By Chad Kushins
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For six long years, Smithtown Horizons Counseling and Education Center has had to struggle to help residents in need of their unique services – drug and substance abuse recovery, education about the nature of addiction, or sometimes just a sympathetic ear for those suffering from an addicted family member or friend. This week, however, the town’s sole beacon of hope for recovery finds its own light at the end of a dark tunnel, as the Center makes its new and improved home on Smithtown’s Main Street.
Aside from the practical nature of setting up camp in the heart of town, Horizons’ new address of 161 East Main Street also offers a symbolic symbol of strength, understanding, and tolerance to all visitors who drive down the town’s busiest thoroughfare. Originally existing in Town Hall upon its inception in 1979, Horizons eventually moved to its most-recognized location at 124 West Main Street in 1986.
According to Horizons Director Elaine Economopoulos, that location was, even then, small in size and inadequate in meeting the needs of its visitors.
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“If you’ve ever been in there,” Economopoulos told Smithtown Matters, “then you’ll know that the quarters were very, very tight. “We were very limited on space and it was inadequate in running our programs and groups – and there are many different types of groups that we offer. We had to color-code everything as far as, ‘Okay, so your group session is here today, and next time you’ll be in this room.’ It was very tight and that made daily operations difficult.”
Economopoulos continued, “We really needed the space in order to provide ample services. We had been leaning on the community for a very long time – running groups in the Dennison Building in Hauppauge, the Kings Park Resource Room for alliance meetings, borrowing other departments’ conference rooms – things like that. We were forced to be all over the place.”
Economopoulos has been a part of the Horizons program since its origins in 1979, beginning as a senior counselor and clinical supervisor and eventually becoming the program’s director in 1984. Horizons, while never in danger of closing down its town-sanctioned practice, was still forced to make compromises in its programs and group sessions offered, prompting its director and staff to seek out a new location as far back as 2007.
“Of course, people were very kind in allowing us to use their space,” Economopoulos continued, “but that still means that their needs take priority. And with a move like this, it involved the town and the county and state, so it became a matter of getting all the many ducks lined up … We’re fully affiliated with the town as a town program, but we also exist through state and county grants.”
According to Economopoulos, the ball really got rolling after she sent off a new grant proposal for further rent money. In a case of both necessity and perseverance, her request led to approval for a complete relocation. “From that point on, I was able to go to the state and express what our true needs were,” she added. “So, we started off looking for a place to rent that the state would be willing to fund, but then when it came down to what kinds of renovations we would need, it didn’t make sense to invest in renovated a place that you’re only renting. And that turned the whole project into ‘Let’s look for a place to purchase,’ which was better than we could have hoped.”
With the initial goal of finding a suitable location to rent, Economopoulos was aided by various town departments in researching available spaces. “We looked at a number of buildings,” said Economopoulos, “and [161 East Main Street] really seemed like the most opportune one. It’s right on Main Street, which means that driving, bus services, and the train station are all nearby, and when we learned that there was the possibility of purchasing, the project just grew from there.”
In preparing for the move, Horizons was aided by other town departments – the such as the Engineering Department, the Town Attorney’s Office, and the Parks Department – all of which worked with Horizons in getting both the red tape completed and in overseeing the renovations to the building. Economopoulos added, “It was great to have all of the departments working so closely … the Building Department worked with us, Public Safety worked with us. It was really a team effort.”
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Thanks to that “team effort” and the auspices of Smithtown, Suffolk County, and New York State, Horizons was able to get its move completed in time to re-open by July 30, although an official “Grand Opening” is planned for September, a date is yet to be announced. For those hoping to see the new Horizons Center, or for additional information on their services, hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and Fridays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; the office may be reached at 631-360-7578 or at www.smithtowninfo.com/HorizonsCounseling/
Horizons Counseling and Education Center is a non-profit agency providing professional adolescent and adult counseling, prevention services, and parenting workshops for the Smithtown community. It serves residents facing substance abuse problems and other damaging addictions and all services are confidential. Daytime and evening counseling groups are available by appointment only. Fees are based on a sliding scale and private insurance is accepted.