KINGSTON, N.Y. — Following a comprehensive assessment of the county’s behavioral health needs, the Human Services Research Institute issued a list of 24 recommendations to strengthen the county’s behavioral health system.
Among the recommendations are that the county open satellite clinics in the southeastern parts of the county, to open additional clinics in Ellenville, and that the mobile outreach team expand both the hours it operates and the locations it serves.
“A growing majority of Ulster County residents live in rural areas,” the report stated. “There are significant disparities in social drivers of health and access to services in rural parts of Ulster County, particularly in the Southwestern (Ellenville) and Southeastern parts of the county.”
It also recommended that the county provide better information to both county residents and service providers about the behavioral health programs and services that are available.
“Although there are numerous existing directories, they called for an interactive platform that includes information about services, not just a list of numbers or websites,” the report stated.
Additionally, it noted: “There is a large network of providers, including private practice practitioners in Ulster County, and they are not all aware of existing programs. There is no established system for sharing information about new programs and capacity in the current system.”
Ulster County contracted with the Human Services Research Institute in 2023 to conduct the report, which will be used in the development of the Ulster County Department of Mental Health’s five-year strategic plan.
In conducting the assessment, the Institute looked at needs related to individuals (youth and adults) and families with mental health, addiction, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities, the report stated.
It found that, according to the New York state County Health Ranking, Ulster County adults reported experiencing 5.7 poor mental health days over a 30-day period, slightly higher than the state average of 4.9 days; and that 17% reported experiencing more than 14 poor mental health days that same 30-day period, again higher than the statewide average of 16%.
It also found that 23% of the adults surveyed reported excessive or binge drinking, again higher than the statewide average of 20% and that between 2018 and 2022 there were 13 suicides per 100,000 of the population. The New York state rate over that same timeframe was eight suicides per 100,000 people.
In a press release announcing the completion of the assessment, County Executive Jen Metzger said the findings will help the county develop a “more coordinated, equitable, and data‑driven behavioral health system for Ulster County residents.”
“Every resident in Ulster County deserves timely, high‑quality behavioral health care, no matter where they live or what challenges they face,” Metzger stated in the release. “This assessment gives us a clear, evidence‑based picture of where the system is working and where it must be strengthened.
“It reflects the voices of people with lived experience, families, providers, and community leaders, and it will guide our long‑term strategy to expand access, improve coordination, and build a behavioral health system rooted in equity and community care,” she stated.