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City staff recommended awarding grants to organizations committed to promote and expand behavioral health services in Elko, and Vitality Unlimited was one of three organizations chosen. The other two were Nevada Health Centers and Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital.

In October, Vitality submitted three proposals for funding from the city.

Vitality Unlimited CEO Ester Quilici thanked city staff and council for the funds.

“I’ve been part of a growing organization since I got here in ’84,” she said. “I’m amazed at the teamwork that brought Vitality here today.”

The first proposal will increase behavioral health and addiction treatment capacity and increase mobile crisis response, she said. The funds will be used to hire a psychologist and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.

“When you have an addiction, you want to turn it over to the specialist,” Quilici told council. “A licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor would be a combination. It would be a mental health professional and an addiction specialist.”

The nonprofit also has plans to hire an additional advanced practice registered nurse that specializes in psychiatric care.

“We are delivering primary care also as part of our mandate for the CCBHCs,” Quilici said. “We do have targeted case management. To have a full spectrum of behavioral health services, targeted case management is a must. We also have an outreach coordinator that would be helping to facilitate the partnerships that any organization here in the Elko area is going to need. We would be very happy to partner with the hospital, and one of our long-standing partners has been Nevada Health Centers and I’m sure we’ll continue to be (partners) and I hope we will be for them.”

Quilici said one of her organization’s offices, Vitality Integrated Programs (VIP), is “squeezed” for space. VIP is one of four certified community behavioral health clinics Vitality Unlimited runs in Nevada. The other three are located in Carson City, Dayton and Reno.

The ARPA funds will also allow Vitality to expand its trauma and crisis response as a provider for 9-8-8 calls for mental health emergencies.

“We’re hoping to work in partnership with the Elko Police Department,” Quilici said.

The nonprofit will purchase a van and customize it as a mobile therapy office that will include telehealth.

“What is that going to give us the capacity to do? It will give us the capacity to be mobile because CCBHCs are practices without walls,” she said. “If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you.”

Quilici said Vitality staff already provides services to the homeless population, and they have plans to provide more assistance to the individuals in the homeless camp in the city.

“That is a part of Elko that has to be addressed,” she said. “We are very willing to do that with our crisis mobile response, and we want to work in cooperation with Elko PD to help facilitate their officers in addressing the concerns of the community.”

The second part of the funds awarded to Vitality will assist the nonprofit to increase the health, safety, and restorative nature of the inpatient treatment center.

“We have a treatment center here in Elko that is filled to capacity most of the time,” Quilici told council.

To continue to use it “in the best way possible,” Vitality will upgrade the building’s HVAC with scrubbers so it provides the “healthiest environment possible,” she said. The organization also plans to install a walk-in refrigerator and freezer to increase food storage capacity.

“We were facing shortages in this last go around,” she said. “It got pretty hairy.”

The inpatient facility also will have light fixture replacements to improve efficiency for the therapy environment and energy efficient windows will be installed to reduce energy consumption. Some landscaping also will be done to provide more outside therapy.

The third part of Vitality’s original proposal was not funded by the city. Quilici said her agency will provide further information to the city in hopes that a house for a women’s treatment residence may be funded. Vitality previously told the city that on average 150 women each year receive inpatient treatment.

“That other portion may come back,” Councilwoman Mandy Simons told Quilici. “This is just what we are voting on today.”

Quilici thanked council again for the funds.

“We’ve been in the behavioral health business since 2017,” Quilici said. “We have the opportunity to expand what we do. To partner with others to provide additional services, and we also have the opportunity if we have to go outside the city limits now. … Thank you for the support. It’s support of a project that will have long term (impact). It will have a legacy.”

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The Barracuda Championship is a regular stop on the PGA Tour and for 23 years the tournament has provided $4.6 million dollars to charities.

“This is the perfect example of the partnerships that we’re trying to create here in the community,” said Barracuda Championship Tournament Director Chris Hoff. “Dr. Mills has been a great supporter of ours through the years and coming up with unique ways of not only giving back but partnering with the tournament. These are what we are trying to do each, and every year. We can’t thank Dr. Mills enough for everything he has done for us, and hopefully going forward we can really build on this.”

Vitality’s program works with the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, Healthcare for Homeless Veterans, to provide transitional housing to homeless veterans along with other services that assist them to move into independent housing.

Heather Harzke, program director for Vitality Veterans Housing Program said the veterans can range in age from 18 to almost 100. The facility recently helped a 98-year-old World War II veteran. Vitality’s housing is a grant per diem program, which means the VA provides funds for basic operation of the program, but it doesn’t pay for the extras, such as clothing for the veterans and other luxuries such as dishes and beds when they move into their own homes.

“Having any kind of contribution helps us be able to provide better care for them so that we can help them with housing, help them with employment or just being able to get them supplies,” Harzke said.

The Vitality Veterans Housing Program is typically a three- to nine-month program but sometimes the VA will allow for an extension depending on the circumstances of the individual.

“We’re not going to kick somebody out on the street just because they had to wait to get documentation,” Harzke said.

The goal of the program is to prepare the veterans and provide them with the correct tools that they need so when they find sustainable housing they don’t relapse back into homelessness, Harzke said

“We definitely have made a family community, so this donation significantly helps us to be able to provide services for our veterans,” she said.

Mills said he was thrilled to present the check to Vitality Veterans Housing.

“I’m hoping that we’re planting a seed here with Birdies for the Brave that could grow over time and have a greater impact as the years go by,” said Mills.

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