BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Citizen Advocates will open a 24-hour behavioral health clinic in Ogdensburg on April 4.

Citizens Advocates CEO James Button told St. Lawrence County legislators Monday that the clinic would provide crisis support, stabilization, respite and detox services for people of all ages.

“After two years of planning I’m excited to say we are going to open urgent Care April 5,” he said.

The facility will be located in the former Agway store on Park Street, which has been renovated. Citizen Advocates opened a similar facility in Massena in 2019 where it has served more than 1200 people.

St. Lawrence County Legislator James Reagen, R-Ogdensburg, said he’s extremely grateful.

He said that having a facility that provides services 24-hours a day, seven days per week is vital to people struggling with an addiction.

He said it means there is somebody there for them when they decide to reach out for help which is important because you never know when someone’s going to need it.

He said that people from many walks of life for one reason or another can become addicted and that it often takes many attempts for them to kick their habits.

Reagen questioned if the facility would be taking patients in emergency situations from 911 calls. Button said they would not. He said that such calls are required to go to the hospital emergency room.

However, he said he believes the facility has the potential to redirect some of the traffic seen by hospitals as people may be more comfortable in the setting provided by Citizen Advocates.

Button said the services provided by the facility will be well rounded and geared toward helping people get well.

He said the organization wraps services around the client in order to improve outcomes.

Citizen Advocates was founded in 1975 and employs more than 800 health professionals and support staff who provide a broad range of services with compassion and skill to 8,100 individuals and families on an annual basis.

“With administrative offices in Malone, Citizen Advocates provides developmental disability, mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services throughout Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties,” the organization’s website says.