Awards will Allow Providers to Establish Substance Use Prevention Coalitions in Each Region of New York State
Three Provider Funding Recipients Will Have Special Focus on LGBTQIA+ Community
$1.8 Million in Funding Also Being Made Available for Additional Coalitions in New York City Region
On June 7th, 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced $4.5 million in funding for 10 organizations to establish substance use and prevention coalitions in New York State. Providers receiving funding will focus on the priority populations, including three providers that will have a special focus on the LGBTQIA+ community. A further $1.8 million is also being made available to establish additional coalitions in the New York City region.
NYS Governor Kathy Hochul
“Addiction can affect anyone, and helping those who have been impacted, as well as their families, is personal to me,” Governor Hochul said. “Like far too many New Yorkers, my family has lost a loved one battling with addiction. New York State will never waiver in its commitment to establishing effective addiction prevention services, and my administration will continue to be laser-focused on supporting this important mission through coalitions such as these.”
Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham said, “Establishing and supporting effective, evidence-based prevention services are a critical pillar of the work we do at Office of Addiction Services and Supports. These coalitions will play an important role in bringing tailored services to the places and individuals they serve and will allow us to reach more people in high-risk populations with much-needed help and support.”
Prevention coalitions are designed to better engage vulnerable and isolated communities and populations in developing and implementing environmental change prevention strategies. This funding will help them to develop culturally appropriate and tailored prevention initiatives for underserved communities and populations.
Three of the providers listed below – D-Fi Drug Irondequoit, Inc., Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Northpointe Council – will provide targeted services for the LGBTQIA+ community, with other providers focusing on additional high-need populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, high poverty areas, and older adults.
Funding was provided to New York State through the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, with awardees selected through a Request for Applications process administered by OASAS. Each award recipient will receive $150,000 per year for three years, for a total of $450,000.
Capital District
- Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area (Troy Drug Free Community)
Central New York
- Farnham, Inc
Finger Lakes
- D-Fi Drug Irondequoit, Inc.
Long Island
- Youth Environmental Services, Inc.
Mid-Hudson
- Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, & Ulster (Team Newburgh)
Mohawk Valley
- Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc (BRIDGES)
New York City
- Immigrant Social Services, Inc.
North Country
- Seaway Valley Council for Alcoholism and Substance Use
Southern Tier
- Tompkins Cortland Community College
Western New York
- Northpointe Council
Additional Prevention Coalition Funding for New York City
Further funding of up to $1.8 million for additional coalitions in the New York City region is also being made available. These awards will be made to providers in Bronx, Kings, Queens, and Richmond Counties, with each successful applicant receiving up to $150,000 annually for three years. This funding is being awarded through an RFA which can be viewed here.
New York State has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the overdose epidemic, and created a nation-leading continuum of addiction care with full prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. We have worked to expand access to traditional services, including crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, as well as medication to treat addiction, and mobile treatment and transportation services.
Governor Hochul was a member of the NYS Heroin and Opioid Task Force, which in 2016, recommended new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, and open access centers, which provide immediate assessments and referrals to care. These services have since been established in numerous communities around the state and have helped people in need access care closer to where they live.
New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).
Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, residential, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website.
If you, or a loved one, have experienced insurance obstacles related to treatment or need help filing an appeal for a denied claim, contact the CHAMP helpline by phone at 888-614-5400 or email at ombuds@oasas.ny.gov.
This article was originally published here on June 7, 2022.
