OASAS BOLSTERS FUTURE OF ADDICTION WORKFORCE WITH $2 MILLION IN NEW SCHOLARSHIPS

 

Opioid Settlement Funds Will Support Proven Scholarship Program Addressing Workforce Shortages and Opioid and Overdose Epidemic 

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) today announced the award of more than $2 million for the Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program. These awards, through the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund, represent a strategic expansion of the successful initiative first established in 2023. This funding is being provided to community-based programs, directly addressing workforce shortages and removing financial barriers for individuals dedicated to joining or advancing within the addiction workforce.   

“We have seen tremendous success from the first round of scholarship funding, which has allowed more than 1,000 people to receive either a credential or degree to advance their careers in the addiction services field,” OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said. “A strong addiction workforce is vital to helping New Yorkers across the state who have been impacted by this epidemic, and we look forward to further supporting expansions to the field with this new funding.”

The Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program provides funding for New Yorkers to obtain a credential, such as a Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), Credentialed Prevention Professional (CPP), or Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA), or an Associate Degree along with an integrated CASAC program or Bachelor’s Degree in Addiction Studies. To date, between community-based organizations and SUNY and CUNY schools, more than 1,300 individuals have received scholarship funding through this program.

Awardees for this funding are listed below by region: 

Capital Region

• Addictions Care Center of Albany, Inc.: $37,440

Central NY

• Farnham, Inc. d/b/a Farnham Family Services: $65,520
• Helio Health: $506,103

Finger Lakes

• DePaul Community Services: $87,182

Mid-Hudson

• Orange County Council on Alcoholism d/b/a Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council: $68,575

New York City

• Exponents, Inc.: $357,500
• Outreach Development Corporation: $500,500
• Samaritan Daytop Village: $390,000

North Country

• Joseph's Addiction Treatment & Recovery: $58,012

New York State is receiving more than $2 billion through various settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies that were secured by Attorney General Letitia James. A portion of the funding from these settlements will go directly to municipalities, with the remainder deposited into a dedicated fund to support prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery efforts to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.

To date, more than $409 million has been made available through the Opioid Settlement Fund to support various initiatives across the full continuum of addiction care in New York State. This is the most of any state in the nation. Details on how this funding is being allocated are available on the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund Tracker.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports oversees one of the nation’s largest systems of addiction services with approximately 1,700 prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery programs serving over 731,000 individuals per year. This includes the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where our doctors, nurses, and clinical staff provide inpatient and residential services to approximately 8,000 individuals per year.

 

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 on the NYS OASAS website.