State Assemblyman John Lemondes has introduced a bill to establish and maintain a dedicated opiate addiction treatment facility, and to divert certain defendants in opiate-related criminal cases into treatment. This would improve access and help people struggling with addiction to avoid criminal records and receive needed treatments. Write to your representatives today and urge them to support this important legislation! 

You can write your own letter, or simply copy and paste the following template and edit to add your own information:

Subject: <Please support Jessica’s Law/Bill A05855>
Dear <Assembly Member> <Last name>:
My name is <your first and last name> and I am a regional center consumer <family member/service provider/advocate/community member> who resides in your district. I am writing to you about Jessica’s Law, Bill A05855 sponsored by Assemblyman John Lemondes.
The opioid epidemic in New York has a devastating impact not just on addicts themselves, but on families and entire communities. I urge you to support this bill and help New Yorkers suffering from opioid addiction get access to the treatment they need.
Sincerely,
<Name>
<Street address>
<City, State, Zip code>

Prevention Network is now an approved Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and has 7 trainers available to distribute Narcan, an emergency opioid overdose reversal nasal spray, directly to the community. Free virtual and in-person trainings available. Trainings are available Wednesdays at 5 PM and Thursdays at Noon. Private trainings are also available.

·         Applications will be accepted starting on June 1 at 9 am
·         Find out if you’re eligible at cayugacounty.us/renthelp
·         Review the document checklist and have the necessary documentation ready. 
·         Contact the Community Action Program (CAP) at 315-255-1703 x164 as soon as possible if you need assistance compiling documentation or accessing the online portal once it's open. 
·         Go to otda.ny.gov/erap to apply
·         The State call center number is 844-NY1-RENT (844-691-7368) 
·         Review Frequently Asked Questions for more details

​SYRACUSE, N.Y. – October 16, 2017 – Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare’s (SBH) Integrated Outpatient Clinic is opening a Regional Open Access Center for Addiction (ROACA), providing open access assessments and evaluations 24 hours a day, seven days a week to individuals seeking immediate assistance for substance use disorder.

The ROACA provides individuals in Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison, Cortland, Oneida and Oswego counties with screening and assessment to determine an appropriate treatment recommendation, as well as community recovery service options in their home county.

Treatment recommendations are determined using the Level of Care for Alcohol and Drug Treatment Referral instrument, known as the LOCADTR 3.0, which incorporates the need for detox, risk of relapse and social determinants of health, in order to provide the best approach for treatment options.

Central New York residents have had limited access to timely addiction treatment services in the past. The ROACA’s 24/7 operation is unique and its central location in Syracuse is close to hospitals, a Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), community-based treatment providers, and the area’s only medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization program.

“In our many discussions with individuals, families and groups in our region who have seen or experienced a substance use disorder, it is clear that an urgent response is what’s missing from the system,” said Jeremy Klemanski, President and CEO of Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare. “Outpatient, inpatient, and detox services all exist both locally and regionally, but there was no one place for a person to go and get an assessment for treatment options at any time. Our 24/7 Regional Open Access Center for Addiction will lead to a low cost, effective and transformational solution for access to substance use treatments and recovery supports.”

“The Central New York Directors’ Planning Group, Inc. (CNYDPG), consisting of the Directors of Community Services from the Counties of Oneida, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, and Cayuga, in partnership with NYS OASAS, has worked to develop and fund the addition of a crisis capacity that has been missing from the treatment system for youth and adults with addictions,” said Ray Bizzari, chairman of the CNYDPG. “The Regional Open Access Center for Addiction is the place we’ve been waiting for.”
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About Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare
Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare promotes recovery from the effects of substance use and mental health disorders through healthcare programs at every stage of the rehabilitation process. SBH programs have helped tens of thousands of families in the Central New York area struggling with behavioral health issues.  
 
For more information or ways to get involved with ROACA, please contact Lauren Klemanski at laurenk@sbh.org or by phone at 315-254-6470. To learn more about SBH, please visit www.sbh.org, or follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook.

Check out Angela's latest blog post and inspirational video. Help put an end to the current heroin epidemic in Auburn, NY, by coming to see recovery advocate and inspirational speaker, Chris Herren on April 27th!

http://auburnpublictheater.org/blog-how-i-rebounded-and-recovered/

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeffrey Klein today announced a final agreement on new legislation to combat heroin and prescription opioid abuse in New York State.

The agreement comes on the heels of the recent release of the Governor’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force’s final report and recommendations. The legislation builds on the state’s aggressive efforts to better monitor prescription drugs, increase access to treatment, and break the cycle of heroin and opioid addiction in New York.