Funding Will Assist OASAS-certified Providers in Hiring Nurse Practitioners and Certified Recovery Peer Advocates

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced the award of nearly $5 million in funding, which will assist OASAS-certified providers in hiring nurse practitioners and Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPAs) to help New Yorkers in need of addiction services. Providers were awarded one-time funding of $40,000 per peer advocate position, and $25,000 per nurse practitioner position.

"Nurse practitioners and recovery peer advocates are on the front lines in the fight against the opioid epidemic," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who made today's announcement in Albany. "With this significant commitment of funding for organizations in every corner of our state, we are investing in professionals who work every day to break the cycle of addiction. This funding will go a long way toward ‎addressing the impact of the opioid crisis and save lives."

“Addiction professionals can make a huge difference in the lives of people affected by addiction,” OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said. “This funding will allow us to expand the number of people who can offer this vital assistance, and in turn will allow more New Yorkers to receive essential services and to progress in their recovery.”

Certified Peer Recovery Advocates are individuals who hold an OASAS-approved certification and provide peer support services. The advocates are either in recovery themselves, or have a close family member in recovery, and work to help patients develop recovery plans and learn effective coping habits.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) treat patients attempting to break their addiction to drugs, alcohol or other addictive substances. They may diagnose, treat, and prescribe for a patient's condition that falls within their specialty area of practice. Within OASAS settings, their responsibilities may include: acute care, adult health, family health, psychiatry, and women's health.

Providers receiving funding under this initiative are listed below, with the number of awards in parentheses.

Capital District

• Addictions Care Center of Albany, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Council of Schenectady County, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Conifer Park, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Hope House, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Peters Hospital of Albany (1 NP)
• Twin County Recovery Services, Inc. (2 NPs)

Central NY

• Conifer Park, Inc. (1 NP)
• Crouse Health Hospital, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Farnham Inc. (2 CRPAs, 1 NP)
• Helio Health, Inc. (2 CRPAs, 1 NP)

Finger Lakes

• CASA Trinity, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• The Clifton Springs Sanitarium Company, dba Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic (1 CRPA)
• Delphi Drug & Alcohol Council, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery Agency, Inc. (1 NP)
• Huther Doyle Memorial Institute, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Rochester General Hospital (1 CRPA)
• Unity Hospital of Rochester (2 CRPAs)
• Seneca County Community Services Board (1 NP)
• Strong Memorial Hospital (2 CRPAs)
• Wayne Community Services Board (1 CRPA, 1 NP)

Long Island

• Bridge Back to Life Center, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• The Center for Rapid Recovery, Inc. (1 NP)
• EAC, Inc. (1 NP)
• Family & Children’s Association (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Family Service League, Inc. (3 CRPAs, 1 NP)
• John T. Mather Memorial Hospital of Port Jefferson, New York Inc. (1 NP)
• Mercy Medical Center (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Outreach Development Corporation (2 CRPAs)
• Phoenix Houses of Long Island, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Rockville Centre Drug & Alcohol Abuse – CONFIDE, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• South Shore Child Guidance Association, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Youth Environmental Services, Inc. (1 CRPA)

Mid-Hudson

• Abilities First, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Arms Acres, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, & Ulster (4 CRPAs)
• Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (1 NP)

Mohawk Valley

• Buffalo Beacon Corporation dba Beacon Center (1 NP)
• Insight House Chemical Dependency Services, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Otsego County Community Services Board (1 CRPA)
• Rome Memorial Hospital, Inc. (1 NP)

New York City

• AIDS Service Center of Lower Manhattan, Inc. dba Alliance for Positive Change (1 CRPA)
• Argus Community, Inc. (2 NPs)
• Arms Acres, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Bleuler Psychotherapy Center, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Bowery Residents Committee, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Bridge Back to Life Center, Inc. (1 CRPA, 2 NPs)
• The Bridge, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Camelot of Staten Island, Inc. (2 CRPAs, 2 NPs)
• The Child Center of NY, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Inc. (1 NP)
• Hands on Health Associates, LLC (1 CRPA)
• Lower East Side Service Center, Inc. (1 NP)
• Metropolitan Center for Mental Health (1 NP)
• Montefiore Medical Center (1 CRPA)
• Mount Sinai Hospitals Group, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• New York Therapeutic Communities, Inc. (2 CRPAs)
• Osborne Treatment Services, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Outreach Development Corporation (2 CRPAs)
• Project Renewal, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Promesa, Inc. (3 NPs)
• Reality House, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Samaritan Daytop Village, Inc. (3 CRPAs, 1 NP)
• Services for the Underserved, Inc./Palladia, Inc. (1 NP)
• Silver Lake Support Services, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• R.I. Center, Inc. (3 CRPAs)
• Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• YMCA of Greater New York (2 NPs)

North Country

• Canton-Potsdam Hospital (1 NP)
• Champlain Valley Family Center for Drug Treatment & Youth Services, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Citizen Advocates, Inc. (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Conifer Park, Inc. (1 NP)
• Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions, Inc. (1 NP)
• Lawrence County Community Services Board (2 NPs)

Southern Tier

• Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County, Inc. (1 NP)
• Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery Agency, Inc. (1 NP)
• Ithaca Alpha House Center, dba Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (1 CRPA)
• United Health Services Hospitals, Inc. (2 CRPAs, 1NP)

Western NY

• Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• Buffalo Beacon Corporation dba Beacon Center (2 NPs)
• Council on Addiction Recovery Services, Inc. (1 CRPA)
• EHS, Inc., dba Evergreen Health (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Erie County Medical Center Corporation (3 CRPAs, 1 NP)
• Horizon Health Services, Inc. (4 NPs)
• Mid-Erie Mental Health Services, Inc., dba Endeavor Health Services (1 CRPA, 1 NP)
• Northpointe Council, Inc. (1CRPA, 2 NPs)
  
  

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, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website. Visit CombatAddiction.ny.gov to learn more about the warning signs of addiction, review information on how to get help, and access resources on how to facilitate conversations with loved ones and communities about addiction. For tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing alcohol or drug use, visit the state’s Talk2Prevent website.