Addiction: The Next Step
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Addiction: The Next Step
Degree for Free: Millions Available through NYS Addiction Care Scholarship
What if you could be part of the solution to the addiction and overdose epidemic, and help save lives through workforce development? On this episode of "Addiction: The Next Step," we sit down with Sophia Favelus, the project manager for OASAS initiatives, to uncover how the Addiction Professional Scholarship Program is revolutionizing the field of addiction services. With $18 million in scholarships, this program is not only attracting new talent but also retaining current professionals by providing crucial funding for credentials and associate degree programs across 15 SUNY and CUNY community colleges in New York State.
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or OASAS, provides this podcast as a public service. Thoughts and opinions expressed do not necessarily represent or reflect those of the agency or state. This is Addiction: The Next Step.
Jerry Gretzinger:This is Addiction: the Next Step. I'm your host, Jerry Gretzinger, here, and we're here at the New York State Offices of Addiction Services and Supports, and we really like the opportunity to bring everybody who's either listening or watching the latest information that can be useful or helpful as we navigate the world of addiction. And one of the things that is so important to us is workforce. We need to make sure that we have an ample number of people who are out there providing the services that are so desperately needed across the entire state, and one of the things that's at work right now to make sure we continue to build that workforce is a scholarship program, because we want to encourage people to study this, to make this their chosen profession, and it's an aptly named the Addiction Professional Scholarship Program and we are going to get some more information about this today from Sophia Favelus, and she's the project manager for the initiatives that we're talking about. Thanks for sitting down with us, Sophia.
Sophia Favelus:Thank you for having me, Jerry.
Jerry Gretzinger:And so you know I think we've mentioned this a little bit in the past. We've had some episodes where we've talked about the scholarship program, but we have you back on because it's growing, it's done so well, it's been added to, it's expanded, and I want us to start with that. So let's tell people, well, let's start with what it is right. So what is this all about? We know it's a scholarship. It offers money for people to study. Take it from there.
Sophia Favelus:Okay, well, yes, as you said, the Addiction Professional Scholarship Program was started originally to address the addiction and overdose epidemic, of course, and to address the ongoing workforce crisis among addiction services professionals. So recently, sorry, actually, originally what we had was scholarships funding for the credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor program, also for the credentialed prevention professional credential program and the certified recovery peer advocate certificate programs at different community-based organizations and colleges, including Stony Brook University and Alfred State College. Recently we've actually expanded to 15 SUNY and CUNY community colleges throughout New York State where we're actually providing associate degree programs or courses for payment for courses towards the associate degree program, along with the CASAC credential program. And we also had originally, I should mention, the bachelor's degree program, which you did a podcast on recently for the bachelor's degree program in addiction studies.
Jerry Gretzinger:And so we talk about some of these different programs, the different position titles. You talk about the workforce crisis and so the positions that we're trying to help people study for and then eventually move into professionally, these are critical service delivery roles. These are people who are definitely making a difference for people, New Yorkers, around the state, and we want to continue making sure that there are an ample number of people doing those jobs.
Sophia Favelus:Yes, definitely, and we think that with the associate degree program it's adding a new pathway to develop new workers and actually to retain the current workers existing in our workforce.
Jerry Gretzinger:And so this I think this is great too because, like you said, we talked about the bachelor's program previously on one of the podcasts. We did a video I think we still have it up on our website and a couple of different places which is oasas. ny. gov. I always want to give that out when we can. But the fact that this has expanded now to so many more campuses, it's available so much more widely, that has to be a tremendous boost in the amount of people that we can reach with a program like this.
Sophia Favelus:Oh, definitely yes, and we have like $18 million in scholarships, so we'll definitely reach more people, especially since they're throughout New York State, these schools. We definitely need to do that.
Jerry Gretzinger:So, as you say, reach people across New York State and you talked about the
Jerry Gretzinger:$18 million, I think one of the things for me the last time and you could tell us if we have the same system in place now. But you read about okay, this is to help people study addiction, careers right Work in the addictions field.
Jerry Gretzinger:And you wonder, definitely, scholarship, Is all tuition, completely, and imandatory just going to get me a little bit of the way there? And some of the participants in the bachelor's program they let us know, no, this is covering everything. I
Jerry Gretzinger:mean, if I definitely, go icompletely this is going to
Jerry Gretzinger:cover every expense I have to do this study.
Sophia Favelus:So, yes, definitely no-transcript. Um, completely, and it's covering mandatory fees as well. Um, and actually, scholarships are applied after all, financial aid is granted and considered, except student loans, so you won't have much um to owe after that.
Jerry Gretzinger:yeah, I think that's such a tremendous thing and it is. It's a nice chunk of money that's available for people to do that. And uh, I I look at this and I think if anybody has an interest, it's sort of like a no-brainer. Why wouldn't you reach out and say, hey, how can I find out more about it? What's the first step someone has to take if they hear this podcast or if they've heard people talk about it? What's the first thing they do? Do they go to our website? Do they look at some of the colleges participating? I mean, what would you advise?
Sophia Favelus:So I would advise definitely to see our scholarship web page, which is on oasisnygov. You click on the providers and workforce tab and then the scholarships tab. There you have a directory of participating entities where you can actually see the contact person and their contact information for each program and learn about each program and it's actually a link to each program's web page. I learn about each program and it's actually a link to each program's web page so you can look directly there and look at different programs and see what fits you and what your professional goals are. I know for the bachelor's degree program, once you graduate from that, if you have prior substance use disorder experience, you can actually advance your career by working in supervisory positions or administrative positions. Advance your career by working in supervisory positions or administrative positions. And if you have an associate degree as well, after you graduate from one of the community college programs, you can actually work as a counselor, whether it's a CASAC or a prevention practitioner.
Jerry Gretzinger:You know. The next question I'm going to ask you is maybe some people are wondering okay, this sounds interesting, I think I would find some fulfillment in doing this kind of work. But maybe they're wondering what would an average day for me be like? So if somebody goes into this field of study and they plan to do this as a career, I mean, what could they expect would be a typical day in the life?
Sophia Favelus:Well, they should expect to work in the clinical setting and a treatment site and recovery site for those who are peers On a daily basis. What we have is to give a better idea is the paid internships. So each program is requiring you to complete a certain number of internship hours so you can get the full experience there.
Jerry Gretzinger:And a paid internship at that. So, we have the scholarship program paid internships, a lot of benefits, a lot of perks for people to participate here. Yes, all right. So then the next question. Somebody goes through the program. They have a sense of what the average day may be like, and I mean, what is an average day? Really, none of us have an average day but, you kind of painted a broad picture, but then let's talk about salary expectations. That's obviously something also people might be asking about.
Sophia Favelus:Right, yeah, so for counselors in New York State the average I would say wage would be $62,000 every year, and for prevention practitioners actually it would be $50,000, which is like $24 per hour, and they can expect to make anything between $30,000 and $75,000. For peers it's about $15.80 per hour the hourly wage, and they can range from $34,000 to $59,000 per year.
Jerry Gretzinger:Yeah, you know a lot of reward, I think, to participate in this program. But I want to ask you about a different kind of reward too. We've had some people on who are, you know, that do work as addiction professionals and they very often talk about, you know, that intangible benefit that they get from it. Right., it's that feeling, that sense of accomplishment that you're doing something to make a difference for people. Talk about that a little bit, because that might be another piece that people might like to hear about. You know, what do you get out of a job like this?
Sophia Favelus:Well, you know that you're making a difference in a crisis situation, right? We have an opioid and overdose epidemic and addiction epidemic in this country right now, and we also have a high turnover and massive shortage of addiction professionals working in the field. So you know that one more person added into this field will make a massive difference in addressing this epidemic. You'll directly work with those with substance use disorder at treatment sites, so it's quite fulfilling and the more people we have, the less burnout we'll have and the less turnover we'll have as well.
Jerry Gretzinger:Right. Sophia why I want to have more people to do it, because it is. It's an important job, it's a difficult job, but I agree with you. I think, in the things that I've seen, it's that the people who are delivering these services. There's that sense that we are all working together to make things better, right To enhance someone's life, make a better situation for someone, and that's definitely something that, when you see it come through, that's the kind of intangible thing that you know you can't put a dollar figure on.
Sophia Favelus:That's right. It's very rewarding.
Jerry Gretzinger:Yeah, ophia, I think this is great. Hopefully we've reached a lot of people with this information. I know education just the thought of it sometimes can be daunting for people, and to know that there's this kind of you know monetary support to help people get started to go through the program is great. So I know you said the first stop should be the website oasasnygov. Oasasnygov and there's 15 campuses you said right now that are participating, is that right.
Sophia Favelus:So 15 SUNY and CUNY community colleges for an associate degree program along with an integrated CASAC program. We also have a bachelor's degree with SUNY Empire Empire State University and we also have 10 community-based organizations where you can have either a peer certificate program or a CASAC program. And we also have Stony Brook University and Alfred State College where you can do either a CASAC or a CPP program. All right Lots. Stony Brook University and Alfred State College where you could do either a CASAC or a CPP program.
Jerry Gretzinger:All right, that's a great opportunity for people and, again, if you're out there listening or watching, this is money that we want you to be able to use. So if you have an interest, how long does it take to log on and get more details right? So start there and, who knows, maybe in a few years we'll have some people who are listening today on the podcast to talk about their journey and how they decided to enter the addiction workforce.
Sophia Favelus:Yes, that'll be very exciting.
Jerry Gretzinger:That's what we're looking for, Sophia. Thank you again for sitting down and joining us today.
Sophia Favelus:Thank you for having me.
Jerry Gretzinger:And I'm sure we'll have more updates on this as time goes on and, hopefully, as we continue to make money available. It was such a great, great idea.
Jerry Gretzinger:All right, hey, I am Jerry Gretzinger your host of Addiction: the Next Step, and hope all is well with you. We'll see you next time. Be well.
