Isabel Byon: 0:00

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: 0:17

You are listening to Addiction: The Next Step, the podcast brought to you by the New York State Offices of Addiction Services and Supports. I'm your host, Jerry Gretzinger. Thanks for checking us out here. Today we're going to be talking about additional efforts to support the addiction workforce.

Jerry Gretzinger: 0:33

I mean, we've talked so many times about how critical that is, how important it is to support that, and there is a lot being done. So, again, part of what we're focusing on today and to help us do that is Jennifer Faringer. She's here. She's the director of DePaul's National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence from the Rochester area. Jennifer, thanks so much for sitting down with us.

Jennifer Faringer: 0:52

Thanks, Jerry.

Jerry Gretzinger: 0:52

Hey, before we get into the scholarship piece of things, I want to introduce people to the organization. I just said that you're with Talk to us. I know they've been around quite some time. You've been working with them a long time. Tell me what it is, what it does.

Jennifer Faringer: 1:04

Yeah, so NCADD, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. We're actually one of the oldest councils in New York State and in the country Been around since 46. Long time. I haven't been there quite that long, although some days, and we're part of the larger DePaul, which is primarily mental health, residential, senior living, etc. So we're the only part of DePaul that deals with addiction and our space is education and prevention. So we do community-based, school-based and professional education as well.

Jerry Gretzinger: 1:38

That's great and that's terrific to know that it's been around so long and continues to do so much, and so I talked about today. We're talking about supporting the workforce, we talk about the scholarship, and you said a lot of what you do is about education, right? So talk to us about how the connection came between your organization and the scholarships and the funding for those, and how it's all kind of been coming together to support the workforce.

Jennifer Faringer: 2:02

So we have a reputation. We're the only education training provider in the region. In the Finger Lakes region We've been offering the CASAC program, or the ACT program we call it, for about 30 years now. A little bit over 30 years run a class, 60-month class, offering the 350 hours toward the CASAC. So when the opportunity presented itself through the workforce efforts, through OASAS, of offering scholarships, we were honestly at a point of wondering does it make sense to even continue our program Because there were less students and affordability is the issue. You know people wanting to get in the field but not being able to afford it.

Jennifer Faringer: 2:45

So we certainly jumped on that and the scholarship opportunity through OASAS literally allowed us to scholarship every student in the program. We have a full, uh, vibrant program again, as we had in the old days that's great and they're incredibly grateful for the opportunity this is allowing them free tuition, yeah, and to be able to participate in the 16 month program.

Jerry Gretzinger: 3:08

Yeah, so I mean that I think that part of the story is great too, because you know we always talk about, whenever it comes to anything with addiction, reducing barriers right. So here we are. You know wanting people to be able to pursue their studies in this, and a barrier often is, as you said, cost. What, what were we looking at? I mean what? What did going through the program cost people that now they don't have to worry?

Jennifer Faringer: 3:29

Ours is probably one of the least expensive in the state $3,500 but it's still $3,500. We always had a monthly payment plan. So again, and we looked for other opportunities within the in the county, for example Rochester Works or Access VR. So we look to help people find ways to fund it. But I mean, this is full funding.

Jennifer Faringer: 3:52

This is full and complete funding for a very large number of people.

Jerry Gretzinger: 3:56

Yeah, it's so, so great that that's able to happen, so let me do this favor. So if people are out here listening and they hear about this wow, this is great. You know the. It's fully funded and the scholarship covers all the costs I'm interested. Who do I need to be to be successful in this program? Like, what do you see as far as the folks who pursue this? What is their background? You know what makes them a successful participant. What should people think about? Passion, yeah.

Jennifer Faringer: 4:20

Passion and commitment, you know, to wanting to help. So we've always had, in our history of providing this program, kind of the ultimate of diversity. So diversity in terms of ethnicity, in terms of age, in terms of in the field not in the field. In recovery, not in the recovery. So it's different than when you go through a university-based program where everybody comes into a bachelor's or a master's with about the same level of education, with a training program. People come from all spaces, whether high school, ged, which is OASIS's minimum requirement, but we have those with bachelor's, we have those with master's, you know, and I just encourage students to be open to the experience of all because it makes for a very rich adult education program.

Jerry Gretzinger: 5:08

Yeah, I think it would because, like you said, you have so many different backgrounds and levels that they're coming from.

Jerry Gretzinger: 5:13

Um, so what? What do you find are other concerns that people have when they first, you know, make that inquiry like, well, I want to do this, but

Jennifer Faringer: 5:21

timing, life, work schedules, and then they're stuck.

Jennifer Faringer: 5:27

I mean, our schedule is our schedule. The program is Tuesday, Thursday evenings and it is what it is, and you know. So we really talk to students. We do an in-depth student interview for every person interested in coming in to really try to assess their level of commitment. Especially in this case, because we were offering scholarships, we went to ensure the best you can during a one-hour interview that someone is really committed for the full run right, that they have secured the time, the block with their personal life, their professional life. But the reality is things do change with some, but so far, I mean, we're two, three months into the program and everyone's still there.

Jerry Gretzinger: 6:10

And are they? Their classes are provided on location.

Jennifer Faringer: 6:12

We no, no, no, we provide the program at our site.

Jerry Gretzinger: 6:16

Okay, right, yes,

Jennifer Faringer: 6:16

and it is full.

Jennifer Faringer: 6:17

I do want to make that clear because we're still. We continue to get calls from all over the state. So we are local. We are in person, not online, so that wasn't really clear. I know in the original promotion of this program that each program is based in a different part of the state. Some are online, some are in person. Ours is in person and this particular class happens to be absolutely filled to the top. We can't take one more.

Jerry Gretzinger: 6:46

And you know what that's being full is. Some people say it's a problem. But it's a good problem to have it, is it?

Jennifer Faringer: 6:52

It means potentially 30 people coming into the field, and we all know, with a workforce crisis, we're in need of folks.

Jerry Gretzinger: 6:59

And, as you mentioned too, you've seen those numbers sort of rebound right Because it was different, and now it's just chock full again.

Jennifer Faringer: 7:05

Part of that during COVID. I mean, we'd always been in in-person class all of our time, other than, obviously, during COVID. We went virtual, which is a very different experience. So this class we'd already made a commitment If we go forward with the class, we're going to bring it back in person and it's just so nice to have people back in the room interacting. I mean, it's completely different than doing it virtually.

Jerry Gretzinger: 7:29

Okay. So if people are hearing this and like, yeah, okay, you know what this works for me, I want to be a part of this. Where do they need to go online? Who do they need to call? What's the information?

Jennifer Faringer: 7:37

Well, we are again. We are full. Our classes are 16 months in length. I don't know what the future holds in terms of OASIS offering future scholarships. They certainly can check out our website, www. ncadd-ra. org. There's a whole page on the Addiction Counselor Credential Training Program, but again, it is full and it is in person and no, we are not offering it hybrid so there are other programs in the state that are offering it.

Jennifer Faringer: 8:09

So what I typically tell people is check with one of the other programs for availability but, we're well into this scholarship process, so it might be that others are in the same full capacity.

Jerry Gretzinger: 8:20

I don't know right, but certainly, uh, for your organization, once this, this, you know, iteration of it is done, it's not over,

Jennifer Faringer: 8:27

it's not over.

Jennifer Faringer: 8:28

Exactly, exactly, whether there'll be a similar situation with full scholarships for everybody. That's the first time in our 30 years that's happened.

Jerry Gretzinger: 8:37

So stay tuned on that. Hopefully we'll have the same kind of news we can share going forward. Thank you, jennifer. Thank you so much for sitting down with us today walking us through all that. I think it's wonderful to hear that it's full and we're hoping for many more classes that we can fill to the brim

Jennifer Faringer: 8:51

Great

Jerry Gretzinger: 8:52

All right.

Jerry Gretzinger: 8:52

Thanks so much.

Jerry Gretzinger: 8:53

All right, and thank you very much for listening to us here on Addiction: The Next Step, the podcast brought to you by OASAS. Also, you can go to our website looking for information, oasas. ny. gov, and our hope line is 877-8-HOPE-NY. I'm Jerry Gretzinger, be well.