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Family Services tells Ulster committee it will expand children’s mental‑health services and same‑day access
Summary
Family Services briefed the county committee about plans to open child mental‑health services in Ulster County this summer, extend same‑day access to children, start medication‑assisted treatment and bring case management in‑house, and to open a child‑care center at the county family court.
Leah Feldman, CEO of Family Services, told the Ulster County Health, Human Services, and Human Rights Committee on May 8 that the agency will expand local behavioral‑health supports and other services in the county.
"I am Leah Feldman. I'm the CEO for Family Services," Feldman said as she summarized the agency's regional footprint and local operations. She said Family Services runs 14 sites across the Hudson Valley and maintains two sites in Kingston, one in Ellenville and one in Highland, and that the agency served nearly 19,000 children, adults and families across the region last year.
Jesse Serubi, chief program officer, described immediate program changes the agency plans to roll out in Ulster County. He said Family Services operates eight New York State Office of Mental Health‑licensed behavioral health programs in the two counties and will "soon, very soon this summer" expand services to children age 3 and older at Ulster County centers. Serubi also described a same‑day (open access) intake model launched in March for adults that the agency will extend to children and families, saying the change produced a "20% plus increase in access over the same period of time last year." He confirmed the agency is initiating medication‑assisted treatment (buprenorphine and injectable options) for people with opioid use disorder and is planning to bring case management services in‑house.
Feldman noted Family Services received a state grant to open a child‑care center at the Ulster County Family Court to provide free care to families using the court. She also said the agency operates a Family Partnership Center that houses about 20 nonprofit partners and runs the Ulster Prevention Council in partnership with all nine local school districts to coordinate evidence‑based substance‑use prevention.
Both presenters described partnerships they expect will expand care, including clinical work with People USA’s stabilization center and referral coordination with the Institute for Family Health. They fielded a brief question period after a short PSA video.
Committee members praised the presentation and thanked Family Services for the update. The agency offered to return with implementation details and outreach plans as the summer start dates approach.
