depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, ADHD, autism, and other developmental delays.

Service areas

Central Region Coordinator

Caytie Heflin, LCSW
cheflin@elkhill.org // (804) 836-7716
Serving children from the counties of Goochland and Powhatan, and beyond.

Greater Richmond Region Coordinator

Pam Pitchford, LCSW
ppitchford@elkhill.org // (804) 795-7392
Serving children from the city of Richmond and the counties of Henrico, New Kent, and beyond.

Charlottesville Region Coordinator

Nikki Bowles, LCSW
nbowles@elkhill.org // (434) 906-6223
Serving children from the city of Charlottesville, Albemarle county and beyond.

Staunton Region Coordinator

Heather Lewis, LPC
hlewis@elkhill.org // (540) 569-2064
Serving children and families from the city of Staunton, Augusta county and beyond.

York Region Coordinator

Lora Hamilton, LPC
lhamilton@elkhill.org // (804) 525-8247
Serving children and families from the county of York, Williamsburg county and beyond.

‍

‍