A series of three images showing a parent and child, a mature couple and an adult

2025-2029 Agency Strategic Plan

Our Strategic Plan outlines the priorities and goals we will work to achieve through 2029.

Purpose of the Strategic Plan

New York State Mental Hygiene Law §5.07 requires OASAS to develop a five-year Statewide Comprehensive Plan that identifies statewide priorities, specifies statewide goals that reflect the statewide priorities, proposes strategies and initiatives to address the priorities and facilitates achievement of statewide goals. OASAS’ Statewide Comprehensive Plan will also serve as the agency’s Strategic Plan, a blueprint for mapping the most important priorities and utilizing resources effectively.

A Message from the Commissioner

Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham Headshot
As Commissioner of the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports, I am proud to lead an agency that is guided by principles promoting: harm reduction; data-driven, evidenced based approaches; and equity.

These principles, reflected in this strategic plan, are vital to our agency’s mission to provide, support, and oversee compassionate addiction services across the prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery continuum. 

Addiction is a chronic disease that impacts many New Yorkers and, as we know, we are losing far too many of our family, friends, and neighbors to overdose. We have the tools to support people impacted by addiction so that they can thrive and lead healthy lives. This Plan seeks to map our strategies for ensuring lifesaving services are accessible to all. 

Process for Gathering Community Feedback

OASAS encouraged all New Yorkers to review our 2025-2029 Draft Agency Strategic Plan. The Plan was published to our agency website and from June through September 2024, we collected community feedback to help ensure our agency’s priorities align with the needs of those affected by addiction. 

OASAS promoted the opportunity to provide feedback on our Plan through social media posts seen by over 14,500 Facebook users in New York. In July, the agency hosted webinars to share an overview of the plan and facilitated a live Q&A with community attendees. In total, we received 2,744 visits to the Strategic Plan webpage culminating in written feedback from 133 individuals across all regions of New York (Figure 1). 

Respondents identified as persons who:

  • are living in recovery
  • have lost a loved one to an overdose
  • are impacted by addiction
  • love someone who is impacted by addiction
  • work in state, county, or local addiction policy 
  • have lived experience
  • work as an addiction service provider
  • work with people who are impacted by addiction

OASAS leadership reviewed all the input received through this process. The final version of the Strategic Plan reflects changes made in response to Plan-specific stakeholder feedback. Feedback that was not specifically related to the Strategic Plan, or that did not lead to a change to the Plan is still valued and will inform OASAS’ work moving forward.

Figure 1

The following pie chart shows the regions where the 131 respondents live in New York State. The majority, 37 respondents, reported living in New York City, followed by Mid-Hudson with 21 respondents, the Central Region with 14, the Capital Region with 13, and the Western Region with 11. Additionally, eight respondents were from the Southern Tier, seven from the Finger Lakes, six from the Mohawk Valley, and both Long Island and those who preferred not to answer have five respondents each. Finally, four respondents reported living in the North County. 

This pie chart shows the regions where respondents live in New Yok State. Most respondents live in New York City at 37, followed by Mid-Hudson at 21, Central at 14, Capital at 13, Western at 11, Southern Tier at 8, Finger Lakes at 7, Mohawk Valley at 6, Long Island and Prefer Not to Answer at 5, North County at 4.

 

Strategic Plan Overview

The framework for this 2025-2029 Strategic Plan is designed to ensure that we consider multiple perspectives when allocating resources and formulating goals for OASAS’ five-year plan. OASAS’ role is to oversee prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services related to substance use, substance use disorders, gambling, and problem gambling (or gambling disorders). To represent the full continuum of services for both substance use and gambling, OASAS uses the term “addiction services”.

The Strategic Plan outlines the priorities and goals OASAS will work to achieve through 2029.  Over the next five years, OASAS will supplement the planning framework with details on specific initiatives to achieve the agency’s goals and metrics to monitor accomplishments.  

At the core of the OASAS Strategic Plan are the people whose lives are, or could be, affected by addiction. In order to optimize outcomes for New Yorkers impacted by addiction, OASAS must direct efforts to support and develop the community-based provider system to meet the needs of individuals, communities, and families.

Beyond the direct addiction service provider system, OASAS must also cultivate relationships with other systems that interact with the people we serve, such as the mental health, primary health, and criminal justice systems. The agency’s leadership and expertise on these issues are critical to informing how these systems interact with people who are impacted by addiction. 

Finally, OASAS’ top priority is to ensure that available resources are utilized to best meet the needs of the people we serve.

OASAS Planning Framework

The following image of the OASAS Planning Framework encompasses five priority outcomes as part of the Strategic Plan: People Served and Service Outcomes, Addiction Services System Infrastructure, Accountability and Workforce, OASAS Reputation, Relationships, and Outreach, OASAS Infrastructure and Processes, and OASAS Staff, Leadership and Agency Culture.

Five circles encompassing priorities within the strategic plan

People Served and Service Outcomes

Priority Outcome

A continuum of services that remedies systemic racism and is accessible, desirable, and effective. 

OASAS will ensure that all New Yorkers have timely access to the full array of evidence-based services across the prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery continuum. People served across the continuum should have the ability to make choices in their care along their respective path.

Equity, dignity, compassion, and respect are at the core of OASAS’ mission, and our services will align to reflect these values. This includes meeting people where they are, providing person-centered support, and actively addressing the impact of systemic racism on access to and utilization of services. OASAS is committed to making our services accessible, appealing, easy to use, and removing any obstacles that might stand in the way.

Goal 1: Develop a service continuum that matches individual, family, and community needs.
Objective 1.1

Redefine the OASAS continuum to encompass prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery and use data-driven planning to ensure equitable access to services.   

Objective 1.2

Utilize evidence-based interventions to address the needs of underserved populations and communities in NYS.

Objective 1.3

Implement an enhanced approach to care for persons with other comorbidities and ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the full range of services.

Objective 1.4

Use system data and Local Services Plans to ensure programming and staffing meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities.

Objective 1.5

Employ telehealth, mobile treatment units, and other innovative forms of service delivery to reduce barriers, increase awareness, and expand access to underserved areas in NYS.

Goal 2: Ensure services are desired, valued, and utilized.
Objective 2.1

Together with stakeholders, cultivate evidence-based, trauma-informed, and person-driven services that are culturally responsive to values, norms, and language.

Objective 2.2

Ensure that service settings are welcoming to the people served and the community.

Objective 2.3

Reduce stigma towards people with addiction within service providers.

Objective 2.4

Foster relationships among community organizations, peers, individuals with lived experience, and persons who are impacted by addiction to connect with service-seeking individuals.

Goal 3: Optimize outcomes across the continuum.
Objective 3.1

Establish and measure individual and program-level outcomes across the continuum.

Objective 3.2     

Support a data-driven culture to inform improved outcomes.

Goal 4: Reduce racism and stigma surrounding addiction.  
Objective 4.1

Challenge and dispel myths and stereotypes about addiction and the continuum of addiction services.

Objective 4.2

Promote culturally responsive and affirming programming across the continuum of addiction services.

Addiction Services System Infrastructure, Accountability, and Workforce

Priority Outcome

An addiction services system that is accountable for achieving optimal outcomes with and among providers and people served.

OASAS aims to support the delivery of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services that are consistent and effective. The addiction services system is critical to ensuring that services are delivered equitably and achieve the desired outcomes. Recent regulatory changes and new funding streams provide a novel framework to foster an equitable and compassionate service continuum. As optimal outcomes are being defined in the field of addiction, OASAS will use quantifiable measures to assess progress of these goals, and measures will be tailored to the specific part of the continuum of service.

The lived experience of our addiction services system workforce is a cornerstone of our work. Collaboratively with educational institutions, OASAS aims to grow and sustain this workforce with the tools and resources they need to deliver desirable and effective services.

Goal 1: Promote mutually respectful engagement, transparency, and accountability with providers and people served. 
Objective 1.1

Provide clear and consistent communication about organizational policies, changes, guidance, procedures, and decisions.

Objective 1.2

Increase and invest in collaboration and partnership with the addiction service system.

Objective 1.3

Provide comprehensive assistance to support the addiction services system.

Goal 2: Increase the number, diversity, and engagement of the addiction workforce.
Objective 2.1

Increase the number of people in New York with professional credentials in addiction.

Objective 2.2

Improve the retention among the addiction workforce and help foster opportunities for career growth within the field. 

Objective 2.3

Through a trauma-informed care approach, build and sustain comprehensive support systems to foster a healthy work environment for the addiction workforce. 

Goal 3: Leverage finances to optimize outcomes.
Objective 3.1

Use discretionary funding to diversify the addiction services system, ensuring OASAS’ strategic priorities are met through a wide range of high quality, evidence-based services.

Objective 3.2    

Identify opportunities to maximize Medicaid and other revenue sources to support programs and services that align with OASAS’ strategic priorities. 

Objective 3.3     

Ensure OASAS funding supports a comprehensive equity-centered service system.

Objective 3.4     

Provide funding to support provider data collection infrastructure.

Goal 4: Improve monitoring and accountability of services provided under/within OASAS oversight.
Objective 4.1     

Develop and implement processes for tracking and improving identified performance outcomes through incentives, monitoring, and corrective action.

Objective 4.2  

Implement an agency-wide recertification process focused on quality services and outcomes for people served.

Objective 4.3    

Provide technical assistance to providers seeking to establish or improve existing services to promote best practices and increase compliance with regulations.

Objective 4.4     

Deliver training and guidance on data collection, analysis, and reporting for performance measures.

OASAS Reputation, Relationships, and Outreach

Priority Outcome 

Recognition as the definitive leader on addiction in New York and serve as a model for others.

OASAS leads a comprehensive system of addiction services and recognizes that, as subject matter experts, the agency has a responsibility to communicate an evidence-based understanding of addiction-related information and resources. OASAS staff bring their diverse experiences to the agency and have a deep understanding of the nexus between addiction services and other socio-ecological factors. Through greater recognition of OASAS’ expertise in the field of addiction, we can empower communities to effectively support those impacted by addiction.

In addition to the addiction service system, we value our federal, state, county, city, and tribal partners and are committed to fostering these relationships to best meet the needs of all New Yorkers.

Goal 1: Be the acknowledged experts on addiction. 
Objective 1.1

OASAS will be the definitive source for addiction-related information and resources.

Objective 1.2     

OASAS staff, as subject matter experts, will be the principal sources cited in media reports about addiction and addiction-related consequences.

Goal 2: Enhance strong, collaborative relationships with external government stakeholders.
Objective 2.1  

Enhance collaborations with Federal, State, County, City, and Tribal partners.

Objective 2.2     

Maintain effective, transparent, and timely communications with stakeholders.

Goal 3: Promote the success and value of OASAS, the addiction services system, and the people served.
Objective 3.1 

Communicate the value and importance of the continuum of OASAS services and the people who we serve to increase public awareness and understanding.

OASAS Infrastructure and Processes

Priority Outcome

Efficient and effective agency infrastructure and processes to improve operations.

Building on the agency’s commitment to a comprehensive continuum of addiction services across prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery, OASAS recognizes the important need for enhancing our infrastructure to support this goal. Enhancing the internal organization of the agency structures will optimize the efficient use of resources and services throughout the system of care. Through the use of data, OASAS can foster understanding among providers on the outcomes of their services, and in turn, create a system of care that best serves people’s needs.

As the direct operator of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers that provide services to over 5,000 persons each year, there are infrastructure improvements needed to ensure OASAS can support all New Yorkers who are receiving services in these settings.  

Goal 1: Refine the data collection system to reflect the service continuum and inform policy and decision-making.   
Objective 1.1

Refine the data collection infrastructure to deliver actionable insights that meet the cross-divisional demands of the agency. 

Objective 1.2

Conduct ongoing assessment of services, data needs, and system performance.

Goal 2: Automate, standardize, and improve agency processes.  
Objective 2.1

Automate and standardize workflows to eliminate unnecessary and inefficient processes.

Objective 2.2  

Improve interagency and intra-agency relationships and processes to enhance accountability structures.

Goal 3: Modernize agency physical infrastructure.
Objective 3.1

Update Addiction Treatment Center infrastructure to align with strategic priorities.

Objective 3.2  

Modernize office infrastructure to empower the OASAS workforce and ultimately enhance the ability to deliver exceptional addiction services.

OASAS Staff, Leadership, and Agency Culture

Priority Outcome

An agency culture where people are engaged in the mission and feel valued. 

To achieve the agency’s mission, OASAS needs to invest in a workforce that evolves with the expanding service continuum. OASAS is committed to establishing processes that allow for sustaining and recruiting passionate staff with expertise in prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery. To be successful in this mission, OASAS must foster an inclusive and equitable culture for all agency staff. 

Goal 1: Create a recruitment process aligned with OASAS’ priorities. 
Objective 1.1

In partnership with Civil Service, ensure the OASAS recruits and sustains a workforce that fulfils the agency mission.  

Goal 2: Foster an environment that is antiracist and supports learning, engagement, and professional development. 
Objective 2.1

Ensure the OASAS workforce is retained, supported, and has opportunities to grow their careers.

Objective 2.2

Foster an organizational culture that is inclusive, equitable, and just for all employees, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.

Next Steps

The outcomes, goals, and objectives outlined in the OASAS Strategic Plan provide the guiding framework for the next five years. As ongoing and prospective initiatives develop in relation to the Plan detailed above, OASAS will continue to communicate opportunities and outcomes within the addiction services system. 

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