(Above video-Tour of new clinic, mobile unit and residential treatment facility)
Press release
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced expanded addiction treatment services are now available at the Genesee Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Batavia Campus. The expansion includes a new opioid treatment program, a mobile treatment unit and renovations to the residential treatment facility on the campus. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services provided more than $900,000 in capital funding for this expansion, and is also providing more than $200,000 in annual funding to support operation of services at the campus.
“New York will fight this epidemic with every tool at its disposal and will help ensure that anyone in need of care receives the help they need,” Governor Cuomo said. “By expanding access to addiction treatment services in Batavia, we are allowing residents to access these critical, lifesaving services close to home, building a healthier, stronger New York for all.”
(Interviews/Press Conference)
“The new Opioid Treatment Program clinic marks the first in Genesee County,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Co-Chair of the State Heroin and Opioid Abuse Task Force, who attended today’s event. “The addition of a mobile treatment unit will be an invaluable resource that transcends transportation barriers so those struggling with addiction have access to the necessary support services. The work that the Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is doing to help thousands of individuals is critical to the area, and this expansion continues to grow our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic across the state and save lives.”
“The additions and renovations to this facility will provide more people the opportunity to get the help they need,” New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said. “With these new and expanded services, including a mobile clinic, more people will be able to receive services closer to home, in their own community.”
The new opioid treatment program on the Genesee Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Batavia Campus is the first in Genesee County. Opioid treatment programs provide medication assisted treatment for those suffering from addiction, which involves the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a patient-centered, individualized approach to the treatment of substance abuse. Research shows that when treating substance use disorders, a combination of medication and behavioral therapies is most successful.
The mobile treatment unit will offer peer engagement and support services, as well as evaluations and counseling. It will also provide tele-practice services to help people in rural areas access treatment. This mobile unit is being funded through the $25.2 million Opioid State Targeted Response Grant, awarded to New York State by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The Atwater residential facility, on the Genesee Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Batavia Campus, offers 17 residential treatment beds for men and numerous services, including treatment, training programs, and opportunities for volunteer work. The provider also operates an outpatient treatment facility on the same campus. As part of the facility’s renovation project, a group room, new offices and a medical room were added to the facility, and the kitchen and intake area were renovated. In addition, the Genesee Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse is planning to add 16 detox beds in a future expansion, with funding provided by OASAS.
Assembly Member Steve Hawley said, “As our state continues to grapple with the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic, I am very pleased to see that some of the millions in state resources we have allocated at the state Capitol are being put to good use here at home in Batavia. Too many New Yorkers are struggling with addiction and I would like the public to know that there is no shame in asking for help. In fact, there is no time like the present to seek help if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, and I know that the professionals at Genesee Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse will be there to assist you.”
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioid epidemic, creating a nation-leading continuum of addiction care with full prevention, treatment, and recovery services. To combat this epidemic, the Governor has worked to expand access to traditional services, including crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, as well as medication assisted treatment, and mobile treatment and transportation services.
In 2016, Governor Cuomo’s Heroin Task Force recommended new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, and 24/7 open access centers, which provide immediate assessments and referrals to care. These services have since been established in numerous communities around the state and have helped people in need access care closer to where they live.
The Governor has advanced legislative and regulatory reform to enable individuals suffering from addiction to get treatment faster by eliminating many insurance restrictions. Additionally, the Governor advanced legislation to reduce most opioid prescriptions from 30 days to seven days, and legislation to increase training and education for prescribers. Governor Cuomo has also taken action to combat patient brokering and fraudulent addiction treatment services.
The Governor has also worked to increase training and availability of naloxone, resulting in more than 300,000 individuals in New York State being trained and equipped with the opioid overdose reversal medication. Through Governor Cuomo’s actions, pharmacies around New York State are now able to provide naloxone without a prescription.
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).
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.
Visit CombatAddiction.ny.gov to learn more about the warning signs of addiction, review information on how to get help, and access resources on how to facilitate conversations with loved ones and communities about addiction. For tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing alcohol or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.