The Saratoga County Health and Human Services Committee on July 1 authorized a memorandum of understanding with Saint Anne's Institute to collaborate on a short-term crisis residence for youth and accepted multiple state funding increases intended to support medication-assisted treatment in the county jail.

The agreement with Saint Anne's will support operation of a crisis residence called The Beacon, a small stabilization program of about five or six beds in Albany intended to serve youth ages 12 to 17 and be available to Saratoga County residents.

Megan, speaking for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said, "They are opening a crisis residence again called The Beacon to serve children age 12 to 17." The committee voted to authorize the department to enter into the MOU; the motion received a second and passed on a voice vote.

Committee members also approved resolutions to accept state opioid stewardship funds intended to support medication in the Saratoga County Correctional Facility and to amend the 2025 budget. Megan told the committee the opioid stewardship funding supports purchase of "naltrexone and buprenorphine," medications used in medication-assisted treatment that the county passes through to the sheriff's office so the jail can obtain them.

Officials approved three separate budget amendments described as targeted inflationary increases from the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). The committee accepted a $3,120 increase for the jail-based medication-assisted treatment program and a $1,666 pass-through increase intended to fund a cost-of-living rise for a certified recovery peer advocate employed by the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council. The committee also accepted an additional $43,368 to be distributed among contracted OASAS providers; the department said $4,876 of that amount will increase the county fund balance and a fraction will go to the county program.

The initial opioid stewardship award amount listed in the meeting materials could not be read clearly in the transcript; the department described that the initiative covers a two-year span beginning July 1 and ending June 30 and that three distinct funding amounts appear on the resolutions. The transcript did not provide an unambiguous dollar figure for that first listed award.

All motions related to these items were made, seconded and approved on voice votes during the meeting; the transcript records committee members responding "aye" but does not include a roll-call vote.

Committee discussion focused on authorizing the department to collaborate with Saint Anne's and on passing state aid through to jail and contracted providers to maintain access to medication-assisted treatment.