| Synchrony of Visalia, Inc. Healthy Families ~ Healthy Communities |
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| The idea of Synchrony began in 1994 over a cup of coffee when Bev Anderson asked Connie Treis to jointly establish a conference addressing women's issues. The Women's Health Conference took place October 1995 and was a huge success. Soon afterwards, Synchrony hosted two additional conferences as part of a newly created community-based training and educational model. The feedback Synchrony received illustrated a need for a comprehensive mental health agency within the Central Valley community. As a response, Bev, Connie, and Connie's business partner, Mike Andrews, envisioned a non-profit agency that combined the best elements of both a therapy practice and community-based training. Their goal was to provide these services in an affordable and accessible manner. In January, 1996, this vision became a reality when Synchrony was opened as a counseling and educational center. Mike and Connie left their private practice to work full-time for Synchrony, and Bev joined to complete her internship. In 1999, Dr. Edwyn Ortiz-Nance became part of the Synchrony, bringing an expertise in infant/preschool mental health, neuro-psychology and psychological assessments. A part of Synchrony's mission was to secure grant funded programs, enabling families to access services at little to no cost. Synchrony began its first program, Young Parents Mentoring, in 1997 thanks to funding by First 5. As part of this focus on strengthening families, the FREE collaborative was created to provide parent education and support throughout Tulare County. In 2003, Synchrony was awarded a grant to establish a Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) program. This program allowed several major conferences to be established and for early assessment of child mental health. This program also allowed for the training of practicum students and psychologist interns. Synchrony received a grant for the Early Mental Health program in 2006, which served the mental health and assessment needs of children 0-5 years of age in Tulare County. During the three year grant period, over 300 families received free psychological evaluations, short-term therapy, and parent education. In addition, over 60 agencies received mental health training at no charge as part of this grant. Today, Synchrony is a recognized leader in infant, child, adolescent and adult mental health. Synchrony collaborates with public, private, and community-based programs to meet the diverse needs of individuals across Tulare County and the Central Valley. Our clinic is known for diagnostic work with all ages, effective intervention, family advocacy and wellness, for everyone in the community. As a final note, Synchrony is a recognized trainer for clinicians and professionals. |