HOLYOKE – MiraVista Behavioral Health Center, which opened in Spring 2021, bathed the upper stories of its building in purple Thursday evening, Sept. 1, for the start of National Recovery Month.
Mark Paglia, the center’s chief operating officer, called the illumination symbolic of MiraVista as a “beacon of hope and healing” both for those with a mental health diagnosis as well as those with the disease of addiction.
“As we symbolically turn our building purple for the month, the color associated with recovery, our team of exceptional caring staff are currently responding to those who have entered our doors looking for support to live healthy, satisfying lives,” Paglia said. “Since we launched MiraVista just 17 months ago, we have served 15, 000 thousand inpatient bed days, and have had over 300,000 outpatient visits.”
The exterior illumination by Jim Powers of CJC Event Lighting and Production features a centrally-positioned ribbon in deep purple, and several dozen staff members and clients were in attendance for the inaugural lighting.
During the event, Paglia noted the observance of International Overdose Awareness Day Aug. 31, and the “tragedy of lives lost to addiction.”
“The tragedy of lives lost to addiction and the grief of families call us together as a community to support those in recovery,” Paglia said. “We must work together against stigmas that continue to be a barrier for people seeking help for what is a chronic, but treatable medical condition. Recovery is something we can work on every day, together.”
Paglia said MiraVista is in the process of a renovation to expand inpatient psychiatric beds and its outpatient substance use disorder treatment services.
MIraVista’s recovery programs for substance use include Acute Treatment Services (detox), Clinical Stabilization Services (post-detox), and outpatient services that offer Medication Supported Recovery, individual and group counseling, as well as day treatment programming.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of drug overdose deaths in the country quadrupled, up 500% between 1999 and 2020, with more than half a million involving an opioid.
The latest preliminary data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows opioid-related overdose death increased nearly 9% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
To learn more please visit www.miravistabhc.care
About Mira
MiraVista Behavioral Health Center opened in Spring 2021 to address the critical need for additional inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services in Western Massachusetts. Located on the grounds of the former Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke, MiraVista offers psychiatric care services for both adults and adolescents, as well as an array of recovery rehabilitation programs including Acute Treatment Services (detox), Clinical Stabilization Services (post-detox), and outpatient services such as the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), court-ordered services, and outpatient Medication Supported Recovery. Mira Vista cares for thousands of individuals from throughout the Western Mass region each year.
Care. Reimagined.
MiraVista Behavioral Health Center was built on the premise of person-centered care. We maintain an organization of thoughtful, empathic, energized team-members committed to creating and maintaining a warm, welcoming, and effective culture of care. Our purpose is to provide compassionate, effective, inspiring care for those challenged by mental health and substance use so they are empowered to lead fulfilling lives.