Start Treatment & Recovery Centers Inc

TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF COMPASSIONATE, COMPREHENSIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES; EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC CONCERTING MAINTENANCE OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLES; AND, CUTTING EDGE BEHAVIORAL, BIO-MEDICAL AND HEALTCARE RESEARCH.

START IS THE LARGEST AND OLDEST MINORITY-RUN DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES, ESTABLISHED IN 1969 AND WITH EIGHT PROGRAMS SERVING ADULTS WITH ADDICTION DISORDERS. START'S SEVEN MEDICATION ASSISTANCE TREATMENT PROGRAMS (MATP) ARE DUALLY LICENSED BY NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS (OASAS) AND THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR PRIMARY CARE SERVICES. THEY ARE ALSO ACCREDITED BY CARF, DEMONSTRATING MAINTENANCE OF THE HIGHEST STANDARDS. THE OASAS-LICENSED REACH CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY PROGRAM OFFERS INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING, AS WELL AS PSYCHIATRY SERVICES, FOR ADULTS WITH CO-OCCURRING ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSES. ADDITIONALLY, START ENGAGES IN CUTTING-EDGE BEHAVIORAL AND BIO-MEDICAL RESEARCH WHICH SEEKS BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR OUR PATIENT POPULATION. START IS PROUD TO HAVE PROVIDED SERVICES FOR OVER 3,606 ADULTS DURING 2021.

TEEN START COMPLETED ITS FOURTH YEAR OF OPERATION IN SEPTEMBER 2021. TEEN START IS THE AGENCY'S ARTICLE 31 OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC CERTIFIED BY THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH (OMH), SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH OF ADOLESCENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND LOVED ONES. LATE 2021, OMH RECERTIFICATION AUDIT WAS DONE. RESULTS ARE PENDING. TEEN START SERVED A TOTAL OF 81 ADOLESCENTS IN 2021. IN MARCH 2020, UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER, CLINICAL STAFF WERE ABRUPTLY SENT HOME AND CONTINUED TO WORK REMOTELY FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, AND INTO 2021. TELEMENTAL HEALTH CONTINUES TO ALLOW FOR THE DELIVERY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES REMOTELY, IN ORDER TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE, AND IN ORDER TO SAVE LIVES. THE SHOW RATE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY DURING ALL THREE FULL QUARTERS OF THE PANDEMIC IN 2020, RISING TO 78% ANNUALLY, AND REMAINED HIGH AT APPROXIMATELY 75% DURING 2021.

KEEPING WITH ITS MISSION TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF COMPASSIONATE, COMPREHENSIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTHCARE, START PROVIDES PRIMARY CARE SERVICES FOR PATIENTS IN THE MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAMS (MATPS). RECOGNIZING THAT SUBSTANCE USERS HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS (HCV) INFECTION THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION, START SCREENED ALL OF ITS PATIENTS FOR HCV AND PROVIDED CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LINKING PATIENTS TO CARE. DURING THE YEAR OF 2021, START WAS AWARDED A NEW GRANT TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS TO PREVENT AND TREAT INFECTIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) AND VIRAL HEPATITIS INFECTIONS AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO TREATMENT, VACCINATION, AND HARM REDUCTION SERVICES AMONG PATIENTS RECEIVING CARE AT START. WE PROPOSED AN INTEGRATED VIRAL HEPATITIS AND HIV TESTING AND TREATMENT MODEL TO EXPAND SERVICES TO START PATIENTS. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO STRENGTHEN OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND INCREASE OUR CURRENT CAPACITY FOR SCREENING OF AND LINKAGE TO HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION AND CARE. THE AWARD PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES: 1) TESTING FOR HIV AND HEPATITIS C; 2) HEALTH PROMOTION AND COUNSELING; 3) ASSESSMENT OF RISK AND BARRIERS TO CARE; 4) ONSITE TREATMENT PLANS; 5) LINKAGE TO TREATMENT OUTSIDE OF START TO PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS AND/OR REFERRALS TO SPECIALISTS AND SERVICES, AS NECESSARY; 6) COORDINATION WITH OUTSIDE PROVIDERS AND SPECIALISTS; AND 7) OUTREACH FOR PATIENT RE-ENGAGEMENT.