Catholic Charities/Diocese of Syracuse

About Catholic Charities/Diocese of Syracuse

Catholic Charities of Oneida/Madison Counties, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, runs separate men’s and women’s halfway houses in residential Utica, New York, for adults stepping down from inpatient substance use treatment. Each house is an OASAS-certified, 16-bed community residence that offers a homelike, alcohol- and drug-free setting focused on rebuilding health, independence, and a productive daily life. They are designed for people in treatment for chemical dependency who are homeless or whose living situation would put their recovery at risk. Stays typically last about six months, or as long as a resident’s outpatient treatment continues, and the program is moving toward an OASAS 820 Residential Reintegration model.

The houses follow a mutual help model, and peer support is central to helping each resident build a sober network. Every resident works toward personal goals laid out in an Individualized Service Plan and attends intensive outpatient treatment at one of three partner centers, which provide transportation. Staff also connect residents with educational, vocational, social, and self-help services, and residents are encouraged to attend local AA, NA, and SOS meetings. Admission is voluntary and starts with a referral that includes a signed release and a bio-psycho-social assessment, no one is turned away for inability to pay, and both homes are handicap-accessible.