Federal Funding To Support Development of Mobile Units Throughout New York State
Funding Also To Enable 15 Service Providers To Support Street Outreach Services in New York City, the Southern Tier, and the Mohawk Valley
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $10.25 million in federal funding to bolster harm reduction. Administered by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, $5.75 million is earmarked to support the development of mobile medication units, and $4.5 million is being awarded to help 15 providers establish street outreach units for engaging populations that have difficulty accessing care.
"My administration will continue using every tool at our disposal to help individuals impacted by addiction and address the heart-wrenching toll overdoses have taken on communities across our state," Governor Hochul said. "The $10.25 million announced today will help fund these critical services and help connect New Yorkers to the support and resources they need to break the vicious cycle of addiction."
New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham said, "Every individual has different needs and goals related to their recovery, and at OASAS, we are dedicated to meeting them wherever they are and offering any help they require to reach their goals. These new mobile medication units and street outreach efforts will allow us to connect with high-risk populations, engage more people, and link them to lifesaving assistance and support."
Mobile Medication Units
All mobile units will offer admission assessments and medication induction, medication administration and observation, toxicology tests, and other medical services. The development of mobile medication units was made possible by a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration rule change, allowing them to be operated by existing treatment providers.
This funding for the units was provided through the federal State Opioid Response Grant, which is administered jointly by the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene and OASAS. The following providers will each receive $550,000 to establish new mobile medication units:
New York City
- PROMESA, Inc. (Bronx)
- PROMESA, Inc. (Kings)
- West Midtown Management Group, Inc., DBA West Midtown Medical Group
Western NY
- PROMESA, Inc. (Chautauqua)
- PROMESA, Inc. (Erie)
Mid-Hudson
- Cornerstone Family Healthcare
The following providers will receive $350,000 to support the ongoing development of mobile medication units. These providers were already awarded $200,000 earlier this year for this initiative.
Capital Region
- PROMESA, Inc.
Central NY
- Helio Health, Inc.
Finger Lakes
- Strong Memorial Hospital
Mohawk Valley
- Helio Health, Inc.
New York City
- Vocational Instruction Project (VIP) Community Services, Inc.
North Country
- Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions, Inc.
Southern Tier
- Ithaca Alpha House Center Inc. DBA Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services
Western NY
- BestSelf Behavioral Health, Inc.
Street-Level Outreach
In addition to the mobile units, the federal funding will also be used to expand and enhance harm reduction services in the Harlem, West Midtown, Lower East Side, and Bronx neighborhoods of New York City, as well as in communities in the Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley region. Through this initiative, outreach workers will visit areas where high-risk populations tend to congregate — places such as parks and encampments of people experiencing homelessness — to offer overdose prevention and education, naloxone dispensing and prescribing, education on safe sex and sexually transmitted infection management, and connections to other services.
This initiative is part of OASAS's ongoing efforts to expand harm reduction services throughout New York State. Harm reduction includes low-threshold access to medications for opioid use disorder and other medical services, peer support services, and referrals to other services, such as follow-up visits for continuity of care.
Funding for the outreach initiative was provided through the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Providers with one location are being awarded up to $250,000, while those with two locations are receiving up to $400,000.
Providers with one location include:
New York City
- Promesa Inc.
- BOOM! Health
- Bowery Residents Committee, Inc.
- National Harm Reduction Coalition
- Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center
- Housing Works
- Odyssey House
- Samaritan Daytop Village
- St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction
- Vocational Instruction Project Community Services, Inc.
Providers with two locations include:
New York City
- Exponents, Inc.
- Harlem United Community AIDS Center
- OnPoint NYC
- Services for the Underserved, Inc.
Southern Tier/Mohawk Valley
- The REACH Project, Inc.
Senator Charles E. Schumer said, "New York is on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, and this funding will tackle the heart of this epidemic by expanding access to care, giving people the support they need to get back on their feet, and saving lives. We need an all-of-the-above approach: more interdiction, prevention, treatment and recovery to fight the flow of drugs and more effectively assist those who are suffering from addiction. That is why I am proud to deliver this funding today - and why I fought for historic increases for addiction services in the COVID relief bills, and why I will keep fighting increases to these federal programs to give New York all the resources it needs to fight the fentanyl-fueled opioid crisis."
Representative Paul Tonko said, "For years now, America's response to our overdose epidemic has been missing a crucial element: widespread access to treatment. I've long fought to open the doors of access to underserved and disadvantaged populations through critical legislation, including my Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act and Medicaid Reentry Act as well as leading the push for funding for the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. While there is still more to do to improve treatment and support harm reduction measures, I'm proud of this work and grateful to all involved in delivering lifesaving treatment to our New York communities."
New York State has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the overdose epidemic and created a nation-leading continuum of addiction care with full prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. The State has worked to expand access to traditional services, including crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, as well as medication to treat addiction, and mobile treatment and transportation services.
Governor Hochul was a member of the New York State Heroin and Opioid Task Force, which recommended new, non-traditional services in 2016, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, and open access centers, which provide immediate assessments and referrals to care. These services are now in communities throughout the state and have helped New Yorkers in need of access care closer to where they live.
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, residential, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website.
If you, or a loved one, have experienced insurance obstacles related to treatment or need help filing an appeal for a denied claim, contact the CHAMP helpline by phone at 888-614-5400 or send an email.
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