Brooklyn Regional Network Receives $5.263 Million NYS Grant to Enhance Addiction Services

March 22, 2021

Outreach is Member of Brooklyn Regional Network Receiving Major NYS Grant

New York State (NYS) has awarded the Brooklyn Regional Network a grant of $5,263,618 to enhance and support addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. The funding supports development of a regional approach in the prevention of and delivery of addiction services for individuals living in the Brooklyn community. This innovative award is part of the federally supported NYS Opioid Response Grant administered by the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). The Brooklyn Regional Network is grateful to OASAS for their commitment to addressing the opioid epidemic by building community networks.

The Brooklyn Regional Network is comprised of Anchor House, Bridge Back to Life Center, Brooklyn Dioceses, Children’s Aid Society, CSEDNY, Dynamic Youth, Health & Hospitals Corporation, NY Therapeutic Communities, Outreach Development Corporation, Phoenix Houses, Promesa, RevCore Recovery Center, and START Treatment and Recovery Centers. “This funding will be critical to support a regional, integrated approach to impacting the opioid and other drug crisis in Brooklyn, by bringing together all aspects of the treatment continuum in one combined network”, says Seep Varma, CEO of NYTC, Inc. & the lead applicant for the project.

“The public health challenges created by the opioid epidemic continue to adversely impact individuals and families from all walks of life and this funding will help to ensure that we are able to remain steadfast in our efforts to provide comprehensive life-saving prevention, treatment and recovery services through our communal partners and programs,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez.

Development of the Brooklyn Regional Network and grant implementation will be supported by Advanced Health Network and Recovery Health Solutions (AHN-RHS), which consists of 50 NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) licensed agencies. Carol Cassell, Executive Director shared “AHN/RHS is pleased to support the Brooklyn Network in its ongoing implementation of a seamless delivery system through collaborative community partnerships furthering evidence-based best practices in neighborhood programs along with data analytics and quality measurement.”

“Phoenix Houses of NY/LI is very excited to receive this crucial grant dollars from New York State. The funding will be focused on engaging those who are in recovery by developing and implementing sustainable life-saving tools. We look forward to working one-on-one with those in recovery and have impactful results, tackling social determinants head on,” said Ann Marie Foster, CEO and President of Phoenix Houses of LI/NY.

Further funding will go towards enhancing accompanying services which include:

  • Center of Treatment Innovation (COTI) services expand access to treatment of opioid use disorder through peer services, mobile service delivery, and telehealth capability.
  • Recovery Centers designed to promote long-term recovery by offering skill-building classes, support groups, referrals to services, sober events, and recreational programs.
  • Prevention Coalitions bring together diverse community stakeholders to facilitate, implement, and sustain effective substance use prevention strategies that meet local needs.
  • Triple P is the Positive Parenting Program promotes healthy familial attachments, provides coping strategies, reduces risky behaviors among youth, and encourage positive social behavior and emotional wellbeing. It has also assists in reducing parental depression, stress, anxiety, and family conflict, while increasing positive family interactions.

This $5,263,618 award is part of the up to $50.7 million grant announced on March 10, 2021 by Governor Andrew Cuomo, created to enhance addiction services in regions across the state. Each of the regional networks are made up of multiple providers in multiple counties, and all who received funding have identified specific needs with accompanying proposed services to address the gaps in care.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges and difficulties on everyone, and it is more critical than ever to ensure that tangible resources are available for those struggling emotional and financial hardships. This grant will have a positive impact on prevention, treatment, and recovery care, further reinforcing NYS’s commitment to ending the opioid epidemic and assisting those facing crisis. The organizations of the Brooklyn Regional Network are committed to working together in improving access to and availability of community-based behavioral health services and programs working collaboratively with other community partners.

To find help:
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 HOPE line at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website.

About Outreach

Forty years ago, Outreach opened its doors as a small assessment and referral center to engage people in the community struggling with addiction to seek help. Since then, its mission evolved to meet more needs and more communities. Today, Outreach inspires adolescents, adults, and their families to achieve a life of unlimited potential through high quality, evidence-based substance abuse treatment and training programs throughout New York City and Long Island. Outreach is proud to participate in the much-needed expansion of lifesaving programming as a Member of the Advanced Health Network and Recovery Health Solutions (AHN-RHS) Network.

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