ROCHESTER — Catholic Family Center is in the midst of extensive renovations designed to better serve clients in its substance-abuse recovery programs.
During a June 1 ceremony, the Catholic Charities agency broke ground for a new residence on Ridge Road East in Rochester that will serve as the future home of CFC’s Barrington House. According to agency officials, it will be the first-ever facility in the Rochester area to offer housing, addiction treatment and support for women in recovery while their children live with them as well.
In the planned three-story residence, Barrington House will be able to house up to 23 women (age 18 or older) who are either pregnant or already have children, as well as up to five children. Kathleen Grant, CFC’s director of marketing and public relations, said that the new facility is due to become available for occupancy in the spring of 2022. It will more than double the current capacity of Barrington House, which accommodates up to 11 women and no children at another Rochester location. Grant told the Catholic Courier that having the option to stay with their children means more women are likely to seek needed help from CFC, rather than feel compelled to skip treatment in order to care for their families.
CFC is receiving nearly $5 million in funding for the Barrington House project from New York State’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
“We are excited for the continued expansion of our services to provide impactful support for the people we serve,” Marlene Bessette, CEO of Catholic Family Center, said in a statement. “And we are proud to contribute to the overall health of our community as we support women and their families on their recovery path.”
Barrington House is one of three Rochester-based community residences offered by Catholic Family Center for folks in recovery. The others, both for men, are Jones House and Alexander House. Grant noted that Jones House, located on Jones Avenue, recently completed a renovation that increased its capacity from 16 to 24 adult male residents. The renovation took a year to complete, during which time Jones House clients lived at the Ridge Road East address where Barrington House will eventually be located. That building has now been razed to make way for construction of the new women’s facility.
Jones House, Barrington House and Alexander House are all part of CFC’s Restart Community Residential Services program, which assists clients in developing skills to achieve independence and self-sufficiency as well as a drug-free lifestyle. The Restart initiative also includes intensive residential services, as well as outpatient programs for people struggling with gambling, drug or alcohol addiction.
In related news, Grant noted that the welcoming space for CFC’s behavioral health clinic — located in the main CFC building at 79 N. Clinton Ave. in downtown Rochester — has been enhanced to make for smoother access. There is now a separate entrance adjacent to the Regional Transit Service bus terminal for clients who are visiting Restart’s outpatient and day rehab services as well as its mental-health facility. Grant said that the entrance — which was constructed with the help of $160,000 in funding from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation — is larger, brighter, safer, and more welcoming for clients and staff.
Tags: Catholic Charities, Monroe County East
