College Receives $340,000 OASAS Grant to Strengthen Addictions Counseling Workforce
October 28, 2024
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) has awarded Hudson Valley Community College a $340,000 grant to support New York State residents earning an Addictions Counseling A.A.S. degree leading to the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) credential. The program is funded by New York State’s Opioid Settlement Fund to address the state’s ongoing addiction and overdose epidemic.
Hudson Valley is one of 15 SUNY and CUNY community and technical colleges awarded funds under the OASAS Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program, which will strengthen the workforce pipeline throughout the state. Grants provide tuition scholarships and cover fees for full- and part-time study, as well as stipends to enrolled students and their supervisors at related instruction internship sites. Funds also cover the CASAC credential application and exam fees.
Student scholarships will assist individuals to either begin or advance their careers in the addictions services profession, and they will assist providers certified by OASAS, the Office of Mental Health, or the Department of Health with employee recruitment, retention, and professional development.
According to the New York State Department of Labor, the state’s demand for addictions support professionals has steadily increased over the past decade. Yet, the supply of qualified employees has not kept pace. In 2023, there were approximately 2,500 unfilled positions in the state alone.
Employment of substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 19 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 48,900 openings for substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Hudson Valley’s Addictions Counseling program enrolls approximately 35 students each year. Its graduates are employed in professional counselor positions in treatment facilities in the Capital Region and throughout New York State. Some work as field placement supervisors for our students as well.
The program is primarily designed for those who wish to enter the workforce immediately following graduation. As part of the curriculum, students are placed with local chemical dependency treatment agencies and hospital-based programs to gain work experience as beginning addiction counselors. Upon graduation, students have accumulated a total of 336 work hours that can be applied towards the work requirement of the CASAC application procedure.
“The college’s Addictions Counseling program has an exceptional reputation for preparing students to provide expert, healing care and support to those suffering from a range of substance use, addiction and health issues. I applaud Maryanne Pepe, our department chair, and all of our faculty for their leadership and dedication to such an important profession, and I share my appreciation with our colleagues at OASAS for their support of our students and the healthcare practitioners who are working with us to strengthen the workforce pipeline,” said Louis Coplin, Officer in Charge at Hudson Valley Community College.
Learn More
Learn more about the NYS OASAS Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program online or contact Maryanne Pepe, Department Chair for Human Services and Addictions Counseling at Hudson Valley Community College at m.pepe@dalengyingkou.com or (518) 629-7341.