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City expands peer recovery workforce New York City will invest $12 million over the next four years to expand overdose recovery and outreach services across the five boroughs in a plan Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled on May 7, a move officials say will strengthen community-based care while creating hundreds of jobs for people in recovery. The funding, drawn from opioid settlement money, is expected to create 500 new peer specialist positions through nonprofit organizations that work directly with N e w Yo r k e r s struggling with substance use disorder. Peer specialists are individuals with lived experience who help others navigate recovery, connect to treatment and Mayor Zohran MaMdani access support services. “Every New Yorker deserves access to care, dignity and support, no matter where they are in their recovery journey,” Mamdani said in a news release. “Peer specialists understand what recovery looks like because they’ve lived it themselves.” The investment comes as the city continues battling an overdose crisis that has devastated communities for years, particularly in low-income neighborhoods and among Black and Latino residents. Although officials said recent numbers show improvement, overdose deaths remain a major public health concern. According to provisional city data, New York City recorded 2,192 overdose deaths in 2024, down from 3,056 in 2023 — the first major decline in nearly a decade. From January through September 2025, overdose deaths remained relatively stable following that decrease. City officials said the new funding is part of the broader HealthyNYC initiative, which aims to reduce overdose deaths by 25% by 2030 while improving overall life expectancy.
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eer specialists understand what recovery looks like because they’ve lived it themselves.
Courtesy Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Using $12 million of opioid settlement money, the city is expanding four years to expand overdose. Above, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, left, at May 7 news conference. The money will support recovery centers and peer-led outreach prog rams operated by org anizations including Community Health Action of Staten Island, Exponents, Fortune Society, Odyssey House, Phoenix House, Let’s Talk Safety and Samaritan Daytop Village. Funding will help expand mobile outreach programs, support peer certification training and scholarships, and increase staffing for organizations working directly with vulnerable residents. Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said the initiative focuses on meeting people where they are and building trust through people who understand addiction firsthand. “This investment puts more resources in the hands of trusted messengers delivering the direct services New Yorkers with substance use disorder desperately need,” Martin said in the release. Officials said peer specialists often play a critical role in helping people e n t e r a n d re m a i n i n t re at m e n t .
Research has shown peer-led behavioral health programs can improve engagement and recovery outcomes by offering support grounded in personal experience rather than clinical treatment alone. The city has increasingly directed opioid settlement funds toward harm reduction, treatment and recovery programs in recent years. In fiscal year 2025 alone, the city allocated $41 million in opioid settlement funding for substance use services across agencies. Several elected officials and nonprofit leaders praised the latest investment as a step toward addressing addiction through public health rather than criminalization. Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, chair of the Committee on Health, said the funding directs resources into organizations already doing “critical, on-the-ground work” in vulnerable communities. Tiffany Cabán, Schulman’s council colleague, said in the release the
city was “investing in people” by expanding peer-based care models. Organizations receiving funding also highlighted the importance of expanding outreach efforts directly into neighborhoods. Phoenix House President and CEO Ann-Marie Foster said the organization plans to launch its first mobile outreach and wellness unit as part of the initiative, bringing mental health and recovery services directly to communities. Officials encouraged New Yorkers seeking mental health or substance use support to call or text 988 for confidential counseling and referrals at any time. –Jeffrey Bessen