Syracuse, NY -- The VA Medical Center has relocated most of its outpatient mental health services to a Syracuse office building at 620 Erie Blvd. W. that formerly housed the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The VA is leasing 32,200 square feet, or about one quarter of the building. It spent $2.3 million gutting and renovating the space, which...
Syracuse VA Behavioral Health, 620 Erie Blvd. W.
Syracuse, NY -- The VA Medical Center has relocated most of its outpatient mental health services to a Syracuse office building at 620 Erie Blvd. W. that formerly housed the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
The VA is leasing 32,200 square feet, or about one quarter of the building. It spent $2.3 million gutting and renovating the space, which features lots of light, artwork, wide hallways, wall-to-wall carpeting and other amenities designed to create a non-institutional-looking environment.
The Syracuse VA Behavioral Health Outpatient Center provides veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, substance abuse services and vocational counseling. It also houses a program for homeless veterans, a general outpatient mental health clinic, a suicide prevention program and other services.
The Syracuse VA provides outpatient mental health services to about 3,500 veterans annually. It also provides some outpatient mental health services at 1030 E. Fayette St., Syracuse. The VA moved the outpatient services because its medical center on Irving Avenue had run out of space.
The VA has doubled the size of its outpatient mental health staff over the past 10 years as services have expanded, said Judy Hayman, the VA’s care line manager for behavioral health. About 90 employees — psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and counselors — work at the new location.
She said there has been an increased need for services from younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The VA has upgraded mental health services nationwide to ensure consistency in its programs, she said.
The outpatient services were formerly located on the seventh floor of the VA Medical Center. That space is being renovated and converted into an expanded 18-bed inpatient mental health unit. The outpatient programs moved into the new location in November. The center will hold a grand opening June 4.
Contact James T. Mulder at 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com.