Long Island nonprofit offers scholarships to train addiction counselors – Newsday
The Outreach Development Corporation was awarded $500,000 by the state to fund 56 full scholarships to train people as credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors. Shown is its facility in Roosevelt on Thursday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Amid the ravages brought on by the opioid epidemic, the state hopes to help fill shortages in the addiction workforce with more than $2 million in scholarships to train people in the field, officials said.
The Outreach Development Corporation, a nonprofit with several locations on Long Island, is using $500,500 of those state funds to offer 56 full scholarships to train people as credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors. Participants in the program will learn skills such as how to make referrals, individual counseling and case management.
Mary Brite, interim chief operating officer at the Outreach Development Corporation said the scholarship program was a stepping stone into the field that eliminated a financial barrier.
"It really helps aspiring counselors a lot, but it also ensures that our clients and their families who are impacted by addiction have access to, you know, well-trained, passionate professionals," Brite said in a phone interview. Outreach has an outpatient clinic in Roosevelt and a Brentwood campus.
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) announced last month the more than $2 million in funds for the Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program as part of the state’s opioid settlement fund, officials said.
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"A strong addiction workforce is vital to helping New Yorkers across the state who have been impacted by this epidemic, and we look forward to further supporting expansions to the field with this new funding," OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said in a statement.
More than 1,300 people have funded their scholarships through this program, according to the news release from the state. Across New York, the vacancy rate for credentialed prevention professionals was roughly 8%, OASAS officials said, citing an internal survey conducted last year.
People who participate in the Outreach Training Institute’s program must take a 350-hour course, staff said. The training takes roughly 11 months to complete, and applicants should have a high school diploma or GED. The program starts Oct. 1.
Clifton Culley Jr., 51, decided he wanted to try to become a credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor while working with veterans who have mental health and substance abuse issues. In that role, he said, he had experienced many people dying from drug use.
"The main reason why I wanted to do this is, one: I watched too many people die within a short space of time," he said in a phone interview.
Last year, he received his counselor trainee certification. The Brooklyn resident hopes to become fully certified this year, though he already feels that he’s making a difference.
Culley, who also works in a detox rehab center, said often he met with people who didn't talk because they didn’t feel comfortable or weren’t in a safe space to be open. He’s able to meet people where they are and hear their needs, he said.
"Whether I can provide immediate assistance with them, it depends on what they're looking for, but I'm at least able to assess what some of the … immediate needs are and point them in the right direction," he said.
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.
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