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Local leaders: Ogdensburg Psych Center should become 'regional center of excellence;' more than 300 attend session

Posted 5/15/13

Leaders from throughout St. Lawrence County, including Brasher Falls Central School Supt. Stephen Putman, above, urged state officials to keep the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center open. …

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Local leaders: Ogdensburg Psych Center should become 'regional center of excellence;' more than 300 attend session

Posted

Leaders from throughout St. Lawrence County, including Brasher Falls Central School Supt. Stephen Putman, above, urged state officials to keep the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center open. NorthCountryNow.com photo by Jimmy Lawton.

By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG – As the state’s Office of Mental Health prepares to establish “regional centers of excellence,” local politicians, university officials and county residents say St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center is a model location.

More than 300 people gathered at the state hospital in Ogdensburg Wednesday to hear OMH Commisioner Kristen M. Woodlock speak about plans to establish high quality regional mental health facilities across the state. The tours were held to gather public input as OMH prepares a plan that would focus more on outpatient care.

Woodlock did not say the state planned to close any facilities, but highlighted the fact that New York has 24 state-owned facilities serving 18 million people, compared to California’s five facilities, serving 37 million people.

She said she is facing pressure from the public to maintain local state hospitals as well as pressure from officials who say OMH is not reducing fast enough and must focus more on outpatient services.

The plans have worried residents as well as politicians from the village to state level, as the regional centers would likely mean closing some of the state’s 24 mental health facilities.

Several municipalities and public agencies have passed resolutions opposing the closure of St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center despite the fact no plans to do so have been made public.

Sen. Patty Ritchie, who represents portions of St. Lawrence County, went as far as gathering more than 2,000 signatures opposing the facilities closure.

She said the hospital has helped countless people with nowhere else to turn.

Assemblywoman Addie Russell, St. Lawrence County legislators Jonathan Putney and Joseph Lightfoot, and city councilors William Nelson, Wayne Ashley and Dan Skamperle all spoke at the “listening tour” stop.

Comments also came from representatives of Clarkson and St. Lawrence University.

Local officials said St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center employs more than 500 people and its closure would devastate the local economy.

St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators Chairman Jonathan Putney said closing isn’t something the community could afford.

“This facility must remain open for business,” he said.

Others feared the facility’s closure would have negative impacts on the patients and their families, especially if they had to travel to a center located in western New York or downstate.

Brasher Falls Central School Superintendent Stephen Putman pointed out a map included in a slide of Woodlock’s presentation that showed the local facility was nowhere near the other state hospitals.

“It makes perfect sense because of the geography, and also because of the poverty, to make this one of the regional centers of excellence,” he said.

St. Lawrence Industrial Development Agency Director Patrick Kelly said St. Lawrence County’s access to four colleges, strong workforce, history of service and location were all reasons why it should become one of the state’s regional centers.

He said SLPC is 129 miles from the nearest state hospital, which is more than four times the average distance between locations.

He said the facility offers a broad range of services including adult, children, sex offenders and substance abuse in an “exceptional manner.”

“We think this facility is a model for a center of excellence,” he said.

While Woodlock said the comments made at the meeting would be considered, the center’s future may be decided soon.

She said a plan should be completed sometime next week.