Alcohol and Drug Council awarded state funds for 24/7 access center

Tompkins Weekly Staff

 

The day after Valentine’s Day, Governor Andrew Cuomo was still spreading the love by announcing that the Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County had been awarded $450,000 in state funding through the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. According to a release from the Alcohol and Drug Council, the funds will be used to support he development of a 24/7 Regional Open Access Center located here in Tompkins County, but will also serve Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga and Yates counties.

“We’re very pleased to have been awarded this OASAS funding,” said Angela Sullivan, Alcohol & Drug Council’s Executive Director in the release. “These resources will enable us to continue building strong, collaborative partnerships and offer a service model that much more effectively and compassionately addresses a huge public health crises in our region. Our goal is to offer easily accessible, evidence-based treatment for people with substance use disorders, and this funding will help us to achieve that goal. This facility will fill a critical gap in the continuum of care in addiction treatment and serve as a valuable resource for Tompkins and surrounding counties.”

The 24/7 access center could help fill a niche in the community: addiction-related crises often happen at night when only hospital emergency departments and law enforcement agencies are available to respond and intervene. But these agencies are not the most cost-effective or appropriate options to deal with an addict in crisis.

The access center will eventually serve as a gateway to the council’s planned detox and stabilization facility, offering a safe and stigma-free environment for people with substance abuse disorder who are seeking help, whenever they are ready to do so.

“Clinicians will make assessments and work with each individual to determine the most appropriate level of care,” the release stated. “Partner agencies and Peer Recovery Support Advocates will also offer access to a wide range of ongoing medical, nutrition, mental health, advocacy, legal, housing, employment, and social services.”

In a statement announcing the award, Governor Cuomo spoke to the need for such a resource in New York state.
“Substance abuse knows no age, knows no income and knows no zip code in New York or across the nation,” Governor Cuomo said. “With these around-the-clock Open Access Centers, we can provide critical services night and day to New Yorkers when they need it most.”

The Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County was established in 1965 as a private not-for-profit agency dedicated to information, education, counceling and referrel services for Tompkins County residents. According to the council’s website, the organization views addiction as “a progressive, treatable disease with recognizable symptoms. By providing prevention, education and counseling services to individuals and families, the Council strives to provide people with the support necessary for sobriety.”