NEW YORK (WWTI) – Governor Kathy Hochul announced over $4.7 million will go to support the development of new comprehensive integrated outpatient treatment programs for addiction.
“Far too many New Yorkers have been impacted by addiction, and my administration remains committed to addressing the opioid and overdose epidemic across our state,”
Governor Kathy Hochul
This is the second round of funding awarded through the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund for these programs. To date, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports has awarded $10.6 million in funding to 20 of these programs to support their development, plus $3.4 million in federal funding for 14 additional programs, for a total of about $14 million.
Programs receiving this funding will operate both an outpatient treatment program and an opioid treatment program at the same site. Comprehensive integrated outpatient treatment programs provide more ways to access person-centered services, including medication treatment for opioid use disorder.
This initiative is part of ongoing efforts by OASAS to establish integrated programs statewide designed to centralize medication treatment and other addiction and healthcare services making it easier for New Yorkers seeking treatment for substance use disorders to access multiple services in one location.
“Providing comprehensive addiction treatment, as well as additional health services in one location, is making it easier for us to reach people in need, and save lives. The approach offered by these new facilities is helping to address some of the barriers that people may face when seeking treatment, and increasing their access to lifesaving help and support.”
OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham
Award recipients are listed below:
| Region | Award recipient | Award amount |
| Finger Lakes | CASA-Trinity, Inc. | $660,000 |
| Finger Lakes | Helio Health, Inc. | $760,000 |
| Mid-Hudson | St. John’s Riverside Hospital, Inc. | $373,598 |
| Mohawk Valley | Helio Health, Inc. | $760,000 |
| New York City | START Treatment & Recovery Centers, Inc. | $400,614 |
| New York City | Odyssey House, Inc. | $760,000 |
| North Country | St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Center, Inc. | $652,644 |
| Western NY | The Community Action Organization of Western New York, Inc. | $401,990 |
Secured by Attorney General Letitia James, New York State is receiving more than $2 billion through various settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Part of the funding from the settlements will go directly to municipalities and the remainder will be deposited into a dedicated fund to support prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery efforts to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.
“Through the Opioid Settlement Fund, we are supporting New Yorkers and families who have been affected by expanding access to important services and programs throughout the state to send a message that help is available for anyone in need.”
Governor Kathy Hochul
The legislation that established the dedicated fund also created the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board, which is tasked with making recommendations on how settlement dollars should be issued. On November 1, 2022, board members issued their first recommendations identifying the expansion of harm reduction services and treatment as top priorities.
NYS has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the overdose epidemic and created a nation-leading continuum of care for addiction with full prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction services. The state has worked to expand access to traditional services, including:
- Crisis services;
- Inpatient;
- Outpatient;
- Residential treatment programs;
- Medication to treat addiction; and
- Mobile treatment and transportation services.
Governor Hochul in 2016 – when she served as a member of the NYS Heroin and Opioid Task Force — recommended new, non-traditional services that provide immediate assessments and referrals to care, including:
- Recovery centers;
- Youth clubhouses;
- Expanded peer services; and
- Open-access centers.
These services have been established in numerous communities statewide and have helped people in need access care closer to home. NY’s OASAS oversees one of the nation’s largest substance use disorder systems of care that serve over 731,000 individuals per year with about 1,700 prevention, treatment and recovery programs. Including the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where inpatient and residential services are provided to about 8,000 individuals per year by doctors, nurses and clinical staff.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, you 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 through the NYS OASAS website.
NYS would like to inform you that if you or a loved one have experienced insurance obstacles related to treatment or need help filing an appeal for a denied claim you can contact the CHAMP helpline by phone at 888-614-5400 or email at ombuds@oasas.ny.gov.
