New York State Sen. Lea Webb (D) announced $25,000 in grant funding allocated to Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services at a Monday event held at CARS’s West State Street office in downtown Ithaca.
CARS, which was founded in 1972, provides both residential and outpatient services to those recovering from addiction in the area. In addition to providing medical care and mental health treatment to those in recovery, according to the CARS website, CARS also assists them with “education and employment services” to prevent relapse.
In a press release, Webb said the funding for CARS is part of continuing work to address addiction in her district and “expand access” to recovery services.
Dr. Martin Stallone ’98, president and chief executive officer of Cayuga Health System, said the new funds will be used for adding a second lobby reception window and additional telehealth technology in a speech at the event. Webb explained that this investment in telehealth services could expand the reach of recovery services to people in rural areas, where she said transportation can be a barrier to care.
In March 2023, CARS became an affiliate of CHS, a move that CARS Communications Manager Brad Walworth said at the time would “better facilitate seamless coordination” in treating clients facing addiction.
This funding was announced in the wake of increased drug-related deaths in Tompkins County and expanding efforts to provide help for those dealing with substance abuse. According to data from the Tompkins County Medical Examiner, drug-related deaths in the county increased by 65 percent from 2019 to 2023, jumping from 17 to 28 in 2023.
In her speech, Webb emphasized the prevalence of substance abuse, calling the state’s provision of resources thus far to address addiction inconsistent amid a “dire” need for addiction recovery services.
“It is something that no one is removed from,” Webb said.
Kate Sanders is a reporter from the Cornell Daily Sun working on The Sun’s summer fellowship at The Ithaca Voice. This piece was originally published in The Ithaca Voice.