New Tompkins County clinic director outlines school and satellite-clinic expansion, higher survey frequency and peer outreach

Hillary Riley, newly appointed clinic director and a licensed clinical social worker, met with the Tompkins County Community Services Board and described service expansion across schools and satellite clinics, efforts to shorten access times and new outreach by peer specialists.

Riley said the clinic served about 2,500 clients last year, roughly 500 of whom were children and youth. "We're now up to 12 satellite schools that we're in," she said, and added that the Brown Road clinic opened in November and serves about 70 clients. She described a mixed intake model: open access intakes remain at the main clinic, but intake appointments can be offered at satellite locations or at schools when that is more convenient for families.

On access and staffing, Riley said the clinic had experienced a recruitment and retention squeeze in recent years but has substantially rebuilt capacity. "As far as growth over the last two or three years, we've gone from, I think, 3.5 staff to more like 6 staff" in the unit serving schools and satellite sites, she said. Riley said there is not currently a systemwide wait list: "If we have a wait list right now, we don't have a wait list. No. People can get in and get services." She acknowledged that school-based slots can fill quickly and that clinicians are being added gradually.

Riley said the clinic's peer specialists do outreach by visiting clients' homes to support treatment-plan tasks, complete paperwork, review coping skills and increase engagement. "They're trying to do a lot of increasing engagement with the clients so that they can come into the clinic more often," she said. Board members and staff also described an on-site nurse practitioner and community health nurse plans to deliver services closer to clients who otherwise face transportation barriers.

On measuring satisfaction and quality, Riley said the clinic has moved from an annual written survey to quarterly surveys and added mobile-friendly options such as QR codes to increase response rates. "We're actually up to quarterly at this point," she said.

Board members thanked Riley for the update, asked about intake and access in satellite sites and about measuring outcomes over time. Discussion included interest in tracking long-term outcomes for children who receive school-based services, though Riley cautioned that long-term measurement would present data and tracking challenges.

Riley invited board input on unmet community needs and said she would return to the board after more time in the role.