$500,000 Stimulus Funding Targets Growing Need for Addictions Workforce

ALBANY, NY (09/28/2009)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced $500,000 in federal stimulus funding will provide tuition support for OASAS-certified training providers to train unemployed and underemployed individuals pursuing a career in addictions field.

OASAS, in cooperation with the NYS Department of Labor (DOL), issued a Request for Applications (RFA) of $500,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to train and prepare entry-level professionals to become credentialed and pursue careers in the addictions profession.

According to the Department of Labor, substance abuse and behavioral counselors are among the fastest growing occupations in New York, with a projected 22 percent increase in need from 2006-2016. Over the years, however, the addictions field has faced a number of challenges that OASAS is currently addressing, including an aging and underpaid workforce, and a cumbersome credentialing process.

"With the average age of the addictions workforce at 53 years old, it is critical we take decisive steps to fill expected vacancies and continue to provide quality care to the 2.5 million New Yorkers in need of addiction services," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. "This funding will enhance our ability to retain and recruit new talent and rebrand the addictions profession as a "profession of choice."

State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said, "Like many other health care sectors, the addictions field is one that is slated to grow, even in the face of economic uncertainty. This new funding will steer hundreds into this emerging field, breathe new life into the current system and enable thousands of New Yorkers to live healthier lives in recovery."

Most professionals enter the addiction field in their mid-30s, and often as a second career. New counselors and prevention professionals report that they are attracted to the addiction profession because the work is challenging, they have a desire to help others, they are concerned about substance use disorders, or because they or a family member may have been treated for a substance use disorder and have successfully achieved long-term recovery.

The stimulus funding is available for training programs that are certified by OASAS, including community colleges and community-based programs. The funding for this initiative has been made possible by Recovery Act funds allocated to the New York State Department of Labor by the federal government to support innovative training initiatives designed to help low income, unemployed individuals transition into competitively paid, high-demand occupations.

These funds will be awarded to eligible OASAS training providers to cover the costs of tuition for students who meet the DOL eligibility criteria of being unemployed or underemployed. The amount awarded for each eligible student is intended to cover the full cost of tuition for an OASAS certificate program for the CASAC, CPP or CPS.

As part of its efforts to increase recruitment of credentialed professionals in the field OASAS has begun the following:

• Introduced the first computer-based credentialing exam with results available immediately upon completion of the exam. New York will offer this computer-based exam four times per year, thereby allowing counselors more opportunities to test than in previous years.

• Issued a Local Services Bulletin establishing a framework for introducing a Credential Prevention Professional and Credential Prevention Specialist staffing requirement for prevention providers that will be phased-in over a two-year period. This is critical to promoting the professionalism of New York's prevention workforce, as well as assuring the general public that staff working in these settings have achieved and demonstrated a recognized level of competence. To support this effort, OASAS is offering those professionals whose credentials were expired to reinstate their credential without paying a late fee.

• Is currently consolidating and revising the credentialing regulations which will support efforts to attract qualified individuals to this profession of choice. These revisions will, for the first time, allow OASAS to issue a Gambling Credential to qualified individuals currently employed (or pursuing careers) in chemical dependence, mental health and specialized gambling treatment settings.

In New York there are several new initiatives under way to identify and refer addicted individuals to treatment which will require more addictions professionals. It is expected that Rockefeller Drug Law Reform, which will divert more offenders from incarceration to treatment, will accelerate the demand for qualified professionals. In addition, trends suggest that returning veterans will be in need of addiction services at a much higher rate than the general population. New York is currently developing 100 inpatient beds to serve returning veterans, all of which will need staffing.

Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo continued, "Those entering the addictions profession need to be properly prepared to meet the diverse needs of those suffering from drug, alcohol or gambling addiction. It is important to obtain the necessary education and training in order to provide the most effective, quality care."

OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services systems dedicated to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, with more than 1,550 programs serving over 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day.

Through efforts such as the Your Story Matters campaign at www.iamrecovery.com, the agency hopes to foster a movement of recovery, one that sheds the stigma and promotes a life of health and wellness.

Addiction is a chronic disease and New Yorkers need to know that help and hope is available. Individuals can find help by calling the toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day a week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY. For more information, please visit www.oasas.state.ny.us.