Senator Malcolm A. Smith Announces New Bidding Opportunities Through State Office Of Alcoholism And Substance Abuse Services

State Senator Malcolm A. Smith (D-Queens) today announced thatthe New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services(OASAS) has released a new request for proposals (RFP) for chemicaldependence treatment services in New York City.

This RFP is an opportunity for OASAS-certified,not-for-profit treatment agencies to provide long-term supportive and transitionalhousing to homeless single adults who have completed substance abusetreatment, Senator Smith said.

This is the latest step in the New York/New York IIISupportive Housing Agreement, a combined City and State effort announced inNovember 2005 to develop and fund 9,000 new units of supportive housing in theCity over a ten year period.

Senator Smith said “Previous agreements produced 5,000units of housing for single adults with serious and persistent mental illnesswho had some history of homelessness. The agreement, however, istargeting a much broader range of clients.

Qualified contractors must have successful experience inproviding housing and/or services to the targeted populations; and ensuretheir programs can be easily reached by public transportation; andserve as resources for and/or provide off-site services to program clients.

The training areas that would be provided by the contractors tostaff include health education and infectious disease prevention,nutrition, relationship skills, crisis intervention, counseling techniques and motivational interviewing, depression screening, street drugs andtheir
effects, symptoms of overdose and withdrawl, best practices inemployment services, harm reduction and housing first service approaches,including safe injection, safe sex practices, the availability of naloxine toprevent death from opiod overdoes, addiction treatment and recovery, and thestages of change model and trauma and relapse prevention.

For more information on the grant , interested providers mayvisit: http://www.oasas.state.ny.us/hps/state/documents/2007NY-NYIIIPlanSupp.pdf hope numerous providers willlook into thisRFP.Itis an opportunity for them to help individuals who have already takenseveral positive steps on the road to recovery, Senator Smith said.

All applications must be received by the close of business onFriday, December 14, 2007.