Ulster County has opened a new, around-the-clock crisis support center in Kingston, expanding access to immediate behavioral health and substance use services for residents of all ages.
County Executive Jen Metzger announced the opening of the Ulster County Crisis Support Center, operated by People USA in partnership with the Ulster County Department of Mental Health. The center is located on the first floor of the Ulster County Center for Well-Being at 368 Broadway and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
County officials say the center is designed to provide rapid, community-based care for people experiencing mental health or substance use crises, while reducing reliance on emergency rooms and hospitalizations. Services include clinical assessments, timely intervention, peer support, and coordinated follow-up care, all in what the county describes as a safe, welcoming, and less restrictive setting.
“The Crisis Support Center represents a major step forward in how we care for our community, ensuring that our residents have access to compassionate, community-based care in a supportive environment, any time of day or night,” Metzger said. “These around-the-clock services complement programs and services offered on other floors of the Ulster County Center for Well-Being, providing a continuum of care for children, families, and adults under one roof.”
Metzger also emphasized the broader vision behind the facility, which brings together multiple behavioral health services in one building. “Whether someone is seeking urgent behavioral health care, long-term counseling, or support for a child in crisis, this building brings together the partners and programs that help our residents heal, build resilience, and thrive,” she said, thanking county staff, People USA, and state partners for helping bring the project to completion.
Mental Health Commissioner Tara McDonald said the opening follows more than three years of planning and development.
“The opening of this vital 24/7 intensive and supportive program is an example of the wonderful things that can happen when there is alignment between local government, state government, and strong partnerships with community-based organizations,” McDonald said. “The Ulster County Crisis Support Center operated by People USA has been in development for more than three years and there were many times that we questioned whether we would cross the finish line and make it to this day.”
McDonald said the effort was ultimately worth it. “Knowing that the center will provide our County residents with a welcoming environment and qualified compassionate staff ready to support them during challenging times, makes it all worth it,” she said, calling the opening “a hopeful time for the behavioral health system of care in Ulster County.”
The center is operated by People USA, a peer-run mental health nonprofit. Its Chief Executive Officer, Steve Miccio, described the facility as an entry point to recovery.
“The Support Center is a beacon of hope for so many in our community, often serving as their first step along their journey to recovery and wellness,” Miccio said. “We have redefined compassionate and effective care for those in crisis.”
County officials also highlighted the center’s role in supporting law enforcement and the justice system by providing an alternative to jail or emergency rooms for people in crisis. Ulster County Public Health Director Eve Walter, who first proposed the idea while serving in the county legislature, said the need became especially clear in recent years.
“When we first envisioned this initiative, our goal was to create a place where people could get help the moment they needed it — not weeks or months later,” Walter said. She noted that judges and law enforcement repeatedly raised concerns about the lack of appropriate places to bring people in crisis, a gap that widened after COVID-19 reduced the number of mental health beds in the region.
“We secured ARPA funding to make it possible, and seeing this Center open 24/7 is a powerful reminder of what thoughtful investment and collaboration can achieve for our community,” Walter said.
Ulster County Legislature Chair Peter Criswell said the project fulfills a long-standing goal of expanding access to behavioral health care.
“This Center fills a long-standing gap in our behavioral health system by offering 24/7, walk-in access and peer-led support in a safe, welcoming environment,” Criswell said. “It is a perfect fit within the Center for Well-Being, where multiple behavioral health programs now operate under one roof, ensuring people in crisis can access the compassionate care they deserve, right when they need it.”
In addition to the Crisis Support Center on the first floor, the Ulster County Center for Well-Being houses a range of services, including walk-in behavioral health urgent care on the second floor, a youth mental health clinic for ages 5 to 21 on the third floor, and the Ulster County Department of Mental Health on the fourth floor.