Rural New York Recovery Center Lands $450,000 to Expand Services for Teens

Friends of Recovery Dedicated to Others, a Chenango County organization that came within weeks of closing its doors this spring, has secured $450,000 in state funding to build what did not previously exist in this rural stretch of upstate New York: dedicated recovery services for teenagers.

The two-year grant from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, announced August 20, will fund FOR-DO's expansion into youth programming for residents aged 12 to 17. The award represents both a lifeline for the organization and a test case for how OASAS is targeting resources toward underserved rural communities and younger populations.

FOR-DO operates the Turning Point Recovery Center in Norwich, a small city of roughly 6,500 residents surrounded by dairy farms and rolling hills in the Southern Tier. The center had faced imminent closure earlier this year after funding shortfalls, surviving only through emergency community fundraising. The OASAS award—$225,000 annually—now provides operational stability while mandating a specific focus on adolescents.

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What the Funding Will Build

The grant requires FOR-DO to develop developmentally appropriate recovery support for young people affected by substance use, as well as those seeking safe, drug-free environments. The organization must conduct a community needs assessment to evaluate local experiences, barriers, and existing resources before finalizing program design.

"Young people deserve places where they feel welcomed, supported, and connected," said Debra Berrios, FOR-DO's executive director. "We look forward to working alongside youth, families, schools, community organizations, and other local partners to create those opportunities."

The programming will focus on building positive relationships, strengthening protective factors, connecting youth with resources, and maintaining substance-free environments. FOR-DO plans to collaborate with local schools, behavioral health providers, and youth-serving organizations as the initiative develops.

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The Rural Context

Chenango County, population 47,000 spread across 899 square miles, faces the geographic challenges common to rural New York: limited public transportation, scattered population centers, and a shortage of specialized behavioral health providers. The county's youth have historically had to travel significant distances to access substance use services, assuming those services existed at all.

"Our recovery centers play an important role in helping New Yorkers and their families impacted by addiction, and this will help to further expand these services to young people who can be especially vulnerable to the effects of substance use," said OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham.

The commissioner tied the award to broader state trends, noting that Governor Kathy Hochul's administration has prioritized youth-focused initiatives as part of a strategy that has contributed to declining overdose deaths statewide.

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From Crisis to Expansion

The OASAS funding represents a dramatic reversal for FOR-DO. Just months ago, the organization was preparing to cease operations after losing critical revenue streams. A community fundraising campaign kept the lights on temporarily, but the state grant provides the multi-year stability required to hire staff, develop curricula, and establish the infrastructure necessary for youth programming.

"Thanks to the Norwich community and local foundations, we will remain open," Berrios said. "And thanks to OASAS, we can extend services to include a younger demographic."

The organization is now charged with building something from scratch in a community where youth recovery resources have been virtually nonexistent. The mandated needs assessment will shape programming, with FOR-DO required to demonstrate that services are responsive to actual local conditions rather than imported from urban models that may not translate to rural contexts.

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State Strategy Implications

The FOR-DO award fits into a larger OASAS pattern of directing resources toward youth and young adult recovery services. Earlier this summer, the agency announced $6 million in opioid settlement funds for youth-focused Recovery Community Organizations across the state. The Chenango County grant suggests OASAS is layering additional investment onto that foundation, targeting specific geographic gaps.

For rural counties like Chenango, the arrival of dedicated youth recovery programming addresses a long-standing service desert. Adolescents with substance use concerns have historically been routed to general mental health services or referred to providers in Binghamton or Syracuse—journeys of 30 to 50 miles that create practical barriers to consistent engagement.

Whether the FOR-DO expansion can serve as a model for other rural counties remains to be seen. The two-year grant period provides time to demonstrate results, but sustainability beyond 2028 will depend on continued state investment, successful fundraising, or integration into the county's broader behavioral health infrastructure.

FOR-DO expects to announce details regarding youth services, programming eligibility, and community involvement opportunities as the initiative moves from planning to implementation in the coming months.