DR Michele Winchester-Vega & Associates

The Mental Health Clinic of Passaic was incorporated in July 1967 as a merger of St. Mary?s Hospital Child Guidance Clinic and a branch office of the Clinic for Mental Health Services in Paterson. The Clinic was initially located in the old Passaic City Hall, serving about 125 individuals with a staff of six, all but one part-time with an annual budget of $60,000. Vigorous, innovative growth has been the hallmark of the Clinic from the beginning. In 1972, the Clinic embarked on its specialization of mental health services to children by establishing the Ida Gurtman Therapeutic Children?s Program, a partial care program for children three to six years of age. The Clinic purchased and renovated the building at 111 Lexington Avenue in Passaic for office space in 1975. The Family Center, an intensive child abuse and neglect treatment unit serving Passaic and Clifton, was initiated in 1976. In 1982, the Clinic expanded its intensive specialized outpatient mental health services to all Passaic County with the Children?s Outreach, Home-Visiting and Advocacy Program. The venture was followed in 1985 by the Clinic being awarded funding to provide Youth Case Management to Passaic County youth. In 1989, the Clinic further expanded its children?s partial care services by developing a countywide program for children ages six through eleven. That same year, the Clinic became the sponsor of the School Based Youth Services Program in Passaic High School. This program was expanded to Lincoln Middle School in 1993. In 1996, the Clinic purchased its second building at 1451 Van Houten Avenue in Clifton, to house its Children and Family Behavioral Services, and opened a second unit of the Ida Gurtman Therapeutic Children?s program in the new building. In 1999, the Clinic, in collaboration with Saint Claire?s Hospital, embarked on a joint project to help the needs of the adult population. The Clinic was a co-sponsor of the first Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse initiative, and continues today to try and increase services to the adult population needing medication monitoring. Administrative Office - 473-2775 Ther. Chld. Prog. Pas. - 777-1403 Ther. Chld. Prog. Clft. - 473-2775 Outpatient - 471-8006 Family Center - 471-8006 School Based Youth Serv. - 473-2408 Partial Care - 473-2775