“The need is there, this facility is here and we thought ‘let’s make these things happen.’”
The space has 12 beds, including a handicap space on the first floor, and is a co-ed facility for people 21 and older.
According to Newell, the referral process is simple, with an individual just needing to call and see if there is space available, followed by a conversation about the person’s needs. After they will come in and be assessed by a medical professional, be it the RNs who are available to do assessments or the Nurse Practitioner who is operating as the medical director, and it will be determined whether the person is appropriate for this level of care.
Once on-site, they will receive an assessment and immediate discharge planning which will help start the process for figuring out in the future if this person feels unstable where they can go. SunRISE Retreat also offers many treatment options like group therapy, individual therapy, family interaction and other services right on site. There are individual plans for each person who stays at SunRISE retreat, meaning some people may only need a few days away in a quiet place to get their lives in order while others may need a longer stay to do some work with medications with their doctor or therapy — with a maximum stay of 28 days.
Newell expects several of the people the residence could be serving may be homeless – so this program could give them some time to figure out an alternative place for them to be. The program is also, while located in Saratoga Springs, not limited to Saratoga County. “It is available regionally,” Newell shared. “So Saratoga, Warren, Rensselaer, Albany and Schenectady counties can all come here.
”On Aug. 24, RISE held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new residence with many leaders on local and federal levels coming out to support and speak very highly of this new facility. Moira Tashjian, NYS Office of Mental Health Deputy Commissioner who has been identified as an early supporter of the program congratulated Newell and the Rise team as well as spoke praise of the work that is to be done at SunRISE Retreat.
“Hopefully, it will be a haven for individuals who are in a behavioral health crisis,” Tashjian said. “A wonderful part about this is for everybody. It’s for anybody. It’s for your brothers and sisters, your mothers, your father, your kids. It’s for all of us. And it is so needed in today’s world, where people just need a place to rest their head and regain their sensibilities of life and stability.”
Another person who attended the ceremony and expressed their support was Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake) who expressed how it is always a joy to come out and celebrate the accomplishments of RISE as well as how much good this facility will do for the community.
“To have the second crisis of intensive housing in New York State located right is going to be such an aid to people in our community who are struggling, for people who have severe mental illness and need a place to get things back together, people who are just struggling,” Woerner said. “RISE you are a leader. Sybil, you and your team are a leader in our region and the capital region broadly for meeting the needs of people who are struggling with both housing and mental illness.
“We are so grateful that you are here in our community and that you have the vision the leadership, and the ability to get the things done that you do.”
Another individual who echoed similar sentiments was Dr. Michael Prezioso, Saratoga County Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services Commissioner who also thanked Newell and her team along with speaking about all the good it would do for the community. “I wanted to thank Sybil and RISE for bringing this program to the county, the need is significant, particularly for folks in acute mental crisis and real health crisis,” said Prezioso. “Not all of those folks meet the criteria for admission to a hospital setting, but we do need an intensive setting for them to get some relief from the symptoms in the vein of their suffering.
“This is a needed addition to the continuum of care that we have in the county. This has been a missing piece. And we’re so fortunate to have it here.”
Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim was also in attendance at the ribbon cutting and spoke in support of SunRISE Retreat.
“One of the first people that I met when I took office about 19 months ago was Sybil and her staff and I just remember what came to me was they weren’t doing a job, this was their calling,” Kim shared. “This was their calling, this is their passion, this is inside of them and this is why you see facilities like this — because they’re not just doing a job they’re doing what is in their heart.
“And it’s so important for our community that we have these kinds of facilities, so I want to thank them for what they’ve done for our city.”
SunRISE retreat is shaping up to open in the next few weeks and is looking forward to taking in individuals who need their help. The residence is located at 57 Kirby Road in Saratoga Springs.
“It’s so exciting, we’ve needed this in the community for a very long time,” Newell shed. “At RISE we have so many programs where we work with folk who at various times are in a mental health crisis and there is a very narrow definition that can get you into a hospital – you often have to be an immediate danger to yourself or an immediate danger to others before you can be admitted into a hospital and a lot of times people are not in that category but are not safe to be on their own.
“They are not doing well or in a place, they need a little more support.”
