Addiction touches the lives of individuals and families across the nation. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), almost 17% of adult New Yorkers aged 18 or older experienced substance use disorder (SUD) between 2021 and 2022. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help might seem far away. Thankfully, there are countless free substance abuse resources in New York.
Drug Statistics in New York
Although New York has some of the lowest rates of incidents of overdoses, drug-related crime, opioid emergencies, and narcotics violations, addiction and the opioid epidemic have still affected New Yorkers. Here are some statistics about addiction and help-seeking over the past few years:
Addiction Nonprofits in New York
Exponents
This community resource serves New York City residents who need assistance with addiction, mental health conditions, HIV/AIDS, and imprisonment. They provide behavioral health and SUD treatment, food, clothing, vocational training, and specialized programs for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Women in Need (WiN)
This New York City organization manages 400 supportive housing units and 14 shelters. Women in need and their children can benefit from child care, supportive and transitional housing, education support, life skills courses, and employment programs.
Liberty Resources
This Syracuse program offers addiction and mental health care, crisis support, medical care, disability services, and child and family support. They have community-based care for people experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault and connect individuals with recovery support navigators.
Odyssey House NYC
This nonprofit organization provides a complete continuum of care for youth and adults in New York, regardless of their ability to pay. They offer medication assisted treatment (MAT), harm reduction services, and inpatient, outpatient, and aftercare programs.
NYC Addiction Resources
This nonprofit connects youth and adults in New York and the Tri-State area with addiction education, prevention, and recovery resources, including access to specialized programs for vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, parents and families, and persons with co-occurring disorders.
Harm Reduction Programs
On Point NYC
This organization runs drop-in centers offering basic needs assistance with food, shower stations, and laundry in New York City. They provide harm reduction services, including SUD education, safer-use supplies, and syringe exchanges. People can also benefit from overdose prevention centers, health and wellness services, benefits navigation, and additional care referrals.
Harm Reduction
A program administered by the New York Office of Addiction Services and Supports, they offer comprehensive services for persons experiencing opioid addiction, including naloxone and test strips, sterile syringe kits, and safer needle disposal. They also provide overdose and infection prevention support and services.
New York City Initiatives
The NYC chapter of the National Harm Reduction Coalition, they offer education, prevention, and recovery services for youth and adults experiencing opioid dependency. Their services include wound care education and resources, safer use training, and access to naloxone and sterile syringe distribution sites.
Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center
This community-based nonprofit provides confidential, judgment-free support for persons experiencing substance addiction. Based in New York’s Lower East Side, they offer culturally-responsive education, prevention, and recovery services, including dedicated services to reduce the risk of infectious illness, such as HIV, Hepatitis C, and MRSA.
Harm Reduction -Trillium Health
A program administered by Trillium Health, they offer comprehensive harm reduction services for persons in New York experiencing opioid addiction. These services include Narcan distribution and education, sterile needle exchange, wound care programs, and medical and mental health screenings.
Government Grants & Resources
New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS)
This program links New York residents to vital state resources, including a treatment locator, prevention resources, recovery support, and harm reduction services. They also deliver free naloxone to website visitors.
Alcohol and Drug Use Services
Administered by the City of New York, this website provides education resources and access to addiction prevention, intervention, and recovery programs throughout the metropolitan area and beyond. This includes linkages to harm reduction, overdose prevention, and state-certified recovery programs for youth, adults, and special needs populations.
311 - NYC
Administered by the City of New York, this webpage provides information on and access to the toll-free mental health and addiction recovery helpline, as well as access to additional services, including specialized programs for veterans, persons in crisis, Spanish-language speakers, and persons experiencing opioid addiction.
Substance Use Disorder Services
An official website of the Government of Orange County, New York, they offer a wide variety of educational resources, including videos and digital texts, relating to addiction prevention and recovery. They also provide access to an array of resources across the county and state, including harm reduction, detoxification, and inpatient, outpatient, and aftercare programs for youth, adults, families, and special needs populations.
New York State Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health provides a complete continuum of care for youth and adults experiencing or at risk of developing substance use disorder (SUD). Their programs include home, school, community, and clinic-based addiction education, prevention, and recovery programs. They also offer harm reduction, crisis intervention, and opioid overdose prevention services.
LGBTQ+ Resources
Mayor’s Office of ThriveNYC
The Mayor’s office has a list of mental health resources for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It includes descriptions and contact information for each program or service. The list includes various peer support groups, crisis counseling, therapy, and social isolation support.
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative
A program sponsored by New York’s historic Stonewall Inn, they offer information and access to addiction recovery services tailored to the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community, including all gender recovery housing and programs for persons living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C.
The Center
Also known as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center, they offer information and access to gender-affirming care and care providers, including mental and behavioral health and addiction recovery services tailored to the needs of clients in the LGBTQ+ community.
DOP Pride
Administered by the New York City Department of Probation, they offer information and access to a wide range of mental health and addiction recovery programs for members of the LGBTQ+ community, including specialized services for youth, justice-involved persons, persons experiencing homelessness, and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Resources for Supporting LBTQ+ Wellbeing
Administered by the Adirondack Health Institute (AHI), they provide access to online, clinical, and community-based programs for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families. This includes access to mental health services and addiction education, prevention, and recovery services for youth and adults.
Veterans Programs
New York VA Medical Centers
Veterans and their families can receive mental health and substance use treatment from local VA Medical Centers. Several locations are available statewide, offering various levels of care, including residential treatment, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), and standard outpatient care. The VA also has a 24/7 crisis hotline for immediate assistance.
Veterans and Military
A division of the New York Office of Addiction Services and Support, they offer information and access to addiction recovery programs tailored to the unique needs of military personnel, veterans, and families. This includes specialized services for women veterans and persons with co-occurring traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions.
VetConnect NYC
A program administered by the City of New York, they offer dedicated programs for military personnel and veterans, including access to mental and behavioral health programs. They also provide support for special needs populations, including women veterans, senior veterans, and LGBTQ+ veterans.
Veterans Affairs Resources
Administered by the City University of New York, this webpage provides access to a wide range of resources for military personnel, veterans, and families across New York, including linkages to mental health, wellness, and suicide prevention programs.
Staten Island PPS
Staten Island Preferred Provider System (PPS) provides access to mental and behavioral health services, peer support, and crisis intervention programs for active duty military personnel, veterans, and families across New York State.
Indigenous & Tribal Programs
New York Indian Council Inc. Healthcare Services
This program provides medical, mental health, and addiction recovery services for American Indian and Alaska Native youth and adults in New York City, including screenings and assessments, counseling, and referrals. Their programs are culturally-responsive and aligned with Native healing practices and traditions.
Drug Laws in New York
Controlled Substances Regulations
The official website of the State of New York, this page provides access to current codes, regulations, and statutes pertaining to the possession, manufacturing, and distribution of controlled substances and related paraphernalia.
Cannabis Laws - NYC
This resource from the city government of New York City describes federal, state, and local statutes pertaining to cannabis possession, distribution, and use, including laws relating to medical and recreational marijuana.
Penalties for Drug or Alcohol-Related Violations
Administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles for the State of New York, this page describes statutes and penalties for substance-related motor vehicle violations.
New York Distribution, Trafficking, and Manufacturing Laws
This resource provides comprehensive information on drug laws in the state of New York, with links to relevant statues in the New York code.
911 Good Samaritan Law
This law protects individuals in the state of New York from criminal prosecution when they seek emergency assistance to prevent the death or catastrophic injury of someone experiencing a drug overdose, even if the caller is found to possess or be under the influence of a controlled substance.