Clinton Co. looks to fund local addiction prevention, recovery programs

PLATTSBURGH | The Clinton County Community Services Board (CSB) is looking to fund local addiction prevention and addiction recovery programs throughout the county. At a press conference Thursday, Aug. 3, Richelle Gregory, Clinton County's Community Services director, said the CSB was given the task to apportion $400,000 in state Opioid Settlement funds to organizations, large or small, actively working on prevention programs for youth ages birth to pre-teen, or those who are working on recovery projects or outreach for people having completed treatment. Richard "Rich" Holcomb, chairman of the CSB, said the funds originated from the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and from county resources provided as lawsuit proceeds from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office. There is no cap to a request, he said. "Funds are available to any community-based organizations. OASAS licensure or certification is not required to access funding," Holcomb said at the press conference. "Funding is available for multiple years and will require a funding proposal be submitted each year, as funding will vary." The deadline for funding requests is Aug. 31. The CSB will evaluate and approve funding requests. ADDICTION PREVENTION, ADDICTION RECOVERY Holcomb said they are looking for creative and innovative proposals that work toward two goals: addiction prevention or addiction recovery. The CSB is hoping to fund Prevention programs that could be replicated in other parts of Clinton County or those that encompass outreach throughout the county. They are also looking to fund projects that are sustainable. Asked if schools might qualify for the prevention aspect in this outreach, Holcomb said they could, yes. For Recovery programs, the CSB is looking to fund programs that provide opportunities for people who have completed addiction treatment. These might include organizations creating pro-social educational activities, life skills development or workforce engagement, he said. The CSB is dividing the $400,000 equally between Prevention focused and Recovery focused programs, Gregory said after the press conference. The total of more than $400,000 is part of an ongoing allocation from state opiate lawsuit proceeds to Clinton County. Mike Carpenter, president and founder of MHAB, said the CSB is hoping to expand the scope of addiction programs in Clinton County. "We are looking to bring more people into the fold," he said. "There are a lot of smaller organizations with unique, innovative ideas. We're hoping to fund new ideas as well." The two-tiered focus in this call for financial support does not include addiction treatment aspect of opioid misuse and addiction services. Holcomb said there are many resources already in place for treatment and the focus here is to build out prevention and recovery services. Brandon Menard from Assemblyman Billy Jones's office relayed a message from Jones urging local groups working on addition prevention or recovery to consider applying for funds. "Since I've been in office, supporting those in recovery has been one of my top priorities. I'm proud to have sponsored legislation requiring this settlement money to be allocated directly to people in recovery. If you're affiliated with the recovery community, please look into this funding to see if your programs or ideas qualify. The submission deadline is August 31," Jones said in a statement. The Community Services Board is a county-wide team that provides guidance for mental health, chemical dependency and developmental disability services that receive state funding. The CSB is made up of nine people appointed by the county legislature. To learn more about Opioid Settlement funding applications, contact Richelle Gregory, Director of Community Services, at 518-565-4060 or via email: Richelle.gregory@clintoncountyny.gov.

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Clinton Co. looks to fund local addiction prevention, recovery programs

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