Citizen Advocates: Behavioral & Mental Health Services
Behavioral Health • Watertown, NY • Since 1975
About
Citizen Advocates, Inc. is a nonprofit provider of behavioral and mental health services and addiction treatment in northern New York. Key points: - Focus: Developmental and behavioral health, addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery; 24/7 mental health and addiction care in the community. - Service area: Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, and St. Lawrence counties (Watertown area included in northern NY network). - Organization: Founded 1975; private nonprofit; headquartered in Malone, NY; 4 offices total in the United States. - Size/scale: Approximately 119 employees; annual revenue in the $25–50 million range; about $7.4 million in total funding. - Accessibility: Community-based care across multiple sites; aims to be an employer of choice in behavioral health. - Contact (for inquiries): General phone lines available; main address at 125 Finney Boulevard, Malone, NY 12953 (Watertown-specific services not listed on the provided page). If you’re looking for behavioral and mental health services specifically in Watertown, NY, this page confirms Citizen Advocates as part of the northern NY network but does not list a Watertown location. Consider contacting their Malone headquarters or seeking direct referral/partner programs in Watertown through the provided phone numbers.
Clinic Type
Behavioral Health
Address
125 Finney Boulevard, PO Box 608, Malone, New York 12953, US
Phone
15184833261
joericcio@citizenadvocates.net
Opening Hours
Not published — contact the clinic to confirm hours.
Telehealth
https://citizenadvocates.net/mental-health/tele-mental-health-services/
Services Offered
Insurance & Payment
—
Languages Spoken
—
Awards & Accreditations
Social Media
Photos
What Patients Say
Overall sentiment across review platforms: mixed
- rater8 (independent reviews): 4.86/5.00 across 195 ratings (aggregated for Behavioral Health services) (195 ratings and 78 comments)
Patients praise
- Many individual providers are rated highly by patients for compassion, knowledge, and communication
- Patients frequently report feeling heard, supported, and well-informed regarding their care and medication options
- Specific staff members are often praised by name for being kind and helpful
Common complaints
- Allegations of wrongful termination involving a whistleblower who raised concerns about medical record accuracy and patient care
- Accusations of intentionally entering inaccurate treatment information into patient medical records
- Reports of patients complaining about receiving improper care
"Ruth is a wonderfully knowledgeable and caring provider, she goes above and beyond to make sure I as a patient feel informed as to my options and that I am able to make choices for my health!"
— rater8 review of Ruth Ann Williamson, PMHNP"Your really nice, you dealt with my awkward ness really well and sorry I'm so slow with thingsssss but thanks for being so helpful even if I'm slow and miss appointments"
— rater8 review of Dawn Curtis, LCSW"Based on the growing number of patient complaints, Plaintiff (Lamay) became increasingly concerned that staff members and counselors employed by Defendant (Citizen Advocates) were intentionally entering inaccurate treatment information into patients’ records."
— WWNYTV reporting on wrongful termination lawsuitSynthesized from public review platforms as of Jul 11, 2026 — sources: [1][2][3][4].
In the News
- Citizen Advocates Earns CARF Accreditation, National Recognition — Nov 4, 2025
- Citizen Advocates vigil for National Recovery Month — Sep 26, 2025
- Citizen Advocates President & CEO Appointed to NYS Advisory Council — Sep 17, 2025
- Lauren Simons, LMSW - Therapist at Citizen Advocates — Jan 28, 2026
- Watertown, Jefferson County celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month — May 7, 2026
Information sourced from the clinic's website as of July 11, 2026.
More behavioral health clinics in Watertown
Behavioral Health at Samaritan Medical Center (Watertown, NY) - Overview: Samaritan Medical Center offers inpatient mental health and addiction services as part of its full continuum of care. The center emphasizes quality, compassion, and safety in delivering behavioral health care to the civilian community and military-affiliated patients. - Services in scope: Inpatient mental health services and related behavioral health programs, with integration into the hospital’s overall medical and surgical services. - Setting: Located at 830 Washington Street, Watertown, NY (HQ and main campus). Not-for-profit community medical center with 294 beds. - Context: Behavioral health is one component of the center’s broad offerings, which also include emergency/urgent care, imaging, maternity, neonatal care, cancer treatment, and other inpatient/outpatient services.
Summary: The Community Clinic at the Children’s Home of Jefferson County (CHJC) is a Watertown, NY-based nonprofit offering clinical services to children and families. CHJC operates a community clinic as part of its broader suite of programs in mental health, care management, foster care, health homes, teen programs, after-school activities, crisis outreach, and child welfare. The organization is headquartered in Watertown, founded in 1859, employs about 65 staff, and serves the Jefferson County area with multiple offices (including 1704 State Street, Watertown, NY 13601). For clinical roles or services, CHJC emphasizes licensed or unlicensed clinicians delivering community-based mental health and wellness support to children and their families.
Comparing your options?
See other behavioral health clinics in Watertown, or search the full directory by insurance, ratings, and more.