The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) today announced the opening of a new opioid treatment program in Watertown, N.Y., enabling more New Yorkers to be able to participate in medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. The expanded treatment service opening today has the capacity to serve up to 100 individuals with opioid substance use disorder by offering medication assisted treatment and counseling services to those in need in Jefferson County and surrounding areas.

“The path to recovery from addiction for many includes the use of medication to assist treatment and today we have more MAT available in New York State,” said NYS OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “New Yorkers from the North Country and beyond who are struggling with addiction can now get additional services in Jefferson County to help them begin their journey toward recovery. Medication assisted treatment is an important piece of our continuum of care and we thank Governor Cuomo for his commitment to expanding MAT across New York.”

The new treatment service will be offered at the Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions, Inc. located at 595 West Main Street in Watertown. State funding, through NYS OASAS, was provided to make renovations to ensure compliance with Federal and State regulations for medication-assisted treatment and ongoing maintenance. NYS OASAS will provide more than $200,000 in annual operating costs to the program. The OTP is housed in the same building as other Credo addiction treatment services so individuals can take advantage of existing programs and supports offered under the same roof. In addition, Credo also provides residential treatment for pregnant women and women with children, young adult males and community residential care for adult males. Credo also has an outpatient substance abuse clinic located in Lowville, New York. 

MAT is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Research shows that when treating substance-use disorders, a combination of medication and behavioral therapies is most successful. MAT is clinically driven with a focus on individualized patient care.

“Anyone who has a loved one struggling with a drug addiction knows the pain and heartbreak that comes with it,” said State Senator Patty Ritchie.  “As a member of the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction and a member of the Senate’s Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee, I have been working in recent years to help stop the spread of drugs in our communities and I am pleased to see the implementation of this new program in Watertown, which will help us to provide greater access to treatment for those looking to break free from the deadly grip of these substances.”

"This is an essential service for those working to kick the habit and enter a life of recovery. Having necessary services available locally will enable people to rebuild their lives without having to travel out of the region to seek those services,” said Assemblywoman Addie Jenne Russell. "Addiction touches every corner of our society,

and many of those in need of those services have families to care for while they recover. I hope those struggling with addiction are able to take advantage of this new program and rebuild their lives."

“I want to thank Governor Cuomo and NYS OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez for their support in bringing this service to the North Country,” said Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions Executive Director Jim Scordo. “I am pleased that Credo Community Center OTP will be another available treatment option to add to our continuum of care in helping to address the opiate and heroin epidemic.”

New York State, through its Health Department and alcoholism and substance abuse agency, encourages more physicians – outside of traditional addiction treatment clinics - and other prescribers to become certified to prescribe MAT. For more information about MAT trainings for prescribers, visit the federal government’s Providers’ Clinical Support System for MAT. Qualified physicians who receive this training are certified to treat up to 30 patients in the first year and up to 100 or 275 patients the next year depending on field of practice and other parameters.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). New Yorkers can find an OASAS-certified substance use disorder treatment provider any time by using the OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard. For help with accessing care and insurance coverage, visit the Access Treatment page on the OASAS website.

To find a naloxone overdose reversal medication training near you, visit the OASAS opioid overdose prevention trainings page. Visit www.combatheroin.ny.gov for more information on addressing heroin and prescription opioid abuse, including a Kitchen Table Tool Kit to help start the conversation about the warning signs of addiction and where to get help. For additional tools to use in talking to young people about preventing underage drinking or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.