Overview

RSS is a not for profit mental health agency whose mission is to enrich and empower the lives of its client by providing to them services and opportunities for meaningful emotional, social, vocational and educational growth.

RSS programs receive funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health, Medicaid and grants. The New York State Office of Mental Health licenses most of the residential programs.

In Orange and Sullivan County RSS provides residential services and substance abuse services. The Guidepost, an IPRT (Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment) Program, a Children & Youth Recreation Program and Case Management services for children and adults are also a part of our services.

Residential Services

Community Residences

RSS Community Residences are transitional living programs serving consumers with a history of serious mental illness. Staff provide independent living skills training (budgeting, cooking, personal hygiene, etc.), individualized service planning, medication assistance and supervision, transportation, service coordination, and social and recreational opportunities. A part-time CASAC provides individual and group counseling for those residents with a history of substance abuse within the adult programs. The fees for the program’s services are paid through entitlement programs such as SSI, SSDB, Medicaid and/or private pay.

There are four community residences in Orange

County and two in Sullivan County. Two of the Orange County community residences are in Middletown on the Community Campus, the Monhagen Avenue CR, a geriatric residence and the Middletown CR, a young adult residence, each serving 14 adults. The Washingtonville CR is located in Washingtonville and serves 12 young adults. We also have the Hamptonburgh CR, an eight-bed community residence in Hamptonburgh serving female adolescents, the first community residence of its kind in New York State.

In Sullivan County the Pleasant Street CR is located in Monticello and the Revonah Hill CR is located in Liberty, both are community residences serving 12 young adults with the Revonah Hill CR specializing in MICA services.

Supportive Apartments

Open since 1986, RSS also has the Orange Supportive Apartment Program, a transitional living program serving 22 adult residents with a history of mental illness. The apartments are scattered sites located in the city of Middletown and New Windsor (one site) where one or two individuals live. In Sullivan County we have an apartment program serving 28 adults with apartments located in Monticello and Liberty. Staff visits are conducted at least three times per week or every day if needed. The sites are within easy access to stores, laundry facilities, public transportation and community resources.

As in our community residences, staff provide on-site visitation, 24-hour on-call, independent living skills training (budgeting, cooking, personal hygiene, etc.), individualized service planning, medication assistance and supervision, service coordination, social and recreational

opportunities as well as a furnished apartment.

A part-time CASAC provides individual and group counseling for those residents with a history of alcoholism and substance abuse. Transportation is available. The fees for the program’s services are paid through entitlement programs such as SSI, SSDB, Medicaid and/or private pay.

Supported Housing

RSS has also run a supported housing program since 1992. The Orange County Supported Housing Program is a permanent housing program serving 18 individuals with a history of mental illness at scattered sites in the cities of Middletown, Port Jervis and Newburgh. The Sullivan County Supported Housing serves 27 adults. All sites are within easy access to stores, laundry facilities, public transportation and community resources. Staff visits are conducted based on individuals needs for support and intervention to succeed in their chosen living environment. A special provision of this program is to provide a monthly rental stipend.

As part of the Orange County Supported Housing Program we also provide services to aging out adolescents. Through both OMH and a HUD grant this program is currently serving 14 individuals. Enhanced case management services are also provided.

Recreation/Respite

In Orange County and Sullivan County there are Children & Youth Recreation Programs, which provide community integration, recreation and social skills training and recreational activities to seriously emotionally disturbed children.

Case Management

The Orange County Case Management Program is a blended/flexible ICM/SCM Program. ICM/SCM teams provide shared case management planning and service provision for high risk adults and children/youth with mental illness currently in OMH housing, other living situations in Orange County, or homeless. Individuals are enrolled in Intensive or Supportive Case Management level of care and have a primary case manager providing linkage, advocacy, and coordination with clinical, financial, family, vocational, educational, and other community support services in order to facilitate reintegration, crisis intervention and community tenure. The Orange County Case Management program serves 128 individuals throughout Orange County.

Multi-Systemic Therapy

The Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) funds a Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) program. The program has been developed in partnership with the Orange County Department of Mental Health and RSS. MST is a unique, goal-oriented, comprehensive home-based clinical program designed to serve multi-problem youth in their community. All interventions are delivered in full collaboration with family members and key figures in each area of the child’s life -- parents or legal guardians, school teachers and principals, etc.

For Orange County residential programs contact:

Nolly Climes, Program Director

P.O. Box 220

Middletown, New York 10940

Phone: (845) 342-2216

Fax: (845) 342-5316

e-mail: nclimes@hvcbiz.rr.com

For Case Management contact:

Gary Werner, Program Coordinator

P.O. Box 220

Middletown, New York 10940

Phone: (845) 342-2216

Fax: (845) 342-5316

e-mail: gwerner@hvcbiz.rr.com

For Sullivan County residential programs contact:

Carmen Benitez, Program Director

22 Crystal Street

Monticello, New York 12701

Phone: (845) 794-1521

Fax: (845) 794-2616

e-mail: cbenitez@libertybiz.rr.com

To contact the Managing Director of the Orange/Sullivan Division of Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc.:

Susan K. Miller, ACSW

Managing Director

22 Crystal Street

Monticello, New York 12701

Phone: (845) 791-4010

Fax: (845) 791-4262

e-mail: skmiller@pronetisp.net