ROANOKE RAPIDS — The community gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning for We R One’s opening of its ABA & Behavioral Health Center, fulfilling a service need in the area.
The home- and community-based mental health agency offers individuals and families care through applied behavior analysis and comprehensive community mental health services.
Owner Latrese Shenee Bynum said her business has been operational for about two years at 1023 Roanoke Ave. and has recently expanded into an adjacent facility, now called ABA & Behavioral Health Center. Bynum said she started We R One LLC to help children with autism and those in the area who need assistance.
“Most of them have been having to go to areas like Greenville, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and some out of state just for their children to even get ABA services,” she said. “So when I initially started ABA here, I did a community-based in-home and in-school, but for a lot of parents, when the children are receiving therapy in the home, it’s a little overwhelming to them, because they have other children, they’re trying to do household chores. So to them, it kind of makes them feel like they’re not able to be themselves while their children are receiving therapy.”
As for the new clinic, Bynum said they decided to open it up for the children to have a safe haven while still being able to receive their therapeutic sessions. After searching for a facility for nearly eight months, she said she was able to secure the former building next door, which previously housed the Pregnancy Support Center. Bynum said the new building includes several specialized rooms designed around each child’s treatment plan.
An activities of daily living (ADL) room focuses on basic life skills such as table etiquette, hand washing, tooth brushing, potty training and folding clothes, with instruction tailored to each child’s age and needs.
A functional communication room targets language development, particularly for nonverbal children, teaching communication methods, vocalization skills and recognition of words, colors and shapes.
The clinic also includes a music room, which is used as a form of sensory therapy, and an art room that helps children develop coordination and writing skills through drawing, coloring and hands-on activities.
A common room serves as a quiet space for children who become overstimulated, allowing them to regulate emotions and learn coping strategies.
In addition, a natural environment room is set up for peer interaction, featuring items such as swings, games and puzzles to help children build social skills.
Bynum said the clinic serves children as young as 2 through age 18. Once clients turn 18, they are transitioned into mental health services, noting that autism is a lifelong condition and some individuals require ongoing support. In addition to autism-related services, the organization provides broader mental health care for both children and adults. This includes connections to substance abuse programs and the development of additional services, such as employment support programs for adults.
Executive Director Kengia Faulcon said they also offer intensive in-home services and therapeutic mentoring services.
“It’s a good thing, because these services are very needed in this area, and how we actually came about, we just wanted to do ABA, but then a lot of people contacted us — ‘Do you do substance abuse? Do you do peer support? Do you do this?’ — ultimately, people won’t have the right to go where they want to go,” Faulcon said. “Sometimes they want to feel down-home, because this is a down-home place. They want to feel at home, they want to feel loved. They want to feel that connection. And sometimes corporate companies are big, and they start caring about money, and then that’s when the quality of care goes out of the window. So that’s where we bridge the gap, and come in and say, ‘Hey, forget the money. The quality of care is what we want to give you all.’ ”
Bynum said services are primarily covered through Medicaid and private insurance, with private pay options also available, adding the organization works with families to ensure access to care. She said the agency serves multiple counties, including Halifax, Northampton, Nash, Warren, Vance and Bertie, noting that transportation is often a barrier for families in rural areas.
To address that, Bynum said the organization provides transportation services and offers flexibility through clinic-based care, in-home services, community-based programs and partnerships with schools. She added the agency works with families even during gaps in insurance coverage to ensure children continue receiving services, emphasizing a focus on client needs over profit.
“So having a clinic, the in-home, the community-based, and the schools that do allow us to come in and provide services, those are the ways that we’re able to guarantee that the children are getting the services they need,” she said. “And like I said, what we do, we do it from the heart of our clients. We have clients who sometimes end up with gaps in their insurance, but we work with our families. We’re going to always make sure that we do what’s in the best interest of the client, not just us.”
For more information, visit weronellc.org, call 252-541-1416 or email Info@weronellc.org.