Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced $2 million in new funding to support 50 new treatment beds to help New Yorkers with substance use disorders in upstate New York. The funding will support 50 new residential treatment beds in the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes region or Western New York.

“Drug addiction has impacted the lives of many across our state, but today we are taking a critical step in helping our communities face this epidemic head-on,” Governor Cuomo said. “These beds will provide greater access to the treatment and support services designed to save lives and help those in need get back on the right track.”

These new treatment beds, either at one 50-bed site or two 25-bed sites, continue the Governor’s statewide efforts to address the heroin and opioid epidemic including approving new opioid treatment programs in Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, Peekskill, Troy, Plattsburgh, Utica and Watertown, and other residential treatment beds in Staten Island and 130 new beds in Albany, Niagara, Suffolk and Westchester counties.

Statewide, heroin admissions for all ages have increased by 30 percent in the last ten years. To halt this trend, Governor Cuomo has implemented aggressive efforts, including changes in insurance to ensure coverage of substance use disorder treatment, increased access to treatment, additional treatment capacity in regions across the state, and comprehensive public awareness efforts.

To meet the requirements for this new State funding, the new residential treatment beds must be located in Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Delaware, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates Counties. The new beds will be in addition to recently announced funding for expansion of services at Fairview Recovery Services on Merrick Street in Binghamton which includes $3.6 million for a new 18-bed community residence offering substance use disorder treatment for women, and approval of new treatment capacity at Fairview’s existing Crisis Detox facility on Court Street.

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said, “Expanding access to treatment is our priority in the fight against addiction. These additional treatment beds will give individuals from the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes or Western New York additional opportunities to participate in treatment, so that they can get their lives back on track in a safe, community-based environment.”

The funding is available through a request for proposal administered by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. The site or sites that are selected, through the RFP process, will receive annual operational costs of up to $2 million once the program is opened. OASAS will work with the treatment provider that is awarded funding under this RFP to provide capital funding, if needed, at the site(s) that the selected provider identifies. Local government units or not-for-profit agencies that are operating at least one OASAS-certified substance use disorder treatment program in New York State and are planning to provide residential services are eligible to apply. Interested entities can learn additional information about the Request for Proposal by visiting the procurements page on the NYS OASAS website.

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). Treatment providers can also be located on the NYS OASAS Find Help page. Visit www.combatheroin.ny.gov for more information on addressing heroin and prescription opioid abuse, including a Kitchen Table Tool Kit to help start the conversation about the warning signs of addiction and where to get help. For additional tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing underage drinking or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.