Chinazo O. Cunningham

This document provides an overview of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports' (OASAS) impact monitoring and reporting for the Opioid Settlement Fund. The report details a multi-faceted approach to address the opioid crisis through key initiatives focused on strengthening the addiction workforce and infrastructure, expanding equitable access to treatment, enhancing prevention efforts, promoting harm reduction services, and bolstering recovery support. The overarching aim is to reduce overdose deaths, particularly among priority populations, and ensure the effective and transparent utilization of settlement funds across New York State.

This document outlines a prevention strategy, 'Reimagining Prevention: Stopping Addiction Before It Starts,' championed by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. This multi-year program, implemented in the Wanch School District from pre-kindergarten through high school, focuses on early social-emotional learning, teaching critical decision-making skills, goal setting, conflict resolution, and empathy. Building on this foundation, later stages incorporate substance use prevention with a harm reduction lens, aiming to equip young people with tools to prevent addiction through healthy behaviors and open discussions.

This document provides updates on the strategic initiatives of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the Governor's Heroin and Opioid Task Force. It outlines efforts to combat the opioid epidemic through public awareness and education campaigns, legislative reforms enacted in 2016 (including limitations on opioid prescriptions, mandatory prescriber training, and insurance coverage for addiction medications), and emergency services interventions. Key strategic elements include improving access to inpatient treatment without prior authorization and connecting hospital patients with addiction to ongoing care.

The meeting focused on discussions regarding Regional Abatement funding for the 2025 fiscal year and reconciliation processes for prior years (2023 and 2024), noting that additional funds became available due to the CVS and Malin Crop settlements. A significant portion of the discussion addressed concerns from local subdivisions about planning expenditures based on projected, non-yet-confirmed funding amounts, with an emphasis that funds should not be contracted until officially received, although the funds do not expire. The agenda also covered updates on Direct Share reporting in collaboration with the Attorney General's office, outlining plans to separate reporting for Regional Abatement and Restricted Direct Share, and streamline communication by sending reporting links directly to designated contacts. Furthermore, the group discussed the evolution of Regional Abatement reporting to focus on dollars that are in process, encumbered, or contracted, rather than just planned use, noting that actual dollar spend reporting is still premature. The updated funding amounts for 2023, 2024, and 2025 are scheduled to be posted on the Oasis web page.

This document provides an update on the five-year strategic plan for the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). The plan aims to provide data-driven addiction services with equity, dignity, compassion, and respect, working towards a vision where New Yorkers impacted by addiction thrive and lead healthy lives. It is guided by principles of harm reduction, evidence-based approaches, and an equity lens, focusing on five key areas: people served and service outcomes, system infrastructure and workforce, OASAS's reputation and relationships, internal infrastructure and processes, and agency culture.