The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced the opening of the “All Ways to Recovery” Recovery Center and MHAB Life Skills Campus in Plattsburgh. The recovery center is operated by the Champlain Valley Family Center and will provide free support and services for people who are in recovery from a substance use disorder and their families. The Life Skills Campus is operated by MHAB and offers supervised transitional housing for people in recovery. The center is funded in part with more than $418,000 in federal funding through the State Opioid Response grant, while the Life Skills Campus received $252,000 through the same grant. Funding for both projects is being administered by OASAS.

OASAS today also announced the launch of the Recovery Tax Credit Program, a tax incentive for employers who hire individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder. Eligible employers will be able to access $2 million in tax credits, up to $2,000 per eligible employee, for the 2020 tax year.

“We are committed to investing in recovery centers across the state to help individuals and families struggling with addiction,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Co-Chair of the State Heroin and Opioid Task Force. “This new recovery center and supportive housing development in Plattsburgh will provide free support and services to individuals and families in the area, as well as transitional housing for those in recovery. We want to ensure all New Yorkers have access to the resources and services they need to lead healthy and safe lives, and continue our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in New York.”

“The services offered by this recovery center and life skills campus will give people looking to rebuild their lives from addiction the chance to learn new skills and receive the support they need to live a life free of addiction,” OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said. “With these facilities, we are continuing Governor Cuomo’s vision to make New York State a leader in the fight against addiction.”

The All Ways to Recovery Center will offer a wide range of recovery supports, including peer-to-peer recovery services, skill building and recovery enhancement workshops, and recreational activities. The facility will also offer naloxone trainings, as part of its ongoing educational work to prevent overdoses. 

The life skills campus will serve as a transitional housing facility for individuals in recovery. It will offer secure, supportive housing and life skills training, as well as orientation and connections to community services. Services offered include self-help meetings, linkages to educational services, a fitness center, and training in the addiction and mental health fields.

The recovery center and life skills campus are both located at 14 Dormitory Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12903.

Recovery centers are part of the Governor's approach to addressing substance use disorders in New York State. They promote long-term recovery by providing professional staff, peers and volunteers to engage and support people in their recovery.

New York State also leads the nation with the first ever Recovery Tax Credit Program.  Employers that pay corporate taxes in NYS are eligible to apply for the Tax Credit. Employers must submit the Request For Applications (RFA) to be eligible for the Recovery Tax Credit Program. Eligible employees must be in recovery from a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and hired on or after April 12, 2019.  Employees must work at least 500 hours at an eligible employer and remain employed into 2020. $2M in tax credits (up to $2,000 per eligible employee) will be available for eligible employers for the 2020 tax year.

“The Champlain Valley Family Center has for many years done incredible work helping those struggling with substance abuse and, more recently, they’ve been on the front lines of the battle against opioid addiction,” Senator Betty Little said.  “To say the least, I am very grateful for this support to help this wonderful and effective organization do even more.  Connie and her team will no doubt make great use of the funding.  I applaud Governor Cuomo and Commissioner González-Sánchez for recognizing the challenges we face here in the North Country and for committing the funds to assist individuals in their recovery and to provide the services we know are needed to help them lead productive lives.”

“Substance use has shattered far too many lives in the North Country, and it’s critical that we support the brave individuals working toward recovery,” Assemblyman D. Billy Jones said. “By supporting organizations like these, we can ensure New Yorkers battling addiction have access to a safe, stigma-free environment where they can get the help they need.”

Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioid epidemic, and created a nation-leading continuum of addiction care with full prevention, treatment, and recovery services. To combat this epidemic, the Governor has worked to expand access to traditional services, including crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, as well as medication assisted treatment, and mobile treatment and transportation services.

In 2016, Governor Cuomo’s Heroin Task Force recommended new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, and 24/7 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.

The Governor has advanced legislative and regulatory reform to enable people to get treatment faster by eliminating many insurance restrictions, as well as legislation to reduce most opioid prescriptions from 30 days to seven days, and legislation to increase training and education for prescribers. Governor Cuomo has also taken action to combat patient brokering and fraudulent addiction treatment services.

The Governor has also worked to increase training and availability of naloxone, resulting in more than 420,000 individuals in New York State being trained and equipped with the opioid overdose reversal medication. Through Governor Cuomo’s actions, pharmacies around New York State are now able to provide naloxone without a prescription.

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.