UPMC Western Behavioral Health of the Alleghenies (WBHA)

UPMC Western Behavior Health of the Alleghenies (WBHA) provides adult and child behavioral health outpatient and community services in Blair County.

500 E. Chestnut Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601

814-943-0414

If you or a loved one struggles with emotional, behavioral, or substance use concerns, we can help. Our staff has years of experience treating people suffering a variety of conditions including trauma, grief, loss, anxiety, depression, mood swings, attention deficits, impulsivity, addiction, and family conflicts.

Adult Behavioral Health Programs and Services

The adult WBHA programs provide health and wellness services to you and your loved ones.

Center for Counseling (CFC)

Center for Counseling (CFC) offers one-on-one, family, and group therapy in an outpatient clinic setting.

We also offer medication management.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Our Substance Use Disorder program provides intensive outpatient, individual and group services to adults in need of treatment for chemical dependency and substance abuse.

We also provide Medically Assisted Treatment, which combines the use of medications with behavioral therapies.

Walk-in Assessments

For adults, walk-ins are available for:

Center for Counseling
Substance use disorder

Call 814-943-0414 for dates and times that are available.

Telepsychiatry

With telepsychiatry, we can provide remote behavioral health services using secure, real-time audio and video connections with mental health experts.

Telepsychiatry is available to adults for both CFC and SUD services.

Service Coordination

Our service coordinators:

Assess your strengths and needs.
Tailor service plans and work with you to help you achieve your personal recovery goals.
These plans focus on all aspects of life including housing, education, socialization, physical and behavioral health, jobs, and income.
Connect you with programs and support services to help you make a positive change.
Make sure you have easy access to quality care.

Service coordination services align with wellness campaigns that drive partnerships between physical and behavioral health providers, ensuring a holistic approach to care.

Certified Peer Support Services

People who have lived with mental illness or substance abuse disorder provide person-centered and recovery-focused peer support.

Our certified peer support specialists:

Know the hardships and barriers to recovery firsthand.
Provide hope, encouragement, and support.
Act as mentors, teachers, and advocates.
Help empower you by walking alongside you and connecting you with your community.
Have training as wellness coaches and can help you find physical and behavioral health care that treats the whole person.

Lexington Clubhouse

Lexington Clubhouse is a psychiatric rehabilitation program that offers individuals (called members) the opportunity to reclaim their futures as part of a supportive and recovery-focused community.

Clubhouses strive to help members join and remain part of society, with educational, vocational, physical, and behavioral health support. All Clubhouse programs are based on these four basic rights:

A right to a place to come.
A right to meaningful relationships.
A right to meaningful work.
A right to a place to return.

Lexington Clubhouse
911 Lexington Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601
814-940-6065

Projects for Assistance of Transition from Homelessness (PATH)

PATH is an outreach program that provides services to people with behavioral health diagnoses that meet the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homeless.

Our PATH coordinator can assess and connect those in need with housing programs.

Housing programs

WBHA offers temporary, transitional, and permanent supported housing for people with a behavioral health diagnosis who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Our PATH coordinator works directly with individuals to assess and refer to these programs.

Our housing locations:

Blair House
230 6th Avenue
Altoona, PA 16602

Juniata House
209 North 9th Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601

Dorothy M. Tartaglio Personal Care Home

The Tartaglio Personal Care Home is a specialized personal care home providing housing to residents in Blair County who are receiving local behavioral health services.

Services are provided 24/7. Residential assistants provide meals, personal care, supervision, support, and assistance to residents.

The Dorothy M. Tartaglio Personal Care Home is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

Tartaglio Personal Care Home
1911 12^th Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601
814-946-1885

Children's Behavioral Health Programs and Services

Kids do not come with an instruction manual. Sometimes they need more help than families can provide themselves.

Let us help.

Children's WBHA provides services in an office in Altoona and eight school districts throughout Blair and Centre counties.

An office for Child/Adolescent Partial Hospital and Children's Center for Counseling is located in the State College School District, State College, Pa.

Outpatient and School-Based Counseling

Provides individual, family and group therapy in an outpatient and school setting.

We also offer medication management.

HEARTS Partial Hospitalization

*Centre County only.

A collaboration with the State College School District, HEARTS provides students the opportunity to receive their academic and therapeutic needs in one location during the school day.

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

SAP offers in-school behavioral health services to students in grades K through 12.

The program focuses on keeping children in the classroom by providing help managing behaviors that can impact academic success. We work with both schools and community-based agencies.

Service Coordination

Service coordination is a community-based service for children and teens with a qualifying behavioral health diagnosis.

While our main focus is helping children and teens who have a qualifying behavioral health diagnosis, our team works with the whole family to access resources for a happier, healthier life.

The service coordination team:

Provides a strength-based assessment of each child’s needs.
Promotes individualized education programs for your child and family.
Heps you with issues that affect your child’s well-being such as housing, legal trouble, finances, and health insurance access.
Keeps your child’s doctors informed.
Makes suggestions for therapy.
Connects your child to after-school activities.
Holds routine meetings that fit your family’s schedule.

Adult Center for Exceptional Learning (ACEL)

ACEL
154 Lakemont Park Boulevard
Altoona, PA 16602
814-944-8179

ACEL day program

ACEL provides a safe place during the day for adults with developmental and physical disabilities.

Nestled around the edge of Lakemont Park, ACEL's location gives adults the chance to be part of their community.

The ACEL day program offers:

Day trips to nearby parks, restaurants, and shopping malls.
Exercise, music, dance, reading, and more.
Arts in Healing — art therapy that provides a creative outlet.

ACEL in-home care

Our staff tailors a care plan to meet the needs of each person and requests from their loved ones, such as:

Helping with daily living tasks.
Planning meals and grocery shopping.
Driving to doctor appointments.
Offering friendship through social activities.
Providing respite to families.

ACEL Agency With Choice

Our staff works with adults and/or their family (referred to as the surrogate) by entering a joint-employment arrangement.

This partnership gives you or your surrogate:

A high level of choice and control over services and supports.
The chance to recruit, refer, choose, hire, train and schedule your own staff.
Control your own schedule and activities.
The choice of where, when, and how to receive needed services.

UPMC policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected group status. Further, UPMC will continue to support and promote equal employment opportunity, human dignity, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. This policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in UPMC programs and activities. This commitment is made by UPMC in accordance with federal, state, and/or local laws and regulations.