Citizen Advocates Inc.

Citizen Advocates Inc., doing business as North Star Industries, is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Malone, New York, and registered with the AbilityOne program since 2002. The organization specializes in providing facility maintenance services and behavioral health support to federal agencies while creating employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Citizen Advocates Inc. operates as both a federal contractor and grant recipient, delivering essential services across maintenance operations and community mental health and substance use disorder treatment initiatives primarily throughout New York State.

Through federal contract awards, Citizen Advocates Inc. has demonstrated consistent expertise in facility maintenance services across multiple Department of the Army installations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities. The organization has received five prime federal contract awards totaling approximately $1.002 million, all structured as firm fixed-price purchase orders without set-aside designations. Specific contract work includes grounds maintenance services at Fort Drum in Plattsburgh, New York (valued at $29,310.56, awarded May 2025), custodial services at a Plattsburgh facility ($92,109.34, awarded January 2025), grounds maintenance at the Canton Army Reserve Component facility ($24,116.12, awarded July 2024 with four twelve-month option periods), an option year one custodial services modification at the Canton facility ($88,145.50, awarded April 2024), and janitorial, custodial, and grounds maintenance services for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a Churubusco, New York facility ($768,546.23 for Option Year 2, awarded September 2023). These contracts reflect the organization's established performance record with the Department of the Army across northeastern installations and CBP's continued engagement under the AbilityOne program.

Citizen Advocates Inc. has secured federal grant support through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and related entities to expand behavioral health services in St. Lawrence County, New York. The organization received two prime federal grant awards totaling project grants focused on Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) expansion efforts at its Massena clinic. The first grant, awarded February 15, 2021, with completion date February 14, 2023, supported establishing comprehensive 24/7 behavioral health services including medication-assisted treatment, targeted case management, peer supports, and psychiatric rehabilitation services, with anticipated service to at least 1,200 unique individuals. The second grant, awarded September 30, 2022, with completion date May 29, 2024, focused on expanding capacity to serve 2,000+ consumers while increasing medication-assisted treatment access by at least 50 individuals annually across a four-year cycle. Additionally, Citizen Advocates Inc. has received multiple federal grant sub-awards as a subrecipient from prime grantees including the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc., New York State Education Department, and New York Department of Transportation. These sub-awards address substance use disorder services (NYS OASAS SOR awards from 2020 through 2024), child nutrition programming through consolidated block grants, and transportation infrastructure through bus purchases, demonstrating the organization's integrated approach to community health and social services.