Monroe County Executive Adam Bello stood with leaders of Delphi Rise on April 29 to announce a major investment for the walk-in open access clinic.
Delphi Rise is Monroe County’s only 24/7 open-access clinic. Every year, Bello said, over 1,500 people come to the clinic seeking their services, which range from substance use prevention to treatment and recovery.
Bello announced that the county will be investing $4.5 million in opioid settlement funding to sustain Delphi Rise’s 24/7 open-access clinic for the next five years.
“Monroe County remains committed to confronting substance use with real solutions through prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction,” Bello said. “Every person seeking help deserves dignity, every person in crisis deserves immediate support and every life is worth fighting for.”
This investment comes after the clinic faced federal funding cuts. State officials say federal cuts under the Trump administration eliminated more than $300 million for New York health programs in 2025, including roughly $40 million in addiction‑services funding.
In response to the cuts, Bello submitted legislation to the county legislature for emergency funding in the amount of $405,000 to restore the funding to open access at Delphi Rise.
The county also in January 2026 committed $900,000 annually for five years for the program through an investment made possible by the opioid settlement fund.
Anthony Barron, an open access peer advocate, said due to programs and services at open access — he was able to turn his life around and now he can help people who are struggling.
“It feels good knowing the work I do is going to save a life,” Barron said. “And it’s going to help someone become a better person in life, maybe a better parent in life, it’s just overall, life becomes better in recovery.”
Jennifer Cathy, Delphi Rise president and CEO, said the county did not only step up when they were in a crisis, but they’ve made a commitment that will allow the clinic to find a path towards long-term stability.
“We cannot go away, we cannot leave our community in this moment, not when our interventions are starting to work and we’re seeing real lives saved,” Cathy said.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Monroe County puts $4.5M into 24/7 addiction care
Reporting by Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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