BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI

North Country This Week

CANTON — The Community Services Department for St. Lawrence County has received updated state aid for mental health and substance abuse services.

Director of Community Services Jay Ullrich informed the county legislature service’s committee of the pass through funds during the committee’s Aug. 21 meeting.

The funds passed through the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) for contract agencies throughout the state.

The state aid has been increased as a result of changes in the 2023-24 state budget that called for a 4% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for providers of mental health services in addition to Community Services receiving an OMH state aid COLA increase of $11,546, officials say.

With the budget modification, legislators agreed to increase appropriations for SEACAP advances and SEACAP alcohol addiction services by $46,250 each.

Various other appropriations were increased by a total of $29,636, including United Helpers advances, Seaway Valley Prevention Council, Catholic charities, Step by Step and ARC advances.

Revenue was also increased as part of the modification, totaling $29,636 for mental health services, while appropriations decreased $51,315 for Step by Step advances, ARC advances and United Helpers advances. Revenue was decreased by $51,315 for mental health services.

In other action, legislators also signed off on a contract with OASAS for an outreach and engagement clinic model grant.

The one-time only funding totals $489,614 for the contract period, which begins Oct. 1, 2023 and ends Oct. 30, 2025.

Those funds come from the New York State Opioid settlement funds to support outreach and engagement “through case management services designed to reach underserved populations with opioid use disorders (OUD) across New York State,” legislators say.

Officials say the majority of the grant funds will be used to create two health home care coordinators to “bridge the gaps that deter individuals with substance use disorders, in combination with other co-occurring health issues, from meaningful access to recovery services.”