Nonprofit will provide referrals, support

A newly formed community organization, the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub, will host its grand opening in Cold Spring on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 3 to 7 p.m.

Located just off lower Main Street, the nonprofit will offer confidential referrals to mental health and addiction services, as well as information and follow-ups.

Executive Director Danielle Pack McCarthy at The Hub (Photo provided)

Its executive director is Danielle Pack McCarthy, a social worker who is also Philipstown’s addiction-resource coordinator, a position established by the Town Board in 2017. She said those in need will be referred to the center by schools, judges, therapists, first responders and religious institutions, although walk-ins are welcome. The Hub also will host support programs and workshops and identify grants that could fund addiction recovery and resources.

“We have a lot of private practitioners who do great work [with therapy] but are not necessarily connecting patients to other resources,” Pack McCarthy said. “We want to make sure no one slips through the cracks.”

She said she expects that “getting people in the door” will be the initial challenge, “to make people comfortable with the space. We’re busy now establishing that foundation, creating policies and at the same time already working with families in crisis.”

The entrance to The Hub (Photo by A. Rooney)

Pack McCarthy, a former Nelsonville trustee, spends 12 hours per week as the town’s addiction resource coordinator but noted “there are not enough resources. The Hub will broaden my position to more mental-health programming” and offer regular hours and a central location. “The number of overdose deaths in Philipstown is just unacceptable,” she said. “So, too, is the prevalence of loneliness, isolation and addiction.”

The Hub is overseen by a board of directors chaired by Shannon Keegan that will handle marketing, technology and fundraising. “The board is quite diverse; there are people who have been here their whole lives and others who have moved here in the past 10 years,” Keegan said. “We have a wide range of experience and perspectives, including, for example, an emergency-room doctor at Putnam Hospital.”

Keegan said the board did not plan to have a storefront but was able to fund it because of the “amazing community support. So many people are touched by mental-health issues, whether it’s depression, anxiety or loss of life,” she said. “We’ve had generous startup money.” Once they established the office, she said, “it felt essential.”

The Hub’s logo

The other members of the board are Luke Hilpert, Tamar Stubbs, Carol Powell, Katie Cucchiarella, Drena Fagen, Maria Stein Marrison, Dave Marzollo, Melanie Matero, Kristin McPherson, Craig Muraszewski, Rebecca Pearsall, Lisa Scicluna, Sylvia Wallin and Suzanne Willis. The Hub is also working with the Philipstown Coalition, formerly known as the Philipstown Communities That Care Coalition.

Pack McCarthy said having a location in Cold Spring is important because so many resources are located on the other side of the county. “Even when we could get people to Carmel for the initial step [for treatment], it was too far to be able to do a real follow-up,” she said.


“Now people can come through this door, get an assessment, find out about the resources available, and I’ll be following up closely,” she said. “I’ll be asking ‘How did that meeting go? What was the chemistry like?’ I’ll be arranging transportation. What we don’t want is for people to be sent to the E.R. and get cast out. This is a place where relatives can say, ‘This [treatment] didn’t work,’ and we can try again.”

The Hub is located at 5 Stone St. To learn more or donate, visit philipstownhub.org or call 845-809-5050. For confidential assistance, call or text 845-260-1001.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Rooney has been writing for The Current since its founding in 2010. A playwright, she has lived in Cold Spring since 1999. She is a graduate of Binghamton University, where she majored in history. Location: Cold Spring. Languages: English. Area of Expertise: Arts

One reply on “Mental-Health Hub Opens in Cold Spring”

  1. No one has to fight this fight alone any longer. The opening of the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub office on Stone Street in Cold Spring fills me with hope. I believe it will save lives. While no community rallies around someone who is battling a disease better than Philipstown, it has been difficult to shift perception toward understanding and embracing the fact that mental illness and addiction are indeed diseases.

    This has meant too many of our own residents have suffered alone, battling potentially deadly symptoms without adequate treatment options, while also burdened by the weight of judgment and shame. Too many have died. No more! With The Hub as a central launching point, the time has come for our community to make sure no one has to fight this fight alone any longer.

    The Hub will support open and ongoing conversations about mental health and addiction to reverse stigma and end shame. It will assist residents in maximizing current treatment options and join in the mission to expand treatment. It will stay the course with support through long-term management. The Hub is being built on a strong foundation of passion and pain and the commitment of many individuals, community groups, and our local government. Please support The Hub any way you can at philipstownhub.org. If you or a loved one need help please contact [email protected]. You matter.

    Matero, a Hub board member, is a 25-year Philipstown resident and business owner who lost a son to addiction.

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