It’s a program that has changed lives in Broome County.
“It has been a godsend that my family member is able to be successfully self-employed,” said Four Seasons Club supporter Ruth Blizard.
The Four Seasons Club supports adults with severe mental illness. It’s run by Catholic Charities and is funded by the county. But it’s facing closure.
“I am terrified. We’ve lost so many mental health programs,” said Blizard.
The county is looking at replacing it with a similar program that would cost less. Some legislators question whether or not the new program could provide the same services.
“The legislature, the committee, would like to make sure we’re comparing apples to apples and to make sure that the most vulnerable are going to continue to be taken care of the best that we can,” Broome County Legislator Kim Myers said.
But the program’s director says this change would do the opposite of that, as its 360 members would have to relocate.
“We feel that people will suffer with the ability to manage their mental health symptoms, with the emotional upset that they’re going to encounter,” said Catholic Charities Executive Director Lori Accardi.
This program has been around for nearly 33 years. Legislators say it has an unbelievable reputation in the community. They’re concerned about what taking it away would mean for Broome County’s mental health services.
“Those are questions that we have to have answered before we just change for the sake of a couple hundred thousand dollars – which is not insignificant – but we want to make sure that it’s not selling those citizens short," Myers said.
"If we lose this program, I doubt another organization could fill the need," Blizard said, "and we’ll see people on the street, people getting into trouble, ending up in the hospital, or worse yet, ending up in jail."
A decision has been put on hold until next month. Legislators have requested more information about the new program's location, transportation for its members and details about its services before moving forward with a decision.