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St. Joe’s purchases site for new detox center

This rendering shows what the outside of a new St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers detox, open access and outpatient clinic center would look like. It is expected to open within the next year. (Image provided by Jim Grant, St. Joseph’s)

SARANAC LAKE — St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers purchased a property which will become a detox center, 24/7 open access center and permanent home outpatient clinic.

In addition to short-term detox services, the open access center will offer those suffering from substance use disorder immediate engagement with health care professionals. This facility will also be the site of St. Joe’s expanded Saranac Lake Outpatient Clinic.

Berkshire Hathaway Adirondack Premier Properties announced the sale of the former Swift lumber property on John Munn Road last week, in a move that has been talked about for a couple years. It is expected to begin providing services before the end of 2019, according to St. Joe’s communication director Jim Grant.

“We are naming the facility the St. Joseph’s Robert R. Reiss Community Service Center after former St. Joseph’s board member Bob Reiss who served on St. Joseph’s board for more than a decade and who passed away last year,” St. Joseph’s CEO Bob Ross said in a press release.

Stays at detox centers are short-term — usually a person spends five to seven days there. But these facilities are often full.

The inside of the former Swift lumber property on Saranac Lake’s John Munn Road is seen, where St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers will establish a detox, open access and outpatient clinic center within the next year. (Photo provided by Jim Grant, St. Joseph’s)

This center will join a detox facility in Canton and a recently opened facility in Schuyler Falls to address addiction in the region.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced $10 million in capital funding to expand addiction withdrawal services throughout the state. As part of the state initiative, St. Joe’s received $1.2 million to establish 10 detox beds to provide medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization programs, offer medical assessment, information about recovery support, family treatment, clinical services, and medication to manage withdrawal symptoms.

The organization was also awarded $450,000 in a similar initiative by the state to fund open access centers.

Overall, the project has been awarded $3.35 million through grants. In advance of that grant funding, St. Joe’s approached the Primary Care Development Corporation for financing.

According to Grant, this will allow the facility to open a year sooner. The next step is working with Lake Placid architect Andrew Chary to begin planning renovations to the 8,000-square-foot building. The engineering will be done by Architectural & Engineering Design Associates.

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