April 19, 2023
Center Takes an Integrated, Whole-Health Approach to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Offering a Wide Range of Recovery and Harm Reduction Services, Including Individual and Group Counseling and Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment, Plus, Access to Physical Health Services, Food Pantry, and Other Services that Address Social Determinants of Health
Today, the Institute for Community Living (ICL), a premier healthcare innovator serving more than 12 000 New Yorkers each year, announced the launch of the Hope and Recovery Center, an outpatient substance use disorder treatment and recovery program.
The new program, located in the East New York Health Hub, is crucial to ICL’s whole health approach to care. The Hub offers integrated physical and mental health care, as well as resources for families and children, such as a food pantry, all under one roof. Now, individuals coming to the Hub can receive substance-use disorder treatment along with primary care, psychotherapy, medication management, social rehabilitation, and more.
The need for substance use disorder treatment has never been greater. Many people struggled with isolation and anxiety during the pandemic, exacerbating mental health and substance use difficulties. The overdose crisis has reached historic levels—2,668 individuals died of a drug overdose in New York City in 2021, an increase of 78 percent since 2019 and 27 percent since 2020. Alcohol-related deaths increased by 25 percent nationwide from 2019 to 2020.
To address these troubling trends, the Hope and Recovery Center offers trauma-informed interventions based on each person’s needs and goals. Clients can access medication-assisted treatment; a variety of counseling services, including for family members and partners; overdose prevention training, and more. Everything at the center happens in a compassionate, safe, and nurturing environment.
“Often those we work with at ICL are high-need individuals who may struggle with multiple challenges, such as mental health and substance use, and they often face increased barriers to accessing care,” said Jody Rudin, President and CEO of ICL. “With the Hope and Recovery Center, people now have a place to go for direct, coordinated support in their recovery journey. The Center reflects ICL’s commitment to integrated, whole-person care focused on addressing an individual’s physical, mental, and social well-being.”
The Center’s dedicated team of professionals has a wide range of expertise. There are medical providers, psychiatrists, family therapists, licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, certified alcohol and substance abuse counselors, and peer advocates, all working in coordination to help patients achieve lasting changes.
“Hope is the most important thing for people recovering from a substance use disorder. Our goal at the Hope and Recovery Center is to work with each participant to create individualized plans to meet them where they are in their own recovery journey,” said Drucilla Williams, vice president for addiction services. “Recovery is seldom a linear path and can look different for everyone.”
