Historic Timeline
1975
Northeast Erie County Corporation 2, the emergent Horizon, becomes operational. It is established based on Erie County’s new design for the delivery of mental health services. Corporation 2 is to serve one of six geographic catchments with approximately 200,000 residents including urban, suburban and rural populations in the county’s northeast corridor. Corporation 2, a not-for-profit corporation, is supported by direct government deficit funding and is charged with the responsibility of designing services consistent with the unique needs of its communities.
1984
Corporation 2 terminates its government deficit funding as it becomes increasingly clear this funding limits the efficiency, flexibility and innovative development of needed community services. Corporation 2 entirely restructures its fiscal, personnel and service delivery systems to assure that third party revenues can support its services and continued growth.
1985
Corporation 2 expands its range and quality of services, while staying true to its core mission. Included in this expansion is the implementation of comprehensive chemical dependency services at several locations, and establishment of services beyond the catchment geographic boundary.
To more accurately reflect the corporation’s independent status and the increasing range of recovery and rehabilitation services provided, Corporation 2 changes its name to Horizon Human Services.
1989
Hak Ko, M.D. is appointed Medical Director.
1991
A more flexible and responsive management structure is required due to the growth and proliferation of services and facilities, and our ongoing commitment to innovation and quality, leading to the establishment of the Health Management Group.
1994
Anne Constantino is appointed president and CEO of Horizon Human Services.
May 1994
Horizon opens Horizon Village, the first public intensive drug residential treatment center in Western New York. The impetus for the development of Horizon Village arose from the need for alternatives for persons with chemical dependency who required comprehensive, intermediate length of stay residential treatment.
1996
Horizon Human Services is renamed Horizon Health Services. This name change reflects the implementation of medical services and their integration into Horizon’s behavioral health service compendium. The need for these medical services arose from our recognition of the critical relationship between consumers’ medical and behavioral health, and our consumers’ challenges in receiving appropriate medical care from other community providers not attuned to serve them.
Horizon expands its clinical services into Niagara County, establishing outpatient mental health and chemical dependency programs in Niagara Falls.
1998
Horizon establishes a corporate intranet that greatly enhances the accessibility and efficiency of communication of information and resources across the organization.
Horizon adds vocational services to its growing spectrum of services in Niagara Falls.
Horizon is instrumental in the development and operation of several area drug courts, including the preparation of federal establishment grants and preparing process and outcome evaluations.
1999
Horizon partners with several other providers of mental health and substance abuse services to establish CAIN, the Coordinated Access Integration Network, which is successful in securing contracts and delivering managed and coordinated services across multiple levels of care across Erie County.
Horizon expands its vocational services for persons with chemical dependency, including the integration of vocational staff into program teams based on our recognition of the importance of meaningful employment in consumers’ recovery.
Horizon implements chemical dependency treatment services in the City of Lockport, thereby extending service availability to consumers residing in the eastern half of Niagara County.
2000
Horizon celebrates its 25th anniversary of providing behavioral health services to the residents of Western New York. The celebration includes a gala affair attended by representatives of the behavioral health, government, criminal justice and recipient communities.
2001
Horizon establishes specialized educational linkage services for Niagara County residents with behavioral health disorders.
Horizon establishes intensive and supportive mental health case management services in Niagara County, leading to the establishment of its Pine Avenue location in Niagara Falls. These services provide home- and community-based support to persons with the most severe and persistent mental health disorders.
Horizon establishes acupuncture services at all of its chemical dependency outpatient clinics and at Horizon Village. Acupuncture services have subsequently been introduced in Horizon’s mental health programs.
2003
Horizon initiates a multi-year implementation of a comprehensive, state-of-the-art computerized medical record system. This includes the restructuring of all scheduling, billing, reporting and clinical documentation and communication systems. This also includes the establishment of universal computer access for all staff, and the training of all staff in both basic computer skills and the new medical records system.
2004
Horizon establishes a Continuous Quality Improvement Department, thereby centralizing the management and development of Horizon’s several quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives.
2005
Horizon is able to entirely eliminate its long-term debt (in the amount of $1.2 million) as result of the introduction of multiple efficiencies and prudent fiscal management.
Implemented the Brief Strategic Family Therapy program, a new and expanded service component for families, with a $111,000 grant from the Peter & Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation.
Completed construction and program development for women’s specific services at Horizon Village.
Hired full-time psychiatrist with expertise in women’s treatment.
Completed significant renovations to several facilities as per our capital plan.
2007
Horizon opens the Horizon Village Recovery Center in Batavia, providing substance abuse counseling services to residents of Genesee and Orleans Counties.
Kristin Ahrens, M.D. appointed medical director of Horizon Corporations.
Lisa Arnet is hired as Senior Director of Human Resources.
2008
Horizon announces plans to construct a 30-bed young adult inpatient addiction treatment facility at Horizon Village and begins an aggressive fundraising campaign.
Horizon is awarded a $150,000 grant, payable over three years, by the Grigg-Lewis Foundation, Inc., to be used toward the construction of the young adult facility at Horizon Village.
Horizon announces plans to construct a 15,700-square-foot facility, containing 25 beds and adjacent to the existing facility, that will provide specialized chemical dependency and mental health services for veterans.
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