newspolicytreatmentWhat New Yorkers Told OASAS on a 4,100-Mile Listening TourOASAS wrapped a five-month statewide listening tour with more than 550 attendees and 14 sessions in every region of New York. The themes that came back most often were workforce strain, youth services, unmet basic needs, cross-agency coordination, co-occurring care and family support.October 7, 20267 min read
newstreatmentharm-reductionNew York Recruits Faith Leaders in Its Overdose FightGovernor Hochul's GRACE initiative pairs OASAS with the state's Interfaith Advisory Council, betting that the person a family turns to before it calls a hotline is often a pastor, imam, or rabbi. The program has $250,000 behind it and 13 events already on the calendar.October 1, 20263 min read
newsyouthrecoveryRural New York Recovery Center Lands $450,000 to Expand Services for TeensA rural New York recovery organization that nearly shut down earlier this year has secured $450,000 in state funding to expand services for teenagers affected by substance use.August 21, 20265 min read
newsoverdosenaloxoneA New York County Just Won a National Award for Its Opioid Awareness CampaignThe Rochester-area campaign was recognized among nearly 14,000 global entries for its video and digital messaging that encourages conversations about addiction and recovery.June 2, 20264 min read
newsresearchmental-healthWhy Menopause Is Becoming a Critical Factor in Addiction Treatment—and Why Most Programs Ignore ItFederal health officials are warning that menopause may be an overlooked trigger for substance use disorders in women, with new research linking hormonal shifts to increased drinking and relapse risk.May 25, 20266 min read
newstreatmentrecoveryRFK Jr. Takes Addiction Recovery Message to Los Angeles in Latest 'Take Back Your Health' StopHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought his nationwide 'Take Back Your Health' tour to Los Angeles last week, meeting with county officials and behavioral health providers to discuss strategies for addressing substance use disorder and homelessness.May 20, 20264 min read
newsrecoverytreatmentNYC Is Hiring 500 Former Addicts to Help Others Recover—And Paying Them $12 MillionNew York City will invest $12 million from opioid manufacturer settlements to hire 500 peer recovery specialists—people with lived experience of addiction who are trained to help others find treatment and stay in recovery.May 11, 20264 min read
newssettlementnew-yorkNew York Airs TV Special Showing How Opioid Settlement Billions Are Saving LivesA new television program airing across New York State puts faces to the opioid crisis—and shows how settlement money is funding prevention, treatment, and harm reduction programs that are reversing overdose trends.April 15, 20264 min read
newsfentanyloverdoseFree Substance Use Summit Coming to Rochester April 18Monroe County is hosting a free Substance Use Family Summit on April 18 at East High School, bringing together families, professionals, and peers affected by addiction.April 14, 20263 min read
newsfederalfundingFederal Government Launches $100 Million Program to Connect People Experiencing Addiction and Homelessness with Housing and TreatmentThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a $100 million federal investment in the STREETS Initiative, aiming to expand treatment, outreach, and housing support for people experiencing addiction and homelessness.March 31, 20264 min read
NnewsopioidfundingNew York Airs Statewide Documentary Showing Where Billions in Opioid Settlement Funds Are GoingA new 30-minute documentary produced by OASAS is airing statewide this month, revealing where hundreds of millions in opioid settlement dollars are going—and putting faces to the crisis through personal stories of loss, survival, and recovery.March 30, 20267 min read
newsopioidrecoveryNew York Airs Rare Statewide TV Program on Opioid Crisis — Here's What It ShowsA 30-minute program airing across New York this month gives the public an inside look at how the state is using hundreds of millions in opioid settlement money—and tells the stories of New Yorkers who've lived through addiction and recovery.March 19, 20267 min read
newsfederalfundingFederal Government Announces $100M 'STREETS' Program to Connect Homeless People With Addiction to Housing and TreatmentThe new STREETS Initiative marks a departure from prior harm reduction policies, directing $100 million toward outreach, psychiatric care, and housing for Americans experiencing homelessness and addiction.March 16, 20267 min read
fundingoasasauditState Pulls $5 Million in Funding From Lockport Recovery Group After 15-Year RunA Western New York addiction services provider that answered 55,000 calls a year has shut its doors after state auditors found its founder gave himself a $25,000 raise and a $40,000 loan without board approval.March 6, 20268 min read
newsrecoveryfundingNew York Invests $42.9 Million in Job Training for People in Addiction RecoveryEvery region of New York will get dedicated vocational counselors to help people in recovery find stable work. The five-year initiative targets one of the biggest barriers to lasting recovery: unemployment.February 24, 20264 min read
federalfundingtreatmentKennedy Announces $100M Federal Plan to Link Homeless Americans to Addiction TreatmentThe Trump administration's first major addiction policy move pairs $100 million in new federal funding with a sharp break from harm reduction — a combination that has addiction medicine providers watching closely.February 18, 20263 min read
treatmentresidentialnew-yorkLong Island Gets New York's First Residential Addiction Program Built Specifically for Young AdultsNew York has hundreds of residential treatment programs, but until now, none were built around the specific needs of young adults. A new facility in Brentwood is trying to change that — and the gap it's filling says something about how the state thinks about addiction in people under 25.February 18, 20266 min read
overdoseopioidfentanylNew York Just Recorded Its Lowest Overdose Death Toll Since Before COVID. Here's What Changed.For two consecutive years, New York has posted dramatic declines in overdose deaths. An estimated 4,567 people died in 2024, compared to 6,688 in 2023 — a drop the state hasn't seen since before the pandemic. Here's what drove it, who's still being left behind, and why 2026 will test how durable these gains really are.February 18, 20267 min read
