New NY Crisis Stabilization Centers: 1 In The Hudson Valley

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — New York will spend up to $75 million to create nine new Intensive Crisis Stabilization Centers to assist any adult, child, or adolescent experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and one of them will be in Pomona.

The centers will help any individual experiencing an acute mental health or substance use crisis. Urgent and immediate treatment will help people deal with their crisis — and divert them away from higher levels of care and unnecessary emergency room visits.

To be developed under the authority of the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the centers will provide evaluation, care, and treatment 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The plan is to create a more welcoming environment than a hospital, for example.

The first nine are at:

• New York City - PROMESA; 1776 Clay Ave, Bronx, NY
• Long Island - Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services; 950 Oyster Bay Rd., Hicksville, NY
• Mid-Hudson - Samaritan Daytop Village; 950 Route 45, Pomona, NY
• Finger Lakes - Unity Hospital; 89 Genesee Street Rochester, NY
• Western NY - BestSelf Behavioral Health; 430 Niagara Street Buffalo, NY
• Southern Tier - CASA - Trinity; Church and Judson Street Elmira, NY
• Central NY - Helio Health; 329 North Salina St., Syracuse, NY
• North Country - Champlain Valley Family Center for Drug Treatment and Youth Services; 14 Dormitory Drive, Plattsburgh, NY
• Mohawk Valley - Neighborhood Center; 344 South Washington St., Herkimer, NY

Samaritan Daytop Village is a human services agency with more than 60 locations, including two in the Hudson Valley and the rest in New York City and Long Island.

The centers will be developed in collaboration with the communities they serve, including local mental hygiene directors, schools, community healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies and other identified community stakeholders to provide a comprehensive continuum of care with ongoing services and follow-up.

The nine "intensive crisis" centers are just one part of New York State's comprehensive crisis response system, which is meant to be available to all New Yorkers, regardless of location of residence or ability to pay.

State officials are also developing "Supportive Crisis Stabilization Centers" to provide services to individuals experiencing challenges in daily life that may worsen without on-site support.

Both kinds of crisis stabilization centers will provide walk-in care all day every day, peer and recovery-oriented support services, and referral and follow-up services to ensure people continue to receive the support they need.

"The only way to assist and aid residents with serious behavioral health and substance use disorder issues is to have the proper resources available for when they are needed," said State Sen. Pete Harckham (D-Westchester, Putnam), chair of the Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. "Opening nine new community-based crisis stabilization centers statewide is a much-needed investment in crisis mitigation, especially in these stressful times. I truly appreciate Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the State Legislature for their strong support of this initiative."

Funding for the centers includes approximately $15 million for start-up costs provided through the Federal Supplemental Community Mental Health Services Block Grant.

As another part of its approach to the national behavioral health crisis, state officials allocated $95 million in funding over two years to implement the 988 Crisis Lifeline.

SEE: 988 National Suicide Prevention Number Takes Effect Soon In NY

People experiencing a behavioral crisis can call or text the 988 Lifeline (or use the chat feature on 988lifeline.org website) to connect with a trained counselor who can address their immediate needs and help connect them to ongoing care.

"My administration is developing a robust and comprehensive crisis response system that will provide immediate assistance to people who need urgent care for a behavioral health crisis," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release.