Support Services - Addiction

Treatment for Professionals

We understand that professionals experience unique circumstances and factors that impact the recovery process. These factors may include high visibility in the community, high-performance standards, significant stress levels and ongoing accountability to others. With this in mind, we have established a specialized treatment program to address the distinct needs of physicians, allied health care providers, attorneys, corporate executives, college professors, ministers, airline pilots, and other professionals in our community.

We offer a thorough, confidential assessment, as well as a variety of other services designed to meet the needs of the professional. Our goal is to help the professional attain a healthy and satisfying lifestyle, free of alcohol and drugs. With support, treatment and education, professionals can improve the quality of their lives, return to a productive career and contribute to the community they serve.

Professionals outpatient services:

• Evaluation/assessment
• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Supportive services for families
• Case management and community linkages
• Advocacy with licensing Boards and referral sources
• Psychiatric services
• Peer self-help meeting
• Workplace reintegration
• Urine drug screening
• Breathalyzer screening

Treatment for Adolescents

St. Peter's Health Partners offers programs for adolescents (ages 13-18) with alcohol and substance abuse problems. We strive to help these individuals and their families attain a healthy and satisfying lifestyle free of alcohol and drugs. This program addresses the problems adolescents face with their peers and in their families and school environment.

This program provides a variety of age appropriate-therapeutic and educational components.

Adolescent outpatient services:

• Evaluation/Assessment/Diagnosis
• Individual counseling
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Case management
• Information and referral services

Drinking Driver Program (DDP)

SPARC's DDP offers a minimum 16-hour program of classroom education conducted over a seven-week period. The curriculum, developed by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, consists of lectures, films, group discussions, and self-evaluation.

DDP students who are identified as having possible alcohol or substance problems are referred for an evaluation to a certified provider and, if necessary, recommended to a treatment program.

A mandated fee of $225—paid in full by the first session—is due for satisfactory completion of DDP. ALL sessions must be attended in full, and clients must be on time each week for the beginning of each session. Failure to attend all classes results in program dismissal. Clients must completely abstain from alcohol on the day of each session.

St. Peter's Emergency Homeless Shelter

St. Peter's Emergency Homeless Shelter, located at 56 Morton Ave., Albany, is open year round and offers 11 beds (nine male, two female). Shelter residents are referred by the Homeless and Travelers Aid Society (HATAS), which may be reached at 518-463-2124.

The Shelter provides:

• Overnight accommodations
• Meals
• Case management and programming
• Vocational/educational training and referrals
• Interviewing training for apartments and jobs
• Nutrition training
• Personal hygiene training
• Spirituality groups, self-help support, and social activities

The Shelter may be contacted at 518-472-0450.

Men's Community Residence

At SPARC's men's community residence, patients strive toward independence with a focus on relapse prevention, life skills, housing, and vocational/education plan development. During an average stay of four-to-six months, residents participate in therapeutic addiction treatment at SPARC's outpatient clinics, or other community-based chemical dependency treatment program.

Our men's community residence is funded by the US Social Services Department (Congregate Level 2 Care), Social Security Insurance (SSI)/Disability (SSD) and private pay. Each resident receives food stamps through Albany County. Local applicants for admission must be pre-approved by Albany County's central management unit or equivalent social services departments if the residence is outside of Albany County.

For those patients meeting admission criteria, SPARC's men's community residence accepts patients with co-occurring disorders (MICA). Call 518-472-0450 for more information.

Continuum of Care

SPARC Continuum of Care is a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded program designed for the homeless or clients having a substance abuse diagnosis. The goal is to provide rental assistance and stabilized housing. The program takes on the "housing first model" which helps eliminate some of the barriers for people to be admitted to housing programs, such as lost documents due to moving or homelessness. The program does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, gender, or LGBT+ status. Call 518 391-3276 for more information.

RRSY Admission Review Team

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) implemented regulations for the delivery of quality Chemical Dependence Residential Rehabilitation Services for Youth (RRSY). The development of this service is based on "Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Services for Individuals under 21 years of age," a federal Medicaid service category.

A major federal-operating requirement is that all Medicaid eligible youth are certified for clinical appropriateness in order to maximize treatment accessibility and effectiveness. OASAS contracts with St. Peter's Behavioral Health Management to develop and administer an admission review team (ART).

ART consists of a physician, a certified social worker, and a NYS credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor (CASAC). These professionals examine preadmission review forms submitted by RRSY providers. By completing an ART preadmission review form, the provider attests that admission criteria are fulfilled and that documentation to substantiate each criterion checked yes is in a written record. ART will then issue a written certification that the youth can be admitted to the RRSY level of treatment.

RRSY providers may contact ART by telephoning 518-452-6742 or toll-free at 1-866-675-5885.

Community Programs and Support Groups

The following information/links are provided for your convenience. St. Peter's Health Partners is not affiliated—nor endorses—any of the listed groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous 
518-463-0906

Alanon, Alateen, Al-Anon Adult Children 
518-292-0577 
1-888-4AL-ANON

Narcotics Anonymous 
888-399-5519