CAPTION: The ceremonial cutting of the ribbon to officially open the Malone Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center was completed by (left to right) Jeremy Darman, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Mental Health; Suzanne Lavigne, Director of Community Services, Franklin County; Jonathan Carman, District Director for Congresswoman Elise Stefanik; Assemblyman Billy Jones; Citizen Advocates Board Member Paul Goodrow; Citizen Advocates President & CEO James Button; Citizen Advocates Vice President and COO Kati Jock; Citizen Advocates Board Member Marc Gitlitz; Mark Thayer, Director of Central New York Field Office, Office of Mental Health; Citizen Advocates Board Member Brock Arnold; Citizen Advocates Board Member Felix Tam; and Harison Place Board Member Greg Langdon.
Malone Behavioral Health Urgent Care offers full range of services in greatly expanded space
There’s a new name and home for greatly expanded 24/7 mental health and addiction services in Malone, marking the newest chapter in Citizen Advocates transformational approach to leading-edge, high-quality care.
Citizen Advocates’ Crisis and Recovery Center is now referred to as a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, which is consistent with new clinics Citizen Advocates recently opened in Ogdensburg and Watertown.
Located at 125 Finney Boulevard in Malone, the new, expanded clinic is a welcoming, home-like environment where children and adults have access to a full range of clinical services and supports in separate, safe and secure settings.
The additional space, and separate designated wings for both adults and children, is in direct response to the emerging need for mental health and addiction services throughout northern New York. Moreover, a behavioral health crisis rarely happens during normal business hours, and as a 24/7 facility, every person has immediate access to a robust range of outpatient clinical services and supports that promote individual health while in the community.
Citizen Advocates celebrated its newest clinic with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 2, which was attended by more than 70 guests representing a broad range of community leaders, partner agencies, elected officials, educators and state officials.
While the name and location are new, the Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center offers the same immediate mental health and addiction support people need without the red tape:
- The clinic is open 24/7/365.
- No referral is required.
- No appointment is needed.
“Our newest location is near and dear to our hearts, and an important part of our story,” said James Button, President & CEO of Citizen Advocates & Affiliates. “Malone is our home, and much like the support Citizen Advocates received when it was founded nearly five decades ago, this new clinic represents how much we can accomplish together as a community when faced with the need to transform how we deliver care.”
“The Malone Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center is a culmination of dedicated and forward-thinking individuals who believed there was a more effective way to address emergent mental health or addiction crises in Franklin County,” said Suzanne Lavigne, Director of Franklin County Community Services. “By eliminating barriers to care, community members now have immediate access to lifesaving treatment offered by a skilled and talented team of health professionals.”
“We are exceedingly grateful to our partners at the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Addiction Supports and Services (OASAS) for encouraging and guiding us in blazing the trail that led to the amazing facility we have before us today,” said Kati Jock, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Citizen Advocates. “With the steady support of OMH and OASAS, we have refined the Behavioral Health Urgent Care model into a comprehensive blend of essential, leading-edge services for both adults and children in a warm and supportive environment.”
Behavioral Health Urgent Care – At a glance
The mental health and addiction treatment services available to all ages at the Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center encompass:
- Medication management
- Adult and Children Stabilization Care
- Individual, group and family mental health & addiction counseling
- Peer support services
- Care coordination
- Smoking cessation
- Access to services via telehealth
In addition to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, guided tours of the new facility were offered. The building itself was a former Army Reserve Center purchased by Citizen Advocates in 2015 where it located its Administrative Offices until May 2022. Key facts about the new Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center located at 125 Finney Boulevard are as follows:
Total square footage: 20,000
Construction timeline: 8 months
Project cost: $2.2 million
Number of employees: ~34 – physicians, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, nurses, therapists, case managers, peer specialists and customer support.
The clinic is open and offering outpatient and stabilization services 24/7/365.
To learn more about Behavioral Health Urgent Care at Citizen Advocates, click here.
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