The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the New York State Health Department (DOH) today announced the launch of the Staten Island Drug Prevention Portal, a new website to enhance the access to addiction services for people on Staten Island. The site contains resources for the public and medical professionals, as well as data regarding the opioid epidemic to help identify areas of greater need for intervention and urgent actions. Click here to access website.

Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) in collaboration with New York State and multiple organizations and collaboratives on Staten Island created this new portal as part of a community-wide strategy to track the opioid epidemic and accelerate the response on Staten Island. Community members, families, and professionals can access data, while also obtaining resources and ways to get help. The site will also include a data dashboard to track progress on the “North Star” metrics identified in Staten Islands’ opioid crisis study released by the Borough President’s Office.

“The opioid epidemic has presented great challenges on Staten Island and throughout our State, but we are confronting them head on with aggressive and innovative measures,” OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said. “We are committed to ensuring that Staten Island residents have all the resources at their disposal to manage and overcome the crisis, and this website will help residents in need to better access critical services that will make a difference in their lives.”

“We have been working closely with providers in Staten Island, and throughout the State, to increase awareness about the dangers of opioids, prevent future addictions, and expand access to treatment for those who need it in the present,” said New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. “This new website is another tool that Staten Island residents and health care professionals can use to research and connect those seeking help with prevention, treatment and recovery services.”

“Thanks to the active participation and important contributions of Staten Islanders, local partners, and our colleagues in government, we created a borough-wide data strategy to accelerate the borough’s response to the opioid epidemic and create a set of clear, quantifiable priorities to guide our efforts in this fight,” said Borough President James Oddo. “This Staten Island Drug Prevention Portal takes that blueprint and turns it into a reality to push back against the epidemic, which is still devastating communities across our borough.” 

“Offering greater access to treatment and recovery resources has been a key component to our fight against the opioid epidemic and it is essential we continue to expand these types of life-saving services at every turn,” said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon. “This new, comprehensive website will make finding help easier for Staten Islanders and their families struggling with substance abuse, while at the same time serving as an important resource for the public as well as health care professionals. NYS OASAS, the New York State Department of Health, the Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, and the Staten Island Performing Provider System have been tremendous partners in providing Staten Islanders with better access to treatment and we will continue working together to ensure an end to this crisis.”

“The SI PPS is grateful for the support from OASAS and the Department of Health in addressing the substance use disorder challenge in our community,” said Joseph Conte, PhD, CPHQ, Executive Director, Staten Island Performing Provider System. “The launch of this site is the initiation of a comprehensive program supported by our District Attorney and Borough President that includes safe prescribing education for practitioners, prevention efforts and public facing engagement promoting conversations between practitioners and patients on safer alternatives to pain management. The website offers practical information about progress in the effort to combat SUD and resources available to the community for services and professionals alike,”

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.