HELPING HANDS

WHAT: Grant that supports students enrolled in SUNY Adirondack’s New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS)-certified Criminal Justice: Substance Abuse Services (CRSA) Associate in Applied Science degree program

WHERE: SUNY Adirondack

THE PROJECT: Students in SUNY Adirondack CRSA receive:

• textbook support;

• gas cards;

• wraparound support;

• completion stipends;

• academic advising;

• professional coaching; and

• CASAC-T examination fees

WHY: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, need for substance abuse counselors will grow 22 percent by 2031, adding more than 77,500 jobs. Need is particularly high in New York state, where more than 1.9 million people battle substance abuse. In Warren County, the opioid death rate was higher than the state average, with a rate of 26.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020; in Washington County, that number was 24.3 per 100,000; and in Saratoga County, the rate of 15.9 deaths per 100,000 was lower than the state average.