NEW HAMPTON, N.Y. -- In 2013, officials from the Office of Mental Health made plans to close the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in the Town of Goshen. Officials planned to reduce the number of state psychiatric centers from 24 to 15 and relocate patients to other facilities.
"They're now either going to be relocated to New York City or all the way to Rochester, and if you're a family member of one of these patients, now you've got to travel from the Hudson Valley to Rochester to see your family member. That's just not realistic," said Assemblyman James Skoufis.
Skoufis said there are only three forensic facilities in the state, including the facility in Goshen. Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said the facility provides critical care to Hudson Valley residents.
"It's nice to be able to say we're closing them and were putting people on the street but when they put them on the street with no care that's really where we've seen a really negative impact on society," Neuhaus said.
If the hospital closed, Orange County was set to lose more than 500 jobs. Officials said the psychiatric center is nearing the end of its useful life and needs to be rebuilt. Officials said they will find other ways to consolidate or close facilities to cut down the number of psychiatric centers in the state.