The History of BryLin Hospital: A Leader in Behavioral Health Care
Leonard Pleskow, Founder
BryLin Hospital has been a leader in behavioral health care in Upstate New York since its inception in 1955. The hospital offers short-term psychiatric stabilization for children, adolescents, and adults who are struggling with an emotional or behavioral crisis. BryLin provides comprehensive assessment, crisis stabilization, and individualized care that is evidence-based, person-centered, trauma-sensitive, and multidisciplinary.
The hospital also has a Center of Excellence for Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which is recognized as the most rapid-acting, FDA-approved treatment for major depression and other mental illnesses.
The following is an overview of BryLin Hospitals’ early beginnings and our growth as the premier behavioral health care provider in WNY.
OUR HISTORY
1955– The Beginning of BryLin Hospitals – BryLin Hospital is founded by Leonard Pleskow and a small group of community psychiatrists. The Hospital was named Linwood-Bryant for its location.
1958 – The hospital expands to include a two-story brick building, increasing its capacity to 65 beds.
1982 – Substance Abuse Services Grow – Certification was received from the Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse for 14 additional beds.
1985 – New Facility Opens – BryLin’s first outpatient clinic for the treatment of chemical dependency opened at 1275 Delaware Avenue. Rush Manor, a 66-bed inpatient facility for the treatment of chemically dependent adults and adolescents was opened on 36 acres of land in Alden, New York.
1986 – Meeting the Need – A 17-bed program was established to serve the special needs of geriatric psychiatric patients. BryLin’s outpatient clinic expanded and relocated to the Seton Office Building.
1988 – Keeping pace with change – On September 1st, the Williamsville Outpatient Clinic was opened to provide substance abuse treatment for adults and adolescents. The names Rush Hall and Rush Manor were changed to BryLin Hospitals Chemical Dependency Services and BryLin – Alden to reflect the comprehensive services offered.
1991 – Blending Expertise. BryLin Hospitals begins services for patients with a dual diagnosis of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders.
1992 – Another First. A 20-bed Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit was opened.
1995 – Top 4% of All Hospitals in the U.S.A.
BryLin Hospitals receives Joint Commission Accreditation with commendation – an honor bestowed on only 4% of hospitals in the United States.
2002 – BryLin starts Acupuncture Program for Substance Abuse Services.
2003 – BryLin starts an outpatient program for professionals (healthcare, legal, law enforcement and business executives) seeking treatment for substance abuse problems.
2004 – BryLin Hospital announcement that it has closed its inpatient chemical dependency treatment center in Alden due to rapidly declining reimbursement rates. BryLin maintains the 88 bed, acute care psychiatric hospital on Delaware Ave in Buffalo and an outpatient substance abuse treatment program in Williamsville.
2008 – BryLin develops a new approach to treating Adolescent Substance Abuse, adapting three tracks to meet the needs of the abuser, the addict, and the student athlete.
2009 – BryLin introduces new programming. A Women’s Programming for women who are experiencing psychiatric disorders related to emotional and/or hormonal disturbances. Treatment focuses on the unique needs of the female patient through individual and group counseling, pharmacological management, and psychiatric, physical and nutritional assessments.
2010 – On the heels of success with the Women’s Programming, introduced in 2009, new Men’s Programming was implemented giving men an opportunity to address the many challenges they are confronted with that can affect their functioning, relationships, work, and their ability to enjoy life. Treatment is provided in a safe, respectful, secure and structured environment which allows men to positively influence each other through our group discussions.
2011 – BryLin introduces alternative treatment options such as yoga, massage therapy, tai-chi, and drumming circles as part of the inpatient mental health programming schedule for adults which assist with stress reduction and muscle relaxation. These complement the existing array of programming options.
2013 – BryLin opens their outpatient mental health treatment clinic, in Williamsville, where assessment, crisis intervention, pharmacological treatment, and individual/group therapies are provided for adults 18 years of age and older. BryLin Hospitals announces they will now do business under the assumed name of “BryLin Behavioral Health System”.
2014 – BryLin consolidates its Williamsville operations, moving the outpatient chemical dependency treatment clinic across the hall from the outpatient mental health clinic, on Farber Lakes Drive, making this site a true comprehensive Behavioral Health Center. BryLin Behavioral Health System now has (2) locations:
- BryLin Hospital (Buffalo): Short-term inpatient mental health care for children, adolescents and adults.
- BryLin Behavioral Health Center (Williamsville)
- Outpatient Mental Health Care for Adults
- Outpatient Substance Abuse Care for Adolescents and Adults
2015 – BryLin Marks 60th Anniversary of Caring in Western New York. “Our energies are focused on having patient-centered care that brings respect and dignity to the patients and families we care for who are affected by mental health issues”, says Eric Pleskow, BryLin President & CEO
2016 – BryLin Hospital adds to the list of growing alternative therapies by adding Art Therapy to the programming schedule. Art Therapy uses art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore a patients feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and substance abuse, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.
2017 – The Erie County Anti-Stigma Coalition launched its cornerstone campaign of “Join the Conversation” on May 30, 2017. This Coalition is composed of founding members from 15 well known organizations, including BryLin Behavioral Health System, who came together in the pursuit of one common goal: to change how people in our community view mental illness in order to reduce or eliminate stigma in Erie County and Western New York. The website is www.letstalkstigma.org and its social media channels are on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Individuals can find facts, information, other people’s stories and experiences, resources and, of course, a place to join the conversation.
Hashtags: #LetsTalkStigma , #JoinTheConversation
2020 – BryLin Behavioral Health System Expands Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services. In February, BryLin applied for (7) additional beds and began to update an already used adult unit at the Hospital to meet the safety standards for children and adolescents on the second floor of the Hospital. The updates included mostly of cosmetic items, such as paint and carpeting, in addition to the safety measures required by the State. This move was approved by NYS OMH on Friday, March 27 and a relocation of care recipients was made from the first floor to the larger space on the Hospital’s second floor last week, on Wednesday April 1.
At about the same time, BryLin opened an outpatient mental health program for children and adolescents at the Behavioral Health Center in Williamsville. While the Center was already home to outpatient substance use disorder treatment for adolescents and adults and outpatient mental health care for adults 18 and over, this new program makes BryLin the only full-service provider of mental health care for children and adolescents in all of Western New York.
2021 – BryLin Behavioral Health System’s Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Program is recognized as a Behavioral Health Center of Excellence by meeting a set of national practice guidelines. “This Center of Excellence designation recognizes BryLin’s ECT program as demonstrating a level of excellence within a set of expected standards set nationally. We’re very proud of this accomplishment”, said Eric Pleskow, President/CEO for BryLin. BryLin’s COE in Electroconvulsive Therapy Program is designed to foster integrated, evidence-based approaches to prevention, early detection, and treatment of a multitude of mental health diagnoses.
2022 – BryLin makes a ‘difficult decision’ to close outpatient services at the Behavioral Health Center location in Williamsville. Eric Pleskow, President/CEO said, “We had to make this very difficult decision because we simply cannot keep up, on an outpatient basis, with the funding that other local nonprofit outpatient clinics receive because of our for-profit status. We are now going to refocus on what we do best, which has been providing quality inpatient behavioral health care to the Western New York Community for 67 years.”
2023 – As BryLin has undergone some transformation over the past few years, the organization has reassessed it’s brand and identity. After careful consideration, BryLin has decided to change their company name back to BryLin Hospital. This name more accurately reflects the services provided and will better position the organization for future success as the leader in behavioral healthcare.
With HELP, There’s HOPE℠
