Funding Will Help Community Organizations Hire 500 Additional Peer Specialists and Expand Outreach Citywide
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced a $12 million investment to expand access to life-saving recovery services for New Yorkers at risk of overdose. The funding will support the certification and employment of peer specialists — people with a history of substance-use disorder who help others in recovery — and strengthen direct outreach efforts across the five boroughs. Over four years, the investment is expected to create 500 new peer specialist positions through community-based organizations citywide.
“Every New Yorker deserves access to care, dignity and support, no matter where they are in their recovery journey. This $12 million investment will help connect New Yorkers to life-saving services while creating hundreds of good-paying jobs rooted in lived experience and community trust,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Peer specialists understand what recovery looks like because they’ve lived it themselves, and their leadership will help more New Yorkers find care, stay connected and build stable futures. During Mental Health Awareness Month we are reminded that recovery is not linear and there is no wrong door to seek help.”
“Every overdose is preventable, and the City must continue investing in the people and programs that save lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “This $12 million investment from the Opioid Settlement Fund will expand peer outreach and strengthen the recovery workforce across New York City. By helping more New Yorkers access care and support, this funding moves us closer to our HealthyNYC goal of reducing overdose deaths by 25% by 2030.”
“Meeting people where they are in their recovery is how we build trust to support sustained engagement,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “This investment puts more resources in the hands of trusted messengers delivering the direct services New Yorkers with substance use disorder desperately need. This helps us save lives while growing career pathways for people who have experience with substance use themselves, turning their pain into purpose.”
The City will fund recovery centers and peer-led outreach programs operated by Community Health Action of Staten Island, Exponents, Fortune Society, Odyssey House, Phoenix House, Let’s Talk Safety and Samaritan Daytop Village. The funding will support staffing, expand mobile outreach capabilities and strengthen workforce development opportunities for peer specialists.
Peer specialists use their lived experience and professional training to help people access recovery resources, develop coping skills and navigate moments of crisis. Research shows peer-led behavioral health programs can increase engagement in care, strengthen trust and improve recovery outcomes. The investment will also support outreach vans, peer certification training and scholarships, and expand enrollment in recovery services.
The announcement builds on the City’s broader HealthyNYC initiative, which aims to reduce overdose deaths by 25% by 2030 and increase life expectancy for New Yorkers. It also continues the City’s efforts to direct opioid settlement funds to community-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery programs.
Previous investments have included expanded hours and services at OnPoint NYC, increased access to treatment, enhancements to the Health Department’s nonfatal overdose response program, and supporting harm reduction, and expanded harm reduction and recovery services on Staten Island.
In fiscal year 2025, the City allocated $41 million in opioid settlement funds to support substance use services across City agencies.
Overdose deaths continue to affect communities across New York City, though recent data show significant progress. New provisional data from January through September 2025 show overdose deaths remained stable following a major decline in 2024. The City recorded 2,192 overdose deaths in 2024, down from 3,056 deaths in 2023, marking the first substantial decline in nearly a decade. Rates remain highest among Black and Latino New Yorkers, residents of high-poverty neighborhoods, and adults ages 55 to 64.
New Yorkers seeking mental health or substance use support can call or text 988 at any time to with trained counselors and access confidential referrals to services and resources.
No comments:
Post a Comment