BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- County legislators are moving forward on a contract with Citizen Advocates to provide comprehensive crisis intervention and response services for the county after the closure of Reachout.

Reachout, a Potsdam based firm that served the North Country beginning in 1977, officially shuttered on Dec. 31, 2024 citing a lack of funding.

The organization has offered emergency mental health counseling to those in need with both paid staff and volunteers managing the phone hotlines.

“We are heartbroken to announce that, as of December 31st, we will no longer be there when people call,” said a press release from Reachout, circulated by director Karen Butler Easter.

The closure of the organization has left a void for mental healthcare and intervention services throughout the county, officials said.

County officials said they are hopeful that Citizen Advocates can fill that void, but a "ramp up phase" will be needed to onboard staff and connect with local resources, officials said.

As part of the initial phase, the county has agreed to fund Citizen Advocates with $150,000 in Opioid Settlement Funds to cover start-up costs in the county.

The comprehensive service plan will include a 24/7 mobile crisis response service where licensed and certified staff able to practice in New York State will provide intervention services.

Along with the crisis hotline, Citizen Advocates will also have an electronic health record and the ability to bill Medicaid Managed Care for both telephonic and mobile responses, an appropriate level of crisis follow-up services, and provide the current community provider, if indicated, documentation of the crisis contact the following day, officials said.

The services are aimed at supporting and assisting law enforcement, which officials say they hope will lessen the burden for those first responders in the event of a behavioral health crisis.

After forming an ad hoc committee to bring forth recommendations, the CSB convened and unanimously awarded the contract and associated pass-through funding from the state to Citizens Advocates.

Not all legislators were totally sold on the idea however, as Jim Reagen said he was concerned about the recruitment model that was presented to legislators, as well as a lack of county knowledge to place those in need with the proper departments.

"For someone who is at their wit's end and is looking for help, isn't necessarily or doesn't need classic mental health, but they may need to be referred to the Office for the Aging for particular services...Social Services, you know just a host of different programs, we need to be able to direct them," he said.

"I don't know whether or not your clinician or your peers are going to know as much as the Reachout staff know," he said.

Reagen said he felt the county offered "a lot of other services" that could benefit those in need but said Reachout played a crucial role in supporting those in need every day.

"Reachout handled a lot of other kinds of calls as well. Those of us who worked with reach out over the years and know their staff, they're hardworking, the professionalism stood out," he said.

Reagen said he was not attempting to downplay the services Citizen Advocates say they will offer but rather voicing concerns that the "ramp up phase" as it is being called may prove to be a detriment to those in need.

He noted that Franklin County, where Citizen Advocates is based, is different in many ways, ranging from agencies to programs and services.

"That's where I am on this," he said.

Reagen said it was his hope they could offer "the best of both worlds" and tie in previous Reachout employees to the new system.

"Is there a way to combine the best of both worlds by making use of some Reachout staff who would provide a real benefit to this program by helping to ensure that people who call get the best advice that is available?" Reagen asked.

Reagen also commented that Reachout did not participate in the RFP.

"There is nothing that can be done about that," he said.

Citizen Advocates officials said they would have many meetings with Karen Butler Easter during the transition phase for a "warm hand off" to ensure continuity of care but cautioned that it could take 10-12 months to be fully up to speed in St. Lawrence County.

They said Community Services Director Jay Ullrich, along with members of the Social Services department would also be brought into those meetings to ensure there would be "no gaps in care."

But Reagen said those meetings did not address the central issue in his opinion.

Doesn't address central issue, "You have people at Reachout with a lot of knowledge and several conversations are not going to do that person who calls any good when they are talking to a peer who doesn't know anybody in the housing council, doesn't know what CDP does or don't know the services, neighborhood centers or (department) acronyms," Reagen said.

Legislator Harry Smithers said it sounded as though there were serious concerns about communication, saying such failures between departments at the federal level have caused consternation in recent years in particular.

He asked how Citizen Advocates planned to proceed forward in integrating with 911 in the future.

That plan, Citizen Advocates officials said, involved developing strong community relationships they felt were "imperative for the success of the organization."

They commented that existing relationships were in place with various community providers and local hospitals, however more work would have to be done in the future to full understand the various relationships needed to ensure the longtime success in working with law enforcement in such instances.

Chairman David Forsythe said he was pleased to hear of the efforts already underway to integrate with the local community, as well as the inclusion of a 24/7 hotline for crisis intervention efforts.

"I also want to thank Reachout for their service. You know, it's 24/7 with two people on the phone. That's hard work," he said.

Citizen Advocates officials say they will continually provide updates to the county as the "ramp up phase" continues.

Citizen Advocates President and CEO James Button is the brother of St. Lawrence County Attorney Steve Button. Attorney Button informed NCTW he was not involved in any part of the process, continually recusing himself and citing his family connection as a conflict of interest.