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A new methadone dosing clinic is set to open in Hudson, addressing a significant gap in addiction treatment services for Columbia and Greene counties. The facility will be located in the Twin Counties Recovery Services outpatient building on Power Avenue\.
The clinic will be staffed and managed by the Lexington Center for Recovery, which operates similar programs throughout the Hudson Valley. According to Times Union, the clinic is opening with the help of a state grant specifically designed to fill gaps in methadone treatment across New York.
Keith Stack, CEO of the Addictions Care Center of Albany, which is merging with Twin Counties, highlighted the importance of this new facility. Columbia and Greene counties are among 24 counties in New York that currently lack methadone clinics, forcing residents to travel to other counties for treatment.
"It's always better to receive treatment in your community instead of traveling long distances... sometimes that becomes overwhelming and can lead to relapse," Stack explained.
The need is significant, with data showing more than 270 people from Columbia and Greene counties traveled outside their communities for methadone treatment in 2024. Many patients undergoing methadone treatment have transportation challenges, including lost licenses, making daily clinic visits particularly difficult.
Since early 2020, Columbia County has recorded 34 overdose deaths from various substances, representing one of every 1,775 residents. While proposed methadone clinics sometimes face community resistance, Stack doesn't anticipate significant pushback for this facility since it will operate within an existing addiction services building in a non-residential area.
Twin County Recovery Services already maintains licensed, medically supervised outpatient clinics in Hudson and Catskill, along with residential programs. The organization's philosophy emphasizes that "recovery from substance use disorder is not only possible but should be within the reach of all citizens of Columbia and Greene Counties."
The new methadone clinic is expected to open before the end of 2026, providing vital services to a community that has previously lacked local access to this form of treatment.