Letter: Psych center must stay open
At a public hearing held by the State Office of Mental Health via video conferencing Tuesday, staffers at the Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center wore shirts calling for the saving the hospital in Dix Hills. (Aug. 27, 2013) Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
Who among us, faced with the need for a new roof, would abandon the building simply to save money? That is essentially what New York State wants to do in proposing to close the Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center ["Bill would delay Sagamore closure," News, Nov. 21].
If our lawmakers and governor want to save money, they should consider this: If Sagamore closes, decades of physical and personal investment to develop an excellent treatment program for children will be lost. The resulting future expenses for the criminal justice system and corrections department will be incalculable.
Joe Giovaniello, Port Jefferson Station
