St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center will close six wards by 2017 as it merges with several other facilities to form the "Empire Upstate Regional Center of Excellence."

Downsizing of the facility will begin with the closure of an adult inpatient ward in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, according to a plan released this afternoon by the state Office of Mental Health.

St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center inpatient care will "merge" with the Empire Upstate Regional Center of Excellence, which will have facilities located in Utica and Syracuse.

In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the state will close five additional wards at SLPC.

According to the release, outpatient and community services currently operated by SLPC will be continued as a community hub of the Empire Upstate RCE, and will expand outpatient care in Ogdensburg and other hubs throughout the region.

The St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center sexual offender program will continue in Ogdensburg but will be operated by the Central New York Forensic Center of Excellence.

For the complete release visit http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/excellence/rce/rceplan.pdf