A new facility in Saratoga Springs will provide short-term housing to people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Obscured behind tall hedges and a mile from the busy downtown, the new SunRISE Retreat is a so-called Intensive Crisis Residence.
The residence that will accommodate people for up to 28 days is designed to provide mental health support and treatment for individuals who need stabilization after or diversion from a hospital stay.
Moira Tashjian, Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health, says the SunRISE Retreat is the first of its kind in the Capital Region and second in the state.
“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,” said Tashjian.
The facility will be run by RISE Housing and Support Services, which offers human services and residences at other locations in the city, and also operates the temporary 24/7 low-barrier shelter on Adelphi Street.
RISE Executive Director Sybil Newell invited guests to tour the SunRISE Retreat after the ribbon cutting on Thursday.
“It has a big kitchen, it has a family-style dining room, we have offices on the first floor for the nursing staff. So, this is actually going to be staffed by medical personnel,” said Newell.
RISE owns the building that is the former location of the Kaydeross House, a home for girls that closed in 2018. Since that time, the non-profit was in conversation with the state to open an intensive crisis residence.
Newell said the facility is well equipped for its new mission.
“What made this a perfect location was that it has individual bedrooms. So, we have 12 bedrooms upstairs. So, for individuals in crisis, it's important that they have a little bit of their own space, and they're not, you know, in a room with a roommate who's not doing well,” said Newell.
Newell said among things that make the SunRISE Retreat unique is its model that can offer a bed and mental health support without a doctor’s referral.
“And people can really just call SunRISE and request the referral form. So if we have space, that's how we're going to be able to do that. Otherwise, people can actually just walk in off the street. You know, we've already been speaking to law enforcement and EMS about if they find someone, you know, who's in their charge, who appears to need this sort of service, they can actually just call us ahead and bring them here,” said Newell.
Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim was among officials on hand for the ribbon cutting. The Democrat, who has made expanding emergency housing a priority in his first term – including the task force to locate a permanent low-barrier shelter – praised RISE for opening the SunRISE Retreat.
“They analyzed how to set up this retreat and it's now a dream come true. This is great, but it takes community. It takes all of us to do it, working in the same direction,” said Kim.
