OGDENSBURG — St. Lawrence County will have one representative on the Office of Mental Health's Regional Center of Excellence Steering Committee.

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center's Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Vicki E. Perrine, will serve as one of three co-chairs for The Regional Centers of Excellence (RCE) Steering Committee.

According to the OMH website, the committee will advise the RCE Teams on their recommendations to the commissioner, and advise and assist the commissioner as it implements its plan to close several psychiatric centers and move toward community and outpatient treatments for the mentally ill.

The strategic plan developed by OMH calls for the closure of inpatient wards for adults and children at the Ogdensburg Psychiatric Center by 2017.

The committee is composed of the fifteen co-chairs for each respective RCE Team (Western NY, Central NY, Hudson River, New York City, and Long Island), along with several statewide stakeholders representing peers, children & families, providers, local governmental units, advocacy organizations, and key State agencies and departments.

A list of the Steering Committee membership can be viewed at

http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/excellence/rce/steering_committee/membership.html.

The new committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Albany.

The agenda can be found at omh.ny.gov/omhweb/excellence/rce/steering_committee/agenda_08_20_13.pdf.