BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There's a new push to help people in our community who are struggling with addiction.
It is a problem that has been particularly bad in the Western New York community, over the last several years.
According to the latest data from the State Department of Health compiled last fall, half of the counties in Western New York have high numbers of deaths due to opioid overdoses that worsened as of 2020.
Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee and Niagara Counties all saw more overdose deaths than the state average.
Though, as of May 2022, there were less than 23,000 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors employed in the state.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun sat down with the a clinical assistant professor from D'Youville University that is hoping to put more clinically-trained counselors in the field, faster.
"We are trying to develop better trained counselors, better educated counselors and more well-rounded counselors that would go out to be able to not just adjust let's say the alcohol use but the depression that's maybe driving it," Tim Arent explained.
Tim Arent is a D'Youville University clinical assistant professor of psychology.
He said this fall, psychology majors at the university will have the opportunity to be trained in becoming a New York State Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC).
"What we're doing to make it different here, Dr. Lorrie Clemo who is president of the university has partnered with the Beacon Center of Central and Western New York, Jackie West. We are developing a clinic on campus that would not only treat anybody on campus in the area that has any type of addiction issues, but it's going to allow students in the area to do their clinical work," Arent said.
The training goes through eight courses, including counseling theory, counseling techniques, how to be person-centered and different types of drug abuse.
Arent said, "You see what the opioid crisis has lead to, the fentanyl crisis and the overdose crisis that is going on. Individuals actually see this so a lot of students have reached out and said, 'What can I do to address this?'"
Upon graduation, students will not only be walking out with their bachelor's degrees, but they will also have anywhere from 500 to 1100 clinical hours under their belts, and a faster track to helping people struggling with addiction.
Jacqueline West said, "Most agencies in the field are not able to find counselors. It's very difficult to find counselors, let alone counselors that are trained and want to be addiction counselors. The D'Youville partnership really will help to try and train people that want to be in the field that will come out of the D'Youville program with a marketable skill. They'll be able to get a New York State credential."
To address that workforce shortage, the university is partnering with the Beacon Center CEO Jacqueline West told Kassahun that partnership will be the perfect springboard for students.
West explained, "They will provide a training ground for counselors to be able to learn about how to become a substance abuse learning counselor. They'll be paired with the school. There will be an internship with the Beacon Center. They'll learn how to actually deliver services. They'll learn how to be conducting individual sessions, group sessions, how to do evaluations."
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there is help available 24/7.
The Erie County addiction hotline can be reached at (716) 831-7007 or you call the the substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Hotline 1-800-662-HELP.
