Occupational Therapy

Movement and exploration and processing of the environment are an important part of development and learning.  If small motor, self-care, or sensory processing development problems are suspected, parents and caregivers should consider an occupational therapy evaluation for their child.

An occupational therapy evaluation at HCA will assess the following factors:

• Upper body muscle tone, strength, and range of motion
• Fine motor skill development
• Eye-hand coordination
• Visual-Perceptual development
• Activities of daily living (i.e., dressing, eating, hygiene)
• Sensory integrative functioning
• Need for assistive devices
• Environmental adaptations

If concerns are found in any of these areas, HCA will recommend the appropriate occupational therapy treatment, tailored to each individual’s needs.

Our New York State-licensed occupational therapists and certified occupational therapist assistants provide treatment sessions in the classrooms and in our clinic settings.

We also encourage family members to observe therapy sessions and participate in their child’s individual treatment program through hands-on learning, observation, team meetings, and regular communication with our therapists.

For more information about HCA’s occupational therapy services, please contact the OT/PT Department Coordinator at (607) 798-7117 x332.

Speech and Language Pathology

Speech and language skills are an integral part of an individual’s social interactions and educational development.

A speech language pathology evaluation at HCA will assess the following factors:

• Receptive language – understanding what is said
• Expressive language – use of language to express ideas
• Articulation/Phonology – speech sound production
• Fluency – disruptions in the flow of speech
• Voice – determination of appropriate vocal quality, pitch and intensity
• Oral motor – inspection of mouth to determine structural/functional adequacy for speech production
• Non-verbal communication methods – incorporating sign language, communication boards and electronic devices

If concerns are found in any of these areas, HCA will recommend the appropriate speech therapy treatment, tailored to each individual’s needs.

Our certified and/or licensed speech/language pathologists provide both individual and classroom therapy sessions.

We also encourage an interdisciplinary approach, educating and coordinating with the child’s family/caregivers, teachers, and other therapists.

For more information about HCA’s speech and language pathology program, please contact our Clinical Director at (607) 798-7117 x311.

Counseling Services

• Article 16 Clinic: Counseling services and parent consultation are provided through the clinic. Family members may be asked to be involved in the individual’s treatment. Referrals can be from any clients living in a group home setting to those who live independently. They must have transportation to get back and forth to the clinic. *This is a Medicaid Waiver Service and the client must be enrolled in OPWDD (Office for People with Developmental Disabilities)
• Family Support Services: This program includes counseling and parent consultation primarily at the home (client must reside with at least one family member) as well as in the community, although sometimes clinic appointments are made. *A grant funded program for individuals enrolled in OPWDD.

Referral Process:  We are committed to being compassionate, confidential, accepting, and approachable in our communications.  To learn more about our referral process or programs contact:

Jessica Cornell, Director of Clinical Services, j.cornell@hcaserves.com or 607-798-7117 x311.

Meet Our Team

Heather Leigh Kessler

Heather Leigh Kessler, Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), earned her Master’s in Social Work at Binghamton University. As a therapist she specializes in working with adolescents, adults, and families using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Heathers guiding philosophy is to consider a human’s total existence (meaning their mind, body and soul) in treatment to help reduce their suffering.  

Some of Heather’s areas of interest include teaching executive functioning skills, evaluating nutrition for mental health, and helping people understand themselves and their interactions more clearly. Heather has experience working with individuals who experience anxiety, depression, mood disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, personality disorders, trauma-and stressor related disorders, feeding and eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Francis Riso

Francis Riso (he/him/his) received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SUNY Stony Brook, and his Master’s in Social Work from SUNY Binghamton. As the newest member of our team, Francis has brought his unique background and experience to HCA; this includes experience facilitating socioemotional learning and behavior intervention in a public school setting, outpatient addiction counseling for individuals and groups, and home-based behavior interventions for children diagnosed with autism. As such, Francis has previous familiarity working with individuals with autism and/or ADHD, and particularly children and adolescents. All of his practice is grounded in strengths-based, person-centered frameworks.

Francis’ areas of professional interest include empowerment-based and communications-based models of therapy, including but not limited to self-esteem building techniques and behavior change based on self-acceptance. Francis believes that a social worker’s aspirations should be ones that are based in partnership with community and family members. As such, he is strongly committed to disability justice – not just within one-on-one settings but also at the community level. He also has a history of participating in community organizations that are focused on strengthening self-advocacy skills and realizing social justice in policy and program development. Just as he always says, “We’ll do this together.” During his free time, he can usually be found playing Nintendo games or reading books in the quiet company of his two cats.