Senator Anna M. Kaplan Delivers New Funding and Initiatives to Fight Addiction Crisis on LI

Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-Great Neck) and the NYS Senate Majority Long Island delegation stood together at the Thrive Recovery Center in Hauppauge on the morning of April 12 to talk about the new funding and initiatives included in the 2019-2020 State Budget meant to fight the crisis of addiction on Long Island by supporting recovery services.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said “the crisis of addiction affects every family, school, and community on Long Island, and if we are going to win the fight against substance use disorder, we need to do everything we can to get people into long-term recovery. I’m proud to have fought for significant new funding and initiatives in the enacted state budget that will support more recovery services in my district, and expand access to 28-day treatment programs for all New Yorkers who are struggling with this disease.”

New initiatives and funding in the state budget to address the crisis of opiate addiction and substance use disorder (SUD) include:

• A new behavioral health insurance parity provision will ensure that people seeking recovery are able to get the help they need, by accessing 28 day substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs without prior authorization
• A new cap on co-payments will ensure that out-of-pocket costs aren't a barrier to someone accessing SUD treatment
• $600,000 for Family and Children's association to provide new services to help get survivors of overdose into immediate treatment programs instead of sending them back out on the street
• $350,000 for a new Thrive Recovery Center to open in Senator Kaplan's district that would serve all of Nassau County
• $1 million for Recovery High Schools to support young people in recovery who choose an education free from the influence of substances
   

Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, President/CEO of Family and Children's Association said "As Long Island continues to address an historic opioid crisis, we are fortunate to have a NYS Senate delegation that understands the importance of prevention, access to treatment and recovery. From insurance parity and the elimination of barriers to care to funding for a Nassau County recovery center and a peer-led overdose response team to support for a recovery school, the recently enacted state budget contains lots of good news for local families concerned about addiction. At FCA, we commend our state Senators for their hard work and for standing up for Long Island's kids, families and communities."

Jennifer Brock, an advocate, said "In early recovery, THRIVE provided me with a safe and supportive environment that made me feel welcome and connected in a way that I never experienced anywhere else before. For the first time in my life, I was inspired to be a part of something meaningful and bigger than myself. THRIVE gave me a purpose, and now as a person in long-term recovery and a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, I am so blessed and feel so privileged to be able to give back to our community all that was given to me."

Claudia Capie Friszell, an advocate, said “THRIVE didn’t just open it’s doors it opened its heart and provided families a place to heal, empowered us to recover our own lives, and encouraged us to enjoy life again. We are becoming the change and we are sharing it with each other and our communities.

Senator Kaplan concluded "These are critical steps to help alleviate this crisis--but this isn't where the fight ends. My colleagues and I are going to continue to relentlessly pursue legislation to ensure that people can get the help they need, so that no one needs to lose another child to this terrible disease."