NEW YORK— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced a $12 million investment to expand access to life-saving recovery services for New Yorkers at risk of overdose. The funding will support the certification and employment of peer specialists — people with a history of substance-use disorder who help others in recovery — and strengthen direct outreach efforts across the five boroughs. Over four years, the investment is expected to create 500 new peer specialist positions through community-based organizations citywide.
“Every New Yorker deserves access to care, dignity and support, no matter where they are in their recovery journey. This $12 million investment will help connect New Yorkers to life-saving services while creating hundreds of good-paying jobs rooted in lived experience and community trust,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Peer specialists understand what recovery looks like because they’ve lived it themselves, and their leadership will help more New Yorkers find care, stay connected and build stable futures. During Mental Health Awareness Month we are reminded that recovery is not linear and there is no wrong door to seek help.”
“Every overdose is preventable, and the City must continue investing in the people and programs that save lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “This $12 million investment from the Opioid Settlement Fund will expand peer outreach and strengthen the recovery workforce across New York City. By helping more New Yorkers access care and support, this funding moves us closer to our HealthyNYC goal of reducing overdose deaths by 25% by 2030.”
“Meeting people where they are in their recovery is how we build trust to support sustained engagement,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “This investment puts more resources in the hands of trusted messengers delivering the direct services New Yorkers with substance use disorder desperately need. This helps us save lives while growing career pathways for people who have experience with substance use themselves, turning their pain into purpose.”
The City will fund recovery centers and peer-led outreach programs operated by Community Health Action of Staten Island, Exponents, Fortune Society, Odyssey House, Phoenix House, Let’s Talk Safety and Samaritan Daytop Village. The funding will support staffing, expand mobile outreach capabilities and strengthen workforce development opportunities for peer specialists.
Peer specialists use their lived experience and professional training to help people access recovery resources, develop coping skills and navigate moments of crisis. Research shows peer-led behavioral health programs can increase engagement in care, strengthen trust and improve recovery outcomes. The investment will also support outreach vans, peer certification training and scholarships, and expand enrollment in recovery services.
The announcement builds on the City’s broader HealthyNYC initiative, which aims to reduce overdose deaths by 25% by 2030 and increase life expectancy for New Yorkers. It also continues the City’s efforts to direct opioid settlement funds to community-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery programs.
Previous investments have included expanded hours and services at OnPoint NYC, increased access to treatment, enhancements to the Health Department’s nonfatal overdose response program, and supporting harm reduction, and expanded harm reduction and recovery services on Staten Island.
In fiscal year 2025, the City allocated $41 million in opioid settlement funds to support substance use services across City agencies.
Overdose deaths continue to affect communities across New York City, though recent data show significant progress. New provisional data from January through September 2025 show overdose deaths remained stable following a major decline in 2024. The City recorded 2,192 overdose deaths in 2024, down from 3,056 deaths in 2023, marking the first substantial decline in nearly a decade. Rates remain highest among Black and Latino New Yorkers, residents of high-poverty neighborhoods, and adults ages 55 to 64.
“New Yorkers struggling with substance use need trusted, accessible pathways to care, especially those living on our streets,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Committee on Health. “This $12 million investment in peer outreach directs opioid settlement funds — secured from the companies that fueled this crisis — into community-based organizations doing critical, on-the-ground work. I applaud Mayor Mamdani for advancing this investment and ensuring these resources are in the hands of those best equipped to reach our most vulnerable neighbors.”
“Today we are celebrating investments that will undoubtedly save lives. We are investing in people. In peers – the workers with lived experience – who provide a level of support and ongoing healthy outcomes to those struggling with substance use disorder that only they can. We are caring for, not criminalizing, people who use drugs for a myriad of reasons – to cope with pain, disconnection, societal failure and so much more,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. “Today, New York and the many incredible harm reduction organizations in our city are leading the way in scaling up community-based treatment and keeping our loved ones alive.”
“I am proud that Mayor Mamdani and his administration have secured a historic $12 million from an opioid settlement to be reinvested directly into community-based recovery services, including Phoenix House in our district,” said Council Member Chi Ossé. “I was glad to have secured $70,000 for Phoenix House last fiscal year, reflecting an ongoing commitment to strengthening this vital institution. This investment reflects a broader commitment to using settlement funds to support long-standing organizations that provide essential substance use treatment and recovery services. Phoenix House, the oldest recovery center in New York City, stands as a central recipient of this funding, underscoring the city’s commitment to sustained, life-saving recovery infrastructure. This is proof, yet again, that supporting substance use recovery and getting people into care is public safety in action.”
“With support from our city partners, Phoenix House is thrilled to launch our first-ever Neighborhood Outreach and Wellness (NOW) mobile unit to expand access to critical mental health services, bring care directly into neighborhoods and strengthen trust through peer-led support. We are especially proud to grow our peer workforce, which creates pathways for individuals with lived experience to lead, connect and guide others on their recovery journeys. We are grateful to the Health Department for their partnership and commitment to advancing community-based care that is accessible, equitable, and rooted in recovery,” said Ann-Marie Foster, FACHE, Phoenix House President & CEO.
“Community Health Action is grateful to the Department of Health and the Mayor’s office for making it possible for Staten Islanders in recovery to find reliable and meaningful work through these programs. Peers combine training with their own lived experiences to help people who are seeking change. Community-based organizations like ours are uniquely positioned to fill public health and safety gaps while also meeting the needs of an emerging peer workforce. The city’s investment will improve engagement in care and support long-term stability.” Ericker Onaga, Executive Director of Community Health Action of Staten Island
“We commend this investment and the City’s continued commitment to addressing the overdose crisis. Peer specialists are essential to recovery because they understand firsthand what people are going through and can build trust in ways others can’t,” said Mitchell Netburn, President and CEO of Samaritan Daytop Village. “At Samaritan Daytop Village, our peers are on the frontlines of our efforts to help people begin and stay on their recovery journey. We can’t do this work without the support of our peers. Expanding this workforce means reaching more New Yorkers, strengthening communities, and saving lives across our city.”
“The Fortune Society is proud to partner in this investment, which strengthens the peer workforce and connects more New Yorkers to healing and long-term recovery,” said Rob DeLeon, Interim President and CEO of The Fortune Society. “This funding recognizes the essential role peers play in helping people access recovery support and build stable, healthy lives. Peers bring a level of trust and lived experience that can make the difference between isolation and engagement, and this funding will help us expand their life-saving work across our communities.”
New Yorkers seeking mental health or substance use support can call or text 988 at any time to with trained counselors and access confidential referrals to services and resources.
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