Queens, N.Y. (WBEN) - Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday that New York has made available all the funding provided in the first year of the opioid settlement agreements.
Hochul says the funding, approximately $192.8 million, is supporting a variety of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery initiatives to help New Yorkers impacted by the opioid and overdose crisis.
"New York is not only leading the way in the efforts to hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable, we are taking swift action to put settlement dollars to work to reverse the harm they have caused," Gov. Hochul said on Monday. "These efforts are making a difference in communities across the state, and we are continuing to work to deliver further support and assistance so that all New Yorkers can access the services they need through a series of initiatives to address all types of behavioral health needs."
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.
More than $192 million was deposited into the settlement fund account for the first fiscal year, and is being made available and awarded in accordance with the priorities of the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board as presented in the November 2022 report to the Governor and Legislature. This report detailed the expansion of harm reduction services and treatment as the Board’s top priorities.
The funding made available includes support for the following initiatives:
- Regional abatements for local governments to be spent by municipalities once they submit spending plans to OASAS.
- A scholarship program to support more than 300 individuals looking to enter or advance in the addiction services workforce.
- Transitional Safety Units, which provide funding for providers operating supportive housing programs.
- Funding for Recovery Centers to support their work in reaching individuals in recovery with non-clinical support and recovery information.
- The establishment of Comprehensive Integrated Outpatient Treatment Programs. Hochul says these programs are a new initiative designed to address the need for integrated treatment, providing medication for addiction treatment (MAT) and other comprehensive health services in one location.
- Low-threshold buprenorphine services designed to facilitate same day access to MAT and addiction care management.
- Prevention coalitions and prevention programming and education targeted towards youth.
- The “Connections to Care” initiative to help underserved and high-need individuals access the full continuum of addiction care.
- Support for a transportation program providing access to destinations supporting individualized recovery efforts and goals.
- Funding to support outreach and engagement efforts that connect high-need individuals to harm reduction and treatment services.
- Services specifically for people who use drugs in priority populations, including to support evidence-based harm reduction strategies and to increase access to low-threshold medical services.
- Expansion of services offered within the State’s Syringe Service Programs / Drug User Health Hubs and funding for harm reduction supplies through the State’s Syringe Exchange Programs.
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)