Pasadena Villa aims to bridge gap for access to mental health care

by Emily Canning-Dean 

When opening their office in Independence, the folks of mental health clinic Pasadena Villa created a welcoming environment for clients. 

“The biggest thing they will notice when they come in is that it won’t feel clinical,” said Anycia Grady, executive director of the Independence office at 6200 Oak Tree Blvd. “We make it a priority to make sure our patients feel welcome and like they have a safe space.” 

Pasadena Villa opened this outpatient facility in April and hosted an open house in November to introduce themselves to the community. Pasadena Villa specializes in providing mental health treatment for adults 18 years or older facing anxiety disorders, major depressive disorders and personality disorders. 

“I think what sets us apart is a welcoming, therapeutic environment,” Grady said. “We want to connect with our patients as individuals and give them the tools they need to navigate their own mental health and prevent crises from happening.” 

Currently, Pasadena Villa offers both a partial hospitalization program and an intensive outpatient program. 

The partial hospitalization program includes six hours of group therapy five days a week with family therapy scheduled as needed. Patients are at the facility from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and then return home. The average length of the program is six to eight weeks. 

The goal of the intensive outpatient program is to support individuals facing heightened symptoms or challenges that traditional outpatient services have not resolved. Programming includes three hours of group therapy at least three days per week. The length of stay is tailored to each client’s progress toward their treatment goals. 

“Patients have at least one individual session with our therapist each week and also a session with our nurse practitioner,” Grady said. 

Grady said that patients who have completed the PHP can step down to IOP and added that if a patient is experiencing increasing challenges, Pasadena Villa can work with their insurance to have them moved to the more intensive PHP program if needed.

“Since we have opened, we have supported 10 to 12 individuals, but we have capacity for at least 30 to 40 people currently,” Grady said, adding that the facility’s business development staff is working to introduce themselves to the local therapy community including psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities. 

Grady said Pasadena Villa has outpatient facilities across the country and looks to open treatment facilities in areas where there is a gap in access to mental healthcare. 

“We specifically chose the Independence location because it is right off the highway and is accessible from many different areas,” she said. 

Grady said the Independence location currently has a staff of five people, but is looking to hire an additional full-time therapist so they can provide an additional intensive outpatient program in the evening. They are also looking to hire another part-time admissions coordinator. 

“As we continue to grow, we will likely add more full-time therapists,” Grady said. 

Grady said Pasadena Villa currently doesn’t accept Medicare or Medicaid, but they do accept a variety of insurance options as well as private pay. While some patients are referred to Pasadena Villa through another healthcare provider, Grady said individuals in need of mental health therapy can contact Pasadena Villa directly. 

“There is no mental health challenge too big or too small for us,” Grady said. “We want to be the bridge for people to help them develop the tools they need. We understand that something new can be anxiety provoking, but we encourage people to come in and meet our team and tour our facility.” 

For more information about Pasadena Villa visit pasadenavillaoutpatient.com. 

Photo caption: Above is one of Pasadena Villa’s meeting rooms for patients. Photo submitted.