Ulster County mental health officials report expanded crisis response, declines in overdoses and suicides

Ulster County Commissioner of Mental Health Tara McDonald and Deputy Commissioner Katrina Williams told the Legislature’s Health, Human Services and Human Rights Committee on March 6 that the department expanded countywide crisis response and community outreach during 2024 and plans new services in 2025.

The report covered the department’s move to the County Center for Well-Being at 368 Broadway in January 2024, the Scribe Support Center under construction (walls, paint and furniture were reported complete and an April 2025 opening was anticipated), and a greater county presence through coordinated street outreach and single point-of-access (SPOA) processes.

The presentation matters because the department oversees the local behavioral-health safety net, distributes state aid to community-based providers and coordinates crisis response across Ulster County. Officials said the 2024 work laid a foundation for broader changes in 2025, including a countywide behavioral-health needs assessment designed to inform future contracting and service priorities.

McDonald said the department operates as the county’s local governmental unit under the Mental Hygiene Law, Part 41, and passes state aid from the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports through contracts to community providers. Deputy Commissioner Katrina Williams described the department’s organizational teams: three SPOA coordinators, a community support team, fiscal and management teams and five county-employed clinicians who provide direct services under contract arrangements.

Officials described several 2024 highlights with specific metrics. The mobile mental-health team served 2,508 individuals in 2024 with an average response time of 18 minutes; department leaders noted that response time is an average across Ulster County’s large geography. LaSalle School’s school-based mental-health program maintained a 91 percent average capacity; officials said 96 percent of parents were involved in the program and 87 percent of discharges completed their treatment goals. The residential SPOA recorded 61 housing admissions.

On substance use and overdose prevention, a department staff member reported 346 total overdoses in 2024 and 29 fatal overdoses, describing this as a decrease from 2023. The department leads an Opioid Strategic Action Team (OSAT) of more than 40 organizations and used nearly $50,000 of opioid-settlement funding to buy harm-reduction supplies for street outreach. A pilot Ulster County Recovery Friendly Business program operated last year through a partnership with Gateway Hudson Valley and local employers; two participants had enrolled in the pilot by year-end.

Suicide-prevention work also showed improvement: the department reported 25 suicide deaths in 2024, a 17 percent reduction from 2023 and roughly in line with a five-year average of 26. The county’s Suicide Prevention Coalition (SPEED) pursued targeted strategies, including gun-safety partnerships, because officials said firearms account for a high share of suicide fatalities.

Officials described the Integrated Ulster initiative — now in its seventh year — which aims to make providers “complex-capable” so they can address co-occurring mental-health and substance-use needs rather than refer clients elsewhere. Staffing and cross-system work groups focused on housing, community engagement, training, workplace wellness and equity were highlighted as part of that initiative.

McDonald said the department administers and monitors roughly $10,500,000 in state and county funds that are passed through to local providers. She highlighted other programs and numbers: the chief psychologist completed 45 court-ordered psychological examinations under CPL 730, a court liaison assisted 63 individuals, senior case managers engaged 27 people (including jail reentry work), and the department reported more than 50 hours of community office hours visits across nine towns in 2024.

On street outreach, officials described an 11-provider network — including Access Supports for Living, Family of Woodstock, the Mental Health Association, Oracle DMH and Ellenville Regional Hospital — that coordinates outreach and responded to a homeless-crisis surge at Ellenville Regional Hospital’s emergency department in 2024. Committee members asked how residents can connect people in need to outreach; staff said contacting Jake, the senior case manager who coordinates street outreach, is the fastest route.

Department leaders asked the public and legislators to encourage constituent participation in the county’s behavioral-health needs assessment, which they expect to produce a report by the end of 2025. They also reiterated plans to continue building out the County Center for Well-Being (additional floors and suites) and to open the Scribe Support Center in April.

McDonald and Williams closed by offering department contact information and thanking the committee for time to present the annual review.