Crouse Health to use $125,000 grant for addiction-treatment services

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Health announced it has received a $125,000 grant to help support and expand services for people needing treatment for substance-use disorders.

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, based in New York City, awarded the funding, Crouse Health said in a news release.

The grant will expand access to certified recovery peer advocates (CRPA) outside of traditional treatment hours. CRPAs are people with “lived experience” who understand the toll of addiction and the treatment process.

The grant will also help sustain a therapy aide as part of the treatment team that supports patients. It will also help the counseling staff with services that include help securing childcare and navigating paperwork.

In addition, the grant will allow Crouse to add more counselor hours to its Celebrating Families program, which is held outside of typical clinic hours. Program activity is usually held on a Saturday morning to make it more convenient for families to participate, Crouse Health said.

“We are so grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for recognizing the need for enhanced support for individuals undergoing substance use treatment,” Dr. Tolani Ajagbe, medical director of Crouse addiction-treatment services, said.

Demand for opioid-treatment services has increased “significantly” in the area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, he added.

“Getting services to people where they live, especially during a pandemic, is critically important,” Ajagbe said.

To address this, the grant will also help support the purchase of equipment and software to provide more robust telehealth services for those who request it.

“These grants demonstrate our continued commitment to support a wide range of organizations like Crouse Health that are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of New York’s most vulnerable,” said Alfred Kelly, Jr., CEO of Visa and chair of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation board of directors.

About the organizations

The nonprofit Mother Cabrini Health Foundation says it works to “improve the health and well-being of the vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

The foundation — named in memory of a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor — provides “flexible support for new and innovative approaches that enhance” health and wellness across New York state.

Crouse Health says construction is currently underway on a new, 40,000-square-foot, medical-office building on Erie Blvd. East, where its addiction-treatment services, offices, and outpatient programs will be relocated later this summer.